School voucher critics remain largely unswayed during Texas House hearing

Sign up for The Brief, The Texas Tribune’s daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. In the first Texas House hearing on school vouchers since May, opponents in the lower chamber remained critical of Gov. Greg Abbott’s top legislative priority — and ultimately expressed frustration with the governor’s insistence to tie public education funding with a voucher program, which has brought lawmakers back to Austin for a rare fourth special session this year. While the Senate gave final approval to its priority voucher bill within the first week of last month’s special session, the House’s counterproposal — authored by Rep. Brad Buckley, R-Killeen — stagnated without a committee hearing throughout the third special session.