| From | Dan Patrick <[email protected]> |
| Subject | Texas House Killed School Choice |
| Date | November 21, 2023 9:27 PM |
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The Texas House Killed School Choice
Some members who voted against school choice attended private schools themselves or send their kids or grandkids to private schools. Now, they are denying that right to their constituents. If every House Republican or Democrat who has used private schools voted for school choice, it may have passed.
Speaker Dade Phelan didn’t help either. Phelan abstained from voting on school choice. Talk about a lack of leadership. It's hard to pass school choice when the Speaker is too cowardly to vote for it himself.
Here is my statement on the House killing school choice:
[[link removed]][link removed]
The Truth About Education Funding
I keep hearing from many in the education system, teachers' associations, the media, and those who oppose parental choice that we greatly underfund public education, and that school choice would take money away from public education. Neither of those statements are true.
Texas spends about 50% of our entire state budget on public and higher education. That's one out of every two dollars. We spend about 30% of our state dollars on healthcare and about 10% on public safety. Those three items are about 90% of our state budget. Education is obviously our biggest priority. The Bible says, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). Our heart is in public education.
Homeschool became legal in Texas in 1994 with a 9-0 Supreme Court Ruling.
We heard the same arguments about homeschooling 30 years ago that it would undermine public education. The education system fought against parents' right to homeschool. Since then, our public school system has grown to be one of the biggest in the nation, and hundreds of thousands of parents homeschool their children.
Teachers should be paid as professionals. It's not just a job.
I value teachers and have led the way on teacher pay increases since becoming Lt. Governor. This session, the Texas Senate passed a bill that would increase rural teachers’ pay by $10,000 due to the wage gap between rural and urban/suburban teachers. Urban and suburban teachers would receive a $3,000 raise on top of the raise they received in 2019.
In the 2023 regular session, we provided a $5 billion stipend and a cost-of-living increase for retired teachers. We gave retired teachers 75 and older a $7,500 stipend check, and those under 75 also received a payment. I wrote that bill with Senator Joan Huffman (R- Houston) with input from Tim Lee of the Retired Teachers Association. The Senate led on that issue.
Let's put our public school funding in perspective to school choice. For about 5.5 million students in public schools, we will spend about $39 billion in our current budget. School choice is in a totally separate appropriation. Separate appropriations do not add or subtract from other appropriations. School choice money simply doesn't come from education funding.
The school choice program is about $500 million. That is only about 1% of what we spend on public education as a whole. The choice program is for about 50,000 students. That's about 1% of all students in K-12. Texans have been fed total misinformation about school choice by those who oppose it. Those against choice need to understand this issue is not going away.
Those who voted for the budget (General Appropriations Act) in May already voted for school choice funding. It is inconsistent for them now to vote against it when they already voted to fund school choice with $500 million. It makes one wonder if those who voted for the budget and against school choice even remember they voted to fund it earlier.
Those who say school choice is taking money away from public school funding and is part of a plan to end public schools are simply ignorant of the facts or not telling the public the truth. It's preposterous even to suggest.
The House killed Teacher Pay Raises - including $10,000 for rural teachers. That's nearly a 20% raise for many rural teachers.
The 21 House Republicans who killed school choice this week also killed additional public school funding and teacher pay raises. They REFUSE to give students in failing schools and students with special needs just 1% funding for school choice compared to what we spend on public schools.
Governor Abbott has said he will not sign a funding and teacher pay raise bill unless an acceptable school choice bill also passes. There is no justification for all the Democrats and 21 Republicans who voted against a school choice plan. School choice is NOT a threat to public schools.
Many House members support choice...for their family.
Something I find offensive is that some of these anti-school choice Rs and Ds who killed the bill either went to private schools themselves or send their children/grandchildren to private schools. Private schools are good for them and their families, but they won't give the 1% funding to students in need in their districts.
I suggest the media ask every House Republican and Democrat who voted against school choice if they attended private school or if they send their kids or grandkids to private school.
And if so, why isn't it suitable for the families in their districts?
Let's see how many House members are bold enough to respond to both questions.
The Strongest Border Security Bills Ever Passed in Texas
[[link removed]][link removed]
Addressing the crisis on our southern border, perpetuated by the Biden Administration with historic levels of illegal crossings, has been a top priority of mine as long as I've been in office. In my first year as a state Senator in 2007, I fought to get funding for border security. The year before I was elected, there was little to no funding for border security.
In the October special session and the current special session, the Texas Senate has continued to take action to pass meaningful legislation to do all we can to protect our border.
We have passed all of the border bills Gov. Abbott has put in the special session call. The package of 3 border bills is the following:
Senate Bill 4, by Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, is the strongest border security bill Texas has ever passed. SB 4 will require criminal background checks and the collection of fingerprints and photographs of those arrested for crossing the border illegally. The illegal crosser can be jailed or ordered by a magistrate to be returned to the border. They will face even harsher penalties if they violate the order and return to Texas.
Another important bill in our fight for a safer and more secure border is Senate Bill 3, Funds to Build the Wall, by Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston. SB 3 appropriates $1.54 billion to continue building the border wall on our southern border and increase law enforcement overtime pay, including extra staffing at the Colony Ridge development in Liberty County. These funds are in addition to the over $5 billion appropriated in our budget to continue funding Operation Lone Star.
In the October special session, the Texas Senate passed a different Senate Bill 4, Increasing Penalties Against Human Smuggling and Stash Houses, by Sen. Pete Flores, R-Pleasanton. This bill has now been signed by Governor Abbott and provides mandatory minimum sentences for the operation of stash houses and for human smuggling and increases penalties for these crimes committed during disasters.
The Texas Senate’s work to secure the border is far from over. We must give Texas law enforcement as many tools as possible to secure the border and keep Texans safe. The Texas Senate will continue to ensure we are putting all our resources into the fight to secure the southern border.
No Vaccine Mandates in Texas
[[link removed]]
Senate Bill 7, by Sen. Mayes Middleton, R-Galveston, now signed into law and championed by the Texas Senate, prohibits private employers from requiring employees and contractors in Texas to get a COVID-19 vaccine.
Over the past few years, too many Texans have had to decide between their jobs and their health. As Lt. Governor, I have championed legislation prohibiting any governmental entity from imposing mask or vaccine mandates on employees to make sure that Texans are not forced to make that decision.
Congratulations, Texas!
Propositions 4, 7, and 9’s passage is life-changing for Texans!
[[link removed]][link removed]
Thirteen of fourteen constitutional propositions passed, including Prop 4, meaning the $100,000 homestead exemption will be codified in the Texas Constitution forever – a massive victory in the fight against property taxes that takes effect this year.
The Texas Senate put a lot of work into passing these important measures. Congratulations to all!
You can click here to read my press release [[link removed]] following the passage of Propositions 4, 7, and 9.
[[link removed]][link removed]
You can also click here to read my press release [[link removed]], which emphasizes why I’m never getting off the bus for lower property taxes.
The Texas GOP is Stronger than Ever!
[[link removed]][link removed]
In case you missed it, I announced my sponsorship [[link removed]] of the 2024 Texas State Republican Convention in San Antonio. Thousands of delegates look forward to the biennial event. I invite others to join me in making their sponsorship commitments now and supporting the Texas GOP!
Happy Thanksgiving!
[[link removed]]
On behalf of Jan, myself, and our entire family, we wish you a wonderful holiday and a great weekend. We hope your Thanksgiving is truly blessed.
Thank you all for your support and everything you do to keep Texas red. May God bless you and your family, and may He continue to bless the greatest state of all—Texas.
Sincerely,
Dan Patrick [[link removed]]
Dan Patrick
Lieutenant Governor of Texas
P.S. Feel free to forward this email to your friends and family who may not be on our email list — they can also click here to sign up for future updates. [[link removed]]
"Whomever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant."
Matthew 20:26 (NLT)
Follow us on Facebook [[link removed]], Twitter [[link removed]], and Instagram [[link removed]] for alerts and updates.
This e-mail has been sent to [email protected], click here to unsubscribe [link removed].
Some members who voted against school choice attended private schools themselves or send their kids or grandkids to private schools. Now, they are denying that right to their constituents. If every House Republican or Democrat who has used private schools voted for school choice, it may have passed.
Speaker Dade Phelan didn’t help either. Phelan abstained from voting on school choice. Talk about a lack of leadership. It's hard to pass school choice when the Speaker is too cowardly to vote for it himself.
Here is my statement on the House killing school choice:
[[link removed]][link removed]
The Truth About Education Funding
I keep hearing from many in the education system, teachers' associations, the media, and those who oppose parental choice that we greatly underfund public education, and that school choice would take money away from public education. Neither of those statements are true.
Texas spends about 50% of our entire state budget on public and higher education. That's one out of every two dollars. We spend about 30% of our state dollars on healthcare and about 10% on public safety. Those three items are about 90% of our state budget. Education is obviously our biggest priority. The Bible says, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). Our heart is in public education.
Homeschool became legal in Texas in 1994 with a 9-0 Supreme Court Ruling.
We heard the same arguments about homeschooling 30 years ago that it would undermine public education. The education system fought against parents' right to homeschool. Since then, our public school system has grown to be one of the biggest in the nation, and hundreds of thousands of parents homeschool their children.
Teachers should be paid as professionals. It's not just a job.
I value teachers and have led the way on teacher pay increases since becoming Lt. Governor. This session, the Texas Senate passed a bill that would increase rural teachers’ pay by $10,000 due to the wage gap between rural and urban/suburban teachers. Urban and suburban teachers would receive a $3,000 raise on top of the raise they received in 2019.
In the 2023 regular session, we provided a $5 billion stipend and a cost-of-living increase for retired teachers. We gave retired teachers 75 and older a $7,500 stipend check, and those under 75 also received a payment. I wrote that bill with Senator Joan Huffman (R- Houston) with input from Tim Lee of the Retired Teachers Association. The Senate led on that issue.
Let's put our public school funding in perspective to school choice. For about 5.5 million students in public schools, we will spend about $39 billion in our current budget. School choice is in a totally separate appropriation. Separate appropriations do not add or subtract from other appropriations. School choice money simply doesn't come from education funding.
The school choice program is about $500 million. That is only about 1% of what we spend on public education as a whole. The choice program is for about 50,000 students. That's about 1% of all students in K-12. Texans have been fed total misinformation about school choice by those who oppose it. Those against choice need to understand this issue is not going away.
Those who voted for the budget (General Appropriations Act) in May already voted for school choice funding. It is inconsistent for them now to vote against it when they already voted to fund school choice with $500 million. It makes one wonder if those who voted for the budget and against school choice even remember they voted to fund it earlier.
Those who say school choice is taking money away from public school funding and is part of a plan to end public schools are simply ignorant of the facts or not telling the public the truth. It's preposterous even to suggest.
The House killed Teacher Pay Raises - including $10,000 for rural teachers. That's nearly a 20% raise for many rural teachers.
The 21 House Republicans who killed school choice this week also killed additional public school funding and teacher pay raises. They REFUSE to give students in failing schools and students with special needs just 1% funding for school choice compared to what we spend on public schools.
Governor Abbott has said he will not sign a funding and teacher pay raise bill unless an acceptable school choice bill also passes. There is no justification for all the Democrats and 21 Republicans who voted against a school choice plan. School choice is NOT a threat to public schools.
Many House members support choice...for their family.
Something I find offensive is that some of these anti-school choice Rs and Ds who killed the bill either went to private schools themselves or send their children/grandchildren to private schools. Private schools are good for them and their families, but they won't give the 1% funding to students in need in their districts.
I suggest the media ask every House Republican and Democrat who voted against school choice if they attended private school or if they send their kids or grandkids to private school.
And if so, why isn't it suitable for the families in their districts?
Let's see how many House members are bold enough to respond to both questions.
The Strongest Border Security Bills Ever Passed in Texas
[[link removed]][link removed]
Addressing the crisis on our southern border, perpetuated by the Biden Administration with historic levels of illegal crossings, has been a top priority of mine as long as I've been in office. In my first year as a state Senator in 2007, I fought to get funding for border security. The year before I was elected, there was little to no funding for border security.
In the October special session and the current special session, the Texas Senate has continued to take action to pass meaningful legislation to do all we can to protect our border.
We have passed all of the border bills Gov. Abbott has put in the special session call. The package of 3 border bills is the following:
Senate Bill 4, by Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, is the strongest border security bill Texas has ever passed. SB 4 will require criminal background checks and the collection of fingerprints and photographs of those arrested for crossing the border illegally. The illegal crosser can be jailed or ordered by a magistrate to be returned to the border. They will face even harsher penalties if they violate the order and return to Texas.
Another important bill in our fight for a safer and more secure border is Senate Bill 3, Funds to Build the Wall, by Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston. SB 3 appropriates $1.54 billion to continue building the border wall on our southern border and increase law enforcement overtime pay, including extra staffing at the Colony Ridge development in Liberty County. These funds are in addition to the over $5 billion appropriated in our budget to continue funding Operation Lone Star.
In the October special session, the Texas Senate passed a different Senate Bill 4, Increasing Penalties Against Human Smuggling and Stash Houses, by Sen. Pete Flores, R-Pleasanton. This bill has now been signed by Governor Abbott and provides mandatory minimum sentences for the operation of stash houses and for human smuggling and increases penalties for these crimes committed during disasters.
The Texas Senate’s work to secure the border is far from over. We must give Texas law enforcement as many tools as possible to secure the border and keep Texans safe. The Texas Senate will continue to ensure we are putting all our resources into the fight to secure the southern border.
No Vaccine Mandates in Texas
[[link removed]]
Senate Bill 7, by Sen. Mayes Middleton, R-Galveston, now signed into law and championed by the Texas Senate, prohibits private employers from requiring employees and contractors in Texas to get a COVID-19 vaccine.
Over the past few years, too many Texans have had to decide between their jobs and their health. As Lt. Governor, I have championed legislation prohibiting any governmental entity from imposing mask or vaccine mandates on employees to make sure that Texans are not forced to make that decision.
Congratulations, Texas!
Propositions 4, 7, and 9’s passage is life-changing for Texans!
[[link removed]][link removed]
Thirteen of fourteen constitutional propositions passed, including Prop 4, meaning the $100,000 homestead exemption will be codified in the Texas Constitution forever – a massive victory in the fight against property taxes that takes effect this year.
The Texas Senate put a lot of work into passing these important measures. Congratulations to all!
You can click here to read my press release [[link removed]] following the passage of Propositions 4, 7, and 9.
[[link removed]][link removed]
You can also click here to read my press release [[link removed]], which emphasizes why I’m never getting off the bus for lower property taxes.
The Texas GOP is Stronger than Ever!
[[link removed]][link removed]
In case you missed it, I announced my sponsorship [[link removed]] of the 2024 Texas State Republican Convention in San Antonio. Thousands of delegates look forward to the biennial event. I invite others to join me in making their sponsorship commitments now and supporting the Texas GOP!
Happy Thanksgiving!
[[link removed]]
On behalf of Jan, myself, and our entire family, we wish you a wonderful holiday and a great weekend. We hope your Thanksgiving is truly blessed.
Thank you all for your support and everything you do to keep Texas red. May God bless you and your family, and may He continue to bless the greatest state of all—Texas.
Sincerely,
Dan Patrick [[link removed]]
Dan Patrick
Lieutenant Governor of Texas
P.S. Feel free to forward this email to your friends and family who may not be on our email list — they can also click here to sign up for future updates. [[link removed]]
"Whomever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant."
Matthew 20:26 (NLT)
Follow us on Facebook [[link removed]], Twitter [[link removed]], and Instagram [[link removed]] for alerts and updates.
This e-mail has been sent to [email protected], click here to unsubscribe [link removed].
Message Analysis
- Sender: Dan Patrick
- Political Party: Republican
- Country: United States
- State/Locality: Texas
- Office: Lieutenant Governor