Ken Paxton verdict heightens political tension ahead of education special session

School vouchers were already one of the most contentious issues in Texas politics. The proposal has long pitted the Senate against the House, where Democrats and rural Republicans have formed a firewall against it. But throw in Attorney General Ken Paxton’s impeachment trial and acquittal — and the explosive intraparty conflict it has caused in the Capitol — and state lawmakers are bracing for an even more epic showdown over the issue this fall.