AUSTIN, TEXAS — In a stunning display of public opposition, hundreds of Texans traveled from across the state to testify against the latest iteration of Greg Abbott’s voucher scam bill. Testimony stretched through the night until 6:30 AM this morning. The marathon, nearly 24-hour hearing proved that the people of Texas — parents, educators, and community leaders — reject vouchers, and want Texas’ leaders to fully fund our public schools.
The testimonies painted a vivid picture of what’s at stake for Texas: teachers described classrooms without basic supplies while administrators detailed painful budget cuts. Parents of special needs children explained how vouchers would abandon the most vulnerable students. Rural community leaders described how their towns would collapse if their schools — often the largest employers and center of community life — lost funding.
During the hearing, Democrats repeatedly challenged Greg Abbott’s narrative that this bill would help low-income families. Vice Chair Diego Bernal questioned how the state would ensure access: “What mechanism should we place that requires that the students we say need the most help get to go [to private schools] — because if the answer is nothing, then we're saying 'the people who are already sending their kids [to private school] are going to get a coupon.’”
This unprecedented marathon testimony coincides with school closures across Texas due to Abbott’s systematic starvation of education funding while the Governor pursues a voucher scheme that would accelerate this crisis. As Rep. Gina Hinojosa noted, the voucher scam is “a billion dollars that could go to a $3,000 [or] $4,000 pay raise for teachers … it doesn’t meet the moment.”
Abbott’s misleading terminology itself became a flashpoint during the hearing. In one revealing exchange, Chairman Buckley attempted to distinguish the bill as an “Education Savings Account” rather than a voucher program Rep. Alma Allen rebutted him, asking “Do we have another bill besides this bill?” While its proponents continue to claim that HB 3 isn’t a voucher bill to obfuscate the widespread opposition, Texans and Dr. Allen, a lifelong educator, know better.
Multiple studies from other states with voucher programs show little evidence of improved academic outcomes for low-income students and confirm that voucher benefits primarily flow to families already attending private schools. As Rep. James Talarico challenged during the hearing, “Are we sending our limited, precious taxpayer dollars to the wealthiest families in the state? And if you say that's not the purpose, then put it in your bill!”
Texans can calculate exactly how much their neighborhood schools stand to lose under HB 3 by visiting DontDefundMySchool.com.