Having reached the constitutional maximum of 30 days, the current special session of the Texas Legislature is ending. It was called by Gov. Greg Abbott specifically to enact “school choice” legislation favored by more than 85 percent of Texas GOP primary voters. The measure was passed by the Texas Senate but killed in the House.
For yesterday’s One Click Survey, we asked readers if Gov. Abbott should call yet another special session on the issue, just focus on defeating the opponents in the primary election, do both… or neither.
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Here is a sampling of the comments we received from our readers after they voted in the survey.
“Another special session should be called to keep the spotlight on this issue. It can add fuel to efforts to get the opponents primaried.” – Tom Bartel
“Call another special session, and continue to do so until the “ESA” is passed while also working to defeat their opponents. Seriously, they should be able to do both!” – Hamila Hobson
“Since Dade Phelan obviously has no intention of actually doing his job, working to defeat him and ALL of the RINO’s would be the appropriate action.” – Samuel Morgan
“They’re wasting my time, so keep wasting theirs.” – Corey Mayo
“I voted neither because I feel the border is the most important issue at hand. What we have passed does nothing to stop the invasion….only adds to the cost of housing the lawbreakers in our jails.” – Lamoyne Priddy
“It is time to fund the true needs of public schools and let vouchers go for a while. Quit holding hostage most of the great teachers and staff that bust their butt daily to better the kids they serve.” – Matthew Howard
“Call another special session and continue to expose these RINOs. The more we see that people like Glenn Rogers don’t even bother going to work, the better it is for anyone who chooses to run against them.” – Carole Elston
“The key to passing Republican priorities is to divest ourselves of Dade Phelan and his dozen or so lieutenants. But that alone will not solve the Texas House problem. Republicans must also take enough additional seats from Democrats that no left-wing Republican can build a majority with Democrats and a few fellow lefty Republicans to steal the speakership from the Republican Party.” – Chris Breaux
“I said both, but really, I think it’s time for Abbott to step down (certainly not run again). The current situation is largely due to his own inability to take a firm stance and back it up with action.” – Cindy Armstrong
“Not calling another special session lets legislators off the hook, like a parent giving up because a child pitches a fit. If Gov. Abbott is serious, he’ll keep them there until it passes, no matter how many special sessions it takes.” – Carol Spencer
“The current Legislature is full of political posturing buffoons! It is past time to clean house.” – Roger Taylor
“Call another session and narrow the criteria to just an ESA with nothing else added.” – Patrick Devine
“Education savings accounts are really not that important to me, to be honest. I homeschooled for 15 years without government money and will for the next 13 without government help.” – Cathy Blake
“Texas needs meaningful school choice legislation. Texas’ government schools will only get better due to any competition with private and home schools. Citizens are entitled to have that choice. Legislators should continue to work on it and continue to expose those who won’t get the job done.” – Gene Glass
“Seeing how a lot of our school systems are woke now, homeschoolers should be getting compensated for homeschooling their children due to the fact that our public schools are no longer doing the job properly.” – Dennis Krause
“Abbott needs to keep calling Special Sessions until it gets done.” – Sam Bridges
“Calling another special session is pouring good money after bad into the buffoons in Austin! It’s time to clean house and get our state back in order!” – O. Machelle Morris
“Gov Abbott needs to do both, but not just with School Choice. We still need to be pushing legislation preventing bad actors like China from owning land in Texas. We need to follow what Arkansas and its Governor are doing. If we don’t, Texas will cease to be Texas.” – Landon Capozzi
“Abbott should do both. Allow the RINO house members to continue to expose their party disloyalty, so we all know who to vote out. And lead the campaign to vote these RINO traitors out of our Texas House.” – Steve Crevier
“Texas can not afford treasonous RINOs obstructing the will of the people.” – Mike Phillips
“Too much time & money have been wasted on special sessions. Each called session makes Abbott look less & less in control.” –Cynthia Jackson
“Not only should Abbott call another special session to address the unresolved issues, he should specifically call for the House to elect another Speaker…..and call for the investigation of Phelan by both the House and Senate Ethics Committees.” – Jason Kerr
“Focus on defeating the RINOs! If you call them back for another session, we would be wasting money and possibly get a poor piece of legislation. Primary the RINOs with no more than one conservative challenger for each of them.” – Jim Hughes
“Calling another special session is a waste of taxpayer money. Governor Abbott needs to quit playing politics and start doing what the Texas constitution requires, which is to fund public education adequately.” – Rhayma Keith
“I feel that school choice is an important issue and SHOULD have been passed this year. However, I do not want to punish the Senators, who have consistently passed good school choice legislation in every session, by making them work through the holidays. Additionally, I have no confidence that Phelan and his Democrat/RINO cohorts would allow legitimate school choice legislation to pass in yet another special session. Republicans should concentrate on getting rid of him and the others who repeatedly side with the Democrats and THEIR priorities at the expense of Republican priorities.” – Deborah Frank
“Until new leadership is elected in the Texas House, this government is dysfunctional!” – Michael Edinburgh
“Phelan and his phony Republicans will continue to take the pay for special sessions, but will either not show up or obstruct any attempt to actually accomplish anything. Normally, I would say make them stay until they get the work done, but they have shown they have no intention of doing their jobs, so there is no point in another special session.” – B.D. Marshall
