April 20, 2015 5:44 PM

Updated: Texas Senate passes the tax credit scholarship bill, which critics call vouchers

Without Sen. Seliger on the floor, the vote on second reading was 17 to 13

The Texas Senate on Monday closed on details of Sen. Larry Taylor’s, R-Friendswood, school choice bill without accepting amendments, incensing traditional public school advocates.

In a move that has become more common this session, Taylor’s bill left the chamber without amendments as Republicans take no chances on key legislation. Senate Bill 4, which creates something called tax credit scholarships, passed on a vote of 17-13.

“Neighborhood public schools and the millions of Texas kids who attend them just got mugged on the floor of the Texas Senate,” said Kathy Miller of the Texas Freedom Network, a long-time opponent of vouchers or anything like them. “The Senate should have fully restored the billions of dollars this Legislature cut from our neighborhood schools just four years ago. But instead, they gave preliminary approval to a reckless and unaccountable voucher scheme that provides tax breaks for wealthy interests that take funds from public education in order to subsidize private and religious schools.”

Supporters of SB 4 adamantly say their proposal does not create school vouchers and they strongly objected to any reference to vouchers in the debate.

By Kimberly Reeves