DALLAS — Republicans behind an aggressive push for school choice this session are angling to break the bond that previously thwarted voucherlike efforts in Texas: an unlikely coalition of rural Republicans and Democrats.
Gov. Greg Abbott has waged a pressure campaign across the state by promoting his plan at a series of “parent empowerment” events in rural areas. A package recently rolled out in the Senate would give families taxpayer money to spend on private school tuition and seems to dangle incentives to reluctant Republicans, such as hefty payments to public schools for every student they lose.
But the legislation remains a tough sell, especially in the GOP-led House, which has rejected voucherlike efforts in the past.
