Texas’ governor is spending millions & using anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric to defund public education

Greg Abbott, the anti-LGBTQ+ Republican governor of Texas, is actively campaigning against state GOP candidates and incumbents who oppose his plan for a statewide school voucher program that would give taxpayer funds to private schools — and out-of-state donors are spending millions to help him. Abbott has said parents should support the program so that their kids aren’t educated by LGBTQ+ teachers.

Even though Republicans dominate the Texas legislature, school voucher bills supported by Abbott have repeatedly failed to pass into law because of Republican legislators who oppose the plan. Such so-called “school choice” programs claim to promote “parental rights” by giving families financial support to send their children to private schools. However, critics of school vouchers say such programs defund public schools and benefit predominantly wealthier families whose children already attend schools outside the public school system.

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Abbott’s latest proposal would give 40,000 students access to $10,500 in vouchers for private schooling or $1,000 for homeschooling. Some Republican and Democratic legislators have opposed his proposal, saying it could cost the state $2 billion annually by 2028.

But to make his case for the vouchers, Abbott has shared social media posts from Chaya Raichik, an anti-LGBTQ+ activist who goes by Libs of TikTok. Earlier this year, Raichik targeted Rachmad Tjachyadi, a now-former teacher in Lewisville, Texas, who wore dresses to various school events. Raichik claimed without evidence that he had a “fetish for wearing women’s clothing.”

In February, he shared Raichik’s posts and wrote, “No parent should be forced by the state to send their child to this school.” In a March speech to the Texas Public Policy Foundation, he added, “If you’re a parent in that situation, should you be trapped within a school district that’s focusing on issues like that? Of course not.”

Abbott’s rhetoric is part of a larger goal of voucher advocates: encouraging parents to file lawsuits accusing public schools of violating their rights by teaching students about racial and LGBTQ+ issues. These lawsuits could eventually secure a U.S. Supreme Court victory that would redirect billions of taxpayer funds from public schools to religious homeschools, private schools, and charter schools.

This election cycle, Abbott has endorsed pro-voucher candidates and appeared next to them on the campaign trail. Abbott is expected to spend $11 million in his state’s primary races, including donations to political action committees (PACs) — including his own — to promote candidates who support his plans. In the past, Abbott spent only around $500,000 in primaries, one source told Politico.

John Colyandro, a Texas lobbyist and former top aide to Abbott, said, “It’s just so unusual for an incumbent governor to campaign against members of his own party.”

Abbott considers vouchers a top priority and even called special legislative sessions to unsuccessfully try and pass pro-voucher legislation the issue. “I came out with no ambiguity about where I stood or what I expected,” Abbott said. “If the governor puts something on the emergency item list, that means this is something that must pass. And if it doesn’t pass, there’s going to be challenges to deal with.”

Typically, PACs and campaigns spend around $250,000 in a state legislative race. This year, that amount has increased to $1 million per race, thanks to out-of-state pro-voucher groups.

The Libertarian PAC Make Liberty Win successfully attacked incumbent state Rep. Glenn Rogers (R) with mailers that accused him of being “anti-gun” and soft on border security. Rogers, who lost his re-election race to an Abbott-backed candidate, said that these claims were lies that influenced low-information voters and resonated with voters more than Abbott’s voucher programs.

Pennsylvania billionaire Jeffrey S. Yass, a supporter of voucher programs nationwide, gave Abbott $6 million last year and has also donated to pro-voucher PACs like the School Freedom Fund. Former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’ PAC, the American Federation for Children Victory Fund (AFC), has invested $4.5 million into the races, nearly half of its nationwide spending this election cycle. Of the 13 anti-voucher legislators targeted by the PAC, ten either lost their race or were forced into an upcoming runoff election.

“If you’re a candidate or lawmaker who opposes school choice and freedom in education — you’re a target,” Tommy Schultz, CEO of AFC, said upon his group’s founding in 2023. “If you’re a champion for parents — we’ll be your shield.”

Another pro-voucher PAC, the Family Empowerment Coalition, has spent at least $1.4 million this election cycle to support candidates who oppose anti-voucher Republican legislators. Two other big-name conservative donors, Tim Dunn and Farris Wilks, have each donated at least $1.7 million to support pro-voucher candidates since July 2023.

Even if Abbott and the PACs are able to defeat every anti-voucher Republican in the state, he may still lack the legislators needed to turn his plans into law when the legislature reconvenes in January 2025. Ten states passed pro-voucher legislation in 2023.

However, school voucher supporters will still have their opponents in the state, including Democratic lawmakers.

@jamestalarico

Greg Abbott and his billionaire mega-donors know private school vouchers are unpopular in Texas. So they’ve paid for a bunch of poll-tested slogans to sell their scam. Here’s how to debunk each slogan in 1 minute… #txlege #txed #tx

♬ original sound – James Talarico

“Greg Abbott and his billionaire mega-donors know private school vouchers are unpopular in Texas,” state Rep. James Talarico (D) stated in a TikTok video post. “Just like any scam, vouchers may sound good, but once you dig into the details, you realize they’re ripping you off.”

“Vouchers are not school choice,” he said in a public statement denouncing Abbott’s plans. “In fact, it’s the school’s choice because private schools can deny admission to any kid for any reason they want: … because of academics, because of behavior, because your parents don’t make enough money, or because you’re not the right cultural fit. Second, vouchers are not educational freedom. Private schools don’t have to provide special education services. They don’t have to provide transportation. And the voucher doesn’t even cover the full cost of tuition at most private schools…. And that’s that’s not even acknowledging the fact that 151 counties in Texas don’t even have a private school.”

“Last but certainly not least, vouchers are not parental rights,” Talarico added. “In fact, parents give up rights when they go to a private school. Unlike public school boards, there is no accountability, no transparency, no democracy. I say all this because they can put as much lipstick on this pig as they want. But at the end of the day, it’s still a pig.”

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