Brothers, Sisters, and Siblings,
Governor Greg Abbott has called a special legislative session, set to begin next Monday. By every measure during the regular legislative session, our state leaders failed to address the needs of working families in Texas. Despite having an unprecedented $33 billion dollar surplus to spend, there have been no pay raises for teachers and school staff, no cost of living adjustments for retired state employees, and no increased access to healthcare for all Texans. And during the hottest summer in history, no protections for workers that are regularly exposed to deadly heat on the job.
Calling a special session could have been an opportunity to right this spectacular wrong, and pass bipartisan legislation that provides a better life for ALL Texans. Instead, Abbott has chosen to use the 30-day special session, and our tax dollars, to push his destructive school voucher agenda. Even though the majority of Texans, from all backgrounds, oppose them.
Private school vouchers are nothing more than a billionaire-backed scheme that will cripple our public schools and funding that would normally go to our neighborhood schools will instead be used to subsidize private education for the wealthy. The future of our state depends on the strength of our public schools.
The agenda for the special session does not even mention a long-overdue pay raise for teachers and public school employees. It would be hard to imagine a clearer signal to educators that our state leadership doesn’t care about them.
If that’s not bad enough, Abbott’s extreme agenda also makes clear his intention to continue the relentless attack on our immigrant communities by attempting to pass legislation that’s based in racism, xenophobia and the vilification of migrants seeking shelter in our state.
The working people of Texas deserve better, we demand better.
In solidarity,
Texas AFL-CIO
P.S. Our team is all hands on deck for the special session from now until it’s over, but we need your help.
Join us at the Capitol this Saturday to send a clear message to Abbott – Texans don’t want vouchers, and we will not stop fighting them until they’re defeated again.
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