Texas Gov. Greg Abbott holds teacher pay hostage in voucher fight

The Texas Senate passed two separate bills education bills Thursday — one to create a school voucher program letting parents use taxpayer money to send their kids to private school, and another to provide raises to public school teachers, the Texas Tribune reports. There's just one problem: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott reportedly said teachers won't see that raise unless the Texas House passes the school voucher bill first. The move essentially holds teacher's pay hostage over a piece of legislation widely opposed by Democrats and rural Republicans in the Texas House.