School vouchers a hot topic ahead of GOP primary

AUSTIN, Texas — A looming dogfight over “school choice,” fast emerging as a litmus test issue within the Texas GOP, has triggered a rush of huge campaign contributions in the run-up to the March primary.

Most of the money is flowing to legislative candidates who favor voucherlike programs proponents say will rescue some Texas families from ill-suited public schools — and to committees such as those controlled by Gov. Greg Abbott that are bent on defeating “school choice” opponents.

GOP House lawmakers who oppose Abbott’s proposed education savings accounts as a potentially budget-busting entitlement are receiving some financial help to ready their defenses, according to new campaign finance reports filed with the Texas Ethics Commission.

Generating applause and protests was Abbott’s receipt late last year of $6.25 million from Wall Street billionaire Jeff Yass, an options trader who lives near Philadelphia.

Yass, a longtime crusader for voucherlike programs, also gave $500,000 last month to AFC Victory Fund, a new entrant in the Texas school voucher wars. Its parent, the American Federation for Children, has long been associated with former U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.

“The richest man in Pennsylvania may want a school voucher program in Texas, but Texans don’t,” said Nicole Hill of AFT Texas, referring to Yass. Hill’s union represents 66,000 teachers and support personnel in Texas school districts, along with higher education employees.

“They’ve showed that year after year, special session after special session,” Hill said. She referred to the House’s defeat of education savings accounts, or ESAs, in last year’s fourth overtime session of the Legislature.

Abbott has vowed to help defeat fellow Republicans who tanked his ESA proposal. While the threeterm Republican governor has restored his war chest to nearly $39 million, he hasn’t begun spending in the House primary battles taking shape — at least, as of Dec. 31, according to his reports, which covered the last six months of 2023.

In addition, the AFC Victory Fund had nearly $3.3 million in cash. It and other pro-school choice PACs are expected to open their checkbooks soon.

Meanwhile, the 7-month-old Family Empowerment Coalition PAC, a pro-ESA group cofounded by Dallas businessman Doug Deason, showered $175,000 on Republican insurgents trying to unseat seven of the House GOP incumbents who defied the governor.

Speaker Dade Phelan, who remained neutral in last fall’s fight over using public money to help subsidize private school for certain families, is defending incumbents, including the “rural 16” who defied Abbott.