TLPC Slams State Budget for Prioritizing Private School Vouchers Over Working Texans; Urges No Vote on SB 1 (April 9)

TLPC Press Release April 9 - SB 1 Opposition.pdf

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 9, 2025

Media Contact: Cody Meador, Executive Director, Texas Legislative Progressive Caucus

(512) 463-0454, info@texaslpc.org

Texas Legislative Progressive Caucus Slams State Budget for Prioritizing Private School Vouchers Over Working Texans; Urges No Vote on SB 1

Austin, TX — Today, the Texas Legislative Progressive Caucus (TLPC) held a press conference at the historic, now-shuttered Pease Elementary School to call on Democratic and Republican peers in the Texas House to vote against the state budget (SB 1), which includes a $1 billion voucher that defunds public schools in favor of wealthy, unaccountable private institutions. TLPC members denounced the budget as a moral failure that abandons Texas families and rigs the economy against working people.

Representative Gina Hinojosa, whose district includes Pease Elementary in Austin, stated, "Speaker Dustin Burrows lies when he says we are fully funding schools. We're not. We need another $18 billion in public education funding just to reach 2019 spending levels, accounting for inflation. The package before us is only $8 billion — $10 billion short. It is wrong, misguided, and immoral to give $1 billion to families already in private school while our public school students go without.” (watch here)

Taxpayer-funded vouchers are part of a broader scheme to shrink public institutions that serve working people and funnel public money to private interests. Despite Texas doubling its GDP since 2010, 40% of Texas households still struggle to meet basic needs. The proposed budget fails to address regressive taxes, widespread food insecurity, and the fact that Texas has the highest uninsured rate in the nation.

Representative John Bryant of Dallas stated, "I'm here along with my colleagues who call on every Democrat and every Republican to vote against the house appropriations bill because it is a continued assault on public education in Texas. It contains $1 billion for a voucher scheme when the Republican Legislative Budget Board admits 80% of it will go to pay for wealthy people whose kids are already in private school. We can't continue to defund public education in a state that is already 47th in the nation in  funding for our public schools.” (watch here)

Fully-funded public education, from K-12 to postsecondary, is an essential means to economic mobility for working Texans. Taxpayer-funded vouchers will keep communities disempowered, schools struggling, and children locked out of opportunity.

Representative Ron Reynolds of Houston stated, “It’s time for our Republican colleagues to stop catering to billionaires and put Texas families first. I urge everyone who wants to be on the right side of history to vote no on this budget. We can and we must do better.” (watch here)

Senator Sarah Eckhardt of Austin stated, “My parents, my children, and I all graduated from public schools. I want my grandchildren to do the same because public education is the greatest mechanism for generational wealth that democracy has ever created. This budget and this legislature are undermining that. I’ll be damned if my hard-earned property taxes are going to subsidize private schools that cherry-pick students based on their profit potential.” (watch here)

TLPC urges members of the Texas House to fight unapologetically to ensure working Texans have access to the tools and resources to build economically secure lives. In a Texas where everyone has a fair shot at economic prosperity, the budget would fully fund public schools with no carveout for vouchers.

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A recording of the press conference live stream can be viewed on the Texas Legislative Progressive Caucus’ Instagram – @texas_lpc – or at the link here: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DIOpkJzRznK/