Governor Abbott releases proclamation for third special session

Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) released the long-anticipated proclamation for a third special session Thursday, and as expected, private school vouchers topped the agenda. In addition to vouchers, the Governor is asking the Legislature to address immigration, the border, public safety issues, and COVID-19 vaccine mandates. The full list of items on the Governor’s call are as follows:

• Legislation providing education savings accounts for all Texas schoolchildren
• Legislation to do more to reduce illegal immigration by creating a criminal offense for illegal entry into this state from a foreign nation and authorizing all licensed peace officers to remove illegal immigrants from Texas.
• Legislation to impede illegal entry into Texas by increasing the penalties for certain criminal conduct involving the smuggling of persons or the operation of a stash house.
• Legislation to impede illegal entry into Texas by providing more funding for the construction, operation, and maintenance of border barrier infrastructure.
• Legislation concerning public safety, security, environmental quality, and property ownership in areas like the Colony Ridge development in Liberty County, Texas.
• Legislation prohibiting COVID-19 vaccine mandates by private employers.

The lone item on the agenda related to public education is the call for an educational savings account (ESA), specifically a universal ESA voucher that would apply to “all” schoolchildren in Texas. As ATPE previously reported here on Teach the Vote, the Texas House has previously shown a lack of interest in passing any voucher program. A universal ESA would appear to be a hard sell in that chamber, especially among Democrats and rural Republicans. House members, even those who support vouchers, have expressed concern in the past about opening a voucher up to everyone, preferring a limited voucher aimed at small categories of students, such as those with special needs or students in low-performing schools. They have also pushed for accountability guardrails, such as strict requirements for how the voucher money can be spent, and requiring all students who accept a voucher to take the STAAR test. 

Noticeably absent from the Governor’s proclamation is legislation to address teacher pay and school funding, both of which are items House members have stated were priorities in this special session. Neither item was addressed in the regular session, leaving schools without additional funding to combat rising inflation since 2019’s HB 3 was passed, and leaving teachers without pay raises amid a national teacher shortage.

The third special session begins Monday, Oct. 9, and will last no longer than 30 days.  If a voucher does not pass during this special session, Abbott has stated he intends to call yet another special session. Stay tuned to Teach the Vote for special session coverage starting next week.