Oh, how I wish Texas Republican legislators can do what they did a legislative session ago and kill a plan to gut the state’s public education system in favor of sending tax money to pay for private education.

It doesn’nt appear it will happen. During the 2023 Legislature, rural Texas lawmakers, including some in North Texas, railed against the idea of siphoning off public money to pay for private school vouchers. They said public schools are the heartbeat of their communities and they should be strengthened with more funding, not have it taken away.

The Texas House managed to kill the legislation. To their credit, the GOP legisltive caucus stood firm against Gov. Greg Abbot’s effort to gut the public education system.

I am a big believer in public education. I agree it’s damaged, but depriving it of valuable resources that can be spent to improve it is not the way to go.

I just wish the rural Texas GOP lawmakers can make the case once more that the state must not do irreperable damage to communities that rely on public education to hold cities and towns togeteher.