March 21, 2017      9:46 PM
Under cloud of bogus school voucher letters, Senate holds late night hearing on vouchers
All the promises of miracles happening in private schools quickly start to sound like a multi-level marketing convention
Texans have probably never done more, spent more or hired
more lobbyists to promote the idea that the state needs to move forward with
school choice legislation.
At last count, Texans for Educational Opportunity
had a dozen lobbyists on its payroll, including Mike Toomey, Bill Messer
and John Colyandro. Thousands of endorsements
– albeit bogus form letters – have gone out from Austin to lawmakers in both
chambers. And supporters of school choice have spared no expense to put
together a polished pro-choice message in front of lawmakers, a strategy that appeared
to resonate with Sen. Eddie Lucio, D-Brownsville.
The only bill on the agenda in Senate Education was Senate
Bill 3. The committee is stacked this session with Republicans most
favorable to a vote on school choice. Democrat Lucio, for one, also has warmed
to the argument that disinterested parents will finally be involved with their
children’s lives if they are given the right to choose.
By Kimberly Reeves
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