House Committee Passes Voucher, School Funding Bills

The House Public Education Committee on Thursday passed a pair of substitute education bills out of committee, sending them to the House floor for a vote of the full chamber.

First, the committee approved a $7.7 billion substitute for House Bill 2, a wide-ranging, 128-page school funding bill that would increase the state’s basic allotment by $395, a roughly 6% increase over its current value of $6,160.

The final vote on the substitute HB 2 was 13-2, with two Democrats, Reps. John Bryant of Dallas and Alma Allen of Houston, dissenting.

The committee then passed a substitute version of a Senate bill that would establish a $1 billion private school voucher program in Texas.

That vote was 9-6 strictly along party lines. All six Democratic representatives on the committee voted against the measure, including vice chair Diego Bernal of San Antonio and Reps. Allen and Harold V. Dutton Jr. of Houston, Gina Hinojosa and James Talarico of Austin and John Bryant of Dallas.

This is a developing story. It will be updated with more information.