Senate Bill 2 would set aside $1 billion in taxpayer money to give some parents $10,000 vouchers to spend at private schools.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick named school choice, property tax cuts, religion in schools and banning hemp-derived THC products among the top Senate priorities for the legislative session Wednesday. “Over the last four years,

A fiscal note for SB 2 from the Texas Senate said the legislation would allow about 35,000 students to attend private school in 2027.

A proposal to create a school voucher-like plan for Texas was advanced by the Texas Senate Education Committee on Tuesday night, giving voucher supporters like Gov. Greg Abbott their first major win of the legislative session.

Senate Bill 2, authored by Sen. Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe), would create an "Education Savings Account" (ESA) program that would allow Texas families to use public tax dollars to help pay for private education.

The proposal, a priority of Gov. Greg Abbott, budgets $1 billion over the next two years to fund the private school vouchers.

Both chambers are off to a fast start, with each unveiling its plan to guide state spending for the two-year budget cycle that starts Sept. 1.

Legislation advances after a budget analysis estimates the cost of the voucher-style program will nearly quadruple in 4 years.

The veteran president of the Texas Senate and the new speaker of the House did not start out on the same page.

Dan Patrick’s office described as maintaining “current border ... what lawmakers proposed for such a program during the 2023 legislative session. The school voucher-like program would allow families to use taxpayer dollars to pay for their children ...

A bipartisan group of rural Republicans and Democrats killed the idea in the legislature two years ago. This year, Governor Abbott believes he has the votes.