The Voucher Vote

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At 2 AM, the Texas House passed Senate Bill 2: up to $10,000 per student for private school. Only two Republicans voted no. The state hasn't increased base school funding since 2019. In District 37, a career educator is running against that vote. Full record and sources:

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RECEIPTS (the sources behind this episode): • Texas House passes controversial school voucher plan, $7.7B school funding bi...: https://www.kut.org/politics/2025-04-16/texas-house-billions-school-funding-voucher • Texas House Passes School Choice Bill, But It Misses the Mark: https://www.texaspolicyresearch.com/texas-house-passes-school-choice-bill-but-it-misses-the-mark/ • Texas House Finally Passes School Choice Bill - Texans for Fiscal Responsibility: https://texastaxpayers.com/texas-house-finally-passes-school-choice-bill/ • Ozzie Ochoa Jr - Texas Candidate - Transparency USA: https://www.transparencyusa.org/tx/candidate/ozzie-ochoa-jr • Bill tracking in Texas - SB 2 (89 legislative session) - FastDemocracy: https://fastdemocracy.com/bill-search/tx/89/bills/TXB00073875/ • Janie Lopez | TCTA: https://www.tcta.org/texasteachersvote/find-candidates/texas-house-candidates/janie-lopez • Rep. Lopez, Janie - Texas House of Representatives: https://www.house.texas.gov/members/4295/biography • State Rep. Janie Lopez: https://www.texaspolicyresearch.com/legislative-directory-texas-house-of-representatives/texas-house-of-representatives/state-rep-janie-lopez/ • 2026 Texas House of Representatives election - Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Texas_House_of_Representatives_election • thetexan.news: https://thetexan.news/elections/2026/oziel-ochoa-wins-democratic-runoff-to-challenge-state-rep-janie-lopez/article_32527682-239c-4580-b38b-fe0680ceab30.html • Janie Lopez wins primary for District 37; Democrats head to runoff: https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/janie-lopez-wins-primary-district-045300158.html • Janie Lopez wins primary for District 37; Democrats head to runoff | MyRGV.com: https://myrgv.com/featured/2026/03/04/janie-lopez-wins-primary-for-district-37-democrats-head-to-runoff/ • House Passes Senate’s ESA Bill with Vote of 85 to 63 | Texas Association of S...: https://tasanet.org/house-passes-senates-esa-bill-with-vote-of-85-to-63/ • Texas State Capitol Austin TX (on screen at 0m25s): https://incredibletexas.com/texas-state-capitol • REP. GARY VANDEAVER, Texas House District 1 (on screen at 0m29s): https://www.texarkanagazette.com/news/2023/aug/23/rep-vandeaver-sets-sights-on-sixth-term-in-texas/ • Abandoned School Desk 2 (on screen at 0m56s): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Abandoned_School_Desk_2.jpg • Greg Abbott 2018 (cropped) (on screen at 1m15s): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Greg_Abbott_2018_(cropped).jpg • Greg Abbott (8085498826) (on screen at 1m15s): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Greg_Abbott_(8085498826).jpg • Donald Trump Laconia Rally, Laconia, NH by Michael Vadon July 16 2015 (on screen at 1m15s): https://www.flickr.com/photos/80038275@N00/19587034648 • Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park, Hidalgo County, Texas, USA (15 April 2016) (on screen at 1m49s): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bentsen-Rio_Grande_Valley_State_Park,_Hidalgo_County,_Texas,_USA_(15_April_2016).jpg • State Rep. Janie Lopez (on screen at 1m55s): https://www.texastribune.org/directory/janie-lopez/ • Texas Partisan Index: Rating Counties From Most Democratic to Most Republican (on screen at 1m55s): https://thetexan.news/elections/2022/texas-partisan-index-rating-counties-from-most-democratic-to-most-republican/article_ff3c1150-c7b9-5d27-ae3f-2b2017c78ea8.html • Oziel "Ozzie" Ochoa Jr. (on screen at 2m18s): https://myrgv.com/publications/the-brownsville-herald/2025/10/17/harlingen-educator-announces-candidacy-for-texas-house-district-37/ • State Rep. Janie Lopez (on screen at 2m26s): https://www.hispanicrepublicansoftx.org/candidate-bios/state-rep.-janie-lopez • 2025 Texas House chambers 01 (on screen at 3m18s): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2025_Texas_House_chambers_01.jpg • Lower assembly chamber in Capitol building Austin Texas (on screen at 3m18s): https://www.flickr.com/photos/42937777@N00/5273172168 • Average Cost of Private School [2026]: Tuition by Education Level (on screen at 3m42s): https://educationdata.org/average-cost-of-private-school

Short cuts

part · 85s

For twenty years, the Texas House said no to school vouchers.

part · 85s

The party of small government just voted to hand out ten grand a kid.

part · 79s

The state hasn't increased base school funding since 2019.

part · 116s

Eighty percent of the funds go to families earning under $160,000.

aspire · 34s

For twenty years, the Texas House said no to school vouchers.

aspire · 37s

Here's what gives me hope.

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