![]() Angela Paxton - who is married to the attorney general - filed legislation that would repeal "the constitutional provision that prohibits the appropriation of state money or property for the benefit of any sect, religious society, or theological or religious seminary."Ĭatholic leaders said Friday that Creighton's bill introduced important questions about religious freedom, specifically as related to the Blain Amendments that they said have roots in anti-Catholic bigotry. Supreme Court decisions, Creighton questioned whether the related Texas constitutional provisions, known as the Blain Amendments, were "likewise unconstitutional." And, earlier this week, state Sen. On Friday, Creighton also requested an expedited opinion from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on whether his bill, specifically its educational savings accounts provision, would run afoul of the Texas Constitution because it would divert public funds to private religious schools. “Giving parents the power to determine the best school for their child will encourage competition and innovation, ensuring that each Texas student has the opportunity to succeed.” “Educating the next generation of Texans is the most fundamental responsibility we have, and I authored Senate Bill 8 to place parents, not government, squarely in the center of the decisions for their children,” he said. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, framed the legislation as a compromise between “parents, educators, employers and students.” In a statement, the bills’ author, state Sen. Parents also would need to be notified of any changes to their child’s mental, emotional or physical health.Īn accompanying piece of legislation, Senate Bill 9, would also give “across the board” pay raises to teachers increase funding for classrooms establish and fund mentor and teacher residency programs and give free pre-K education for the children of classroom teachers in districts where it is provided, according to the news release from the bill’s author. The new bill would allow them to do so while also banning such teachings. ![]() School-choice proponents have routinely cited teaching on sexual orientation and gender as a key justification for pulling their kids - and tax dollars - from public schools. Parents also would have the right to exempt students from instruction about gender and sexual orientation.Īnd schools may establish reviews of lessons based on state guidelines to ensure teachers are following the law. The bill's language released late Friday says schools are prohibited from teaching such lessons to any grade level that are not "age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate." Schools must establish so-called parent portals for families to review instructional material. It echoes a highly controversial law in Florida. The legislation puts lessons on gender identity and sexual orientation under a new microscope. Texas has already put perimeters on how topics such as race and slavery is taught. ![]() In the three years since, conservatives have pushed a variety of changes to the way classrooms are run. The savings account provisions are part of the legislations' broader theme of parental rights - something Republicans have seized since the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns temporarily closed schools. Larger districts in urban areas with more private schools would stand to lose state funding, which is calculated by the average student daily attendance. Texas schools receive a base allotment of $6,160 per student each year. But this year’s bill carves out smaller districts, leaving school districts with fewer than 20,000 students fully funded for the first two years. Rural Republican lawmakers have historically opposed similar legislation, arguing that it siphons off money from public schools, often an anchor of their smaller communities. Patrick's efforts have been rebuffed before.
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