{"id":2091284,"date":"2023-11-05T18:28:04","date_gmt":"2023-11-05T23:28:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/texas-gop-leaders-standoff-school-choice-border-security-legislation-unlikely-before-end-of-third-special-session\/"},"modified":"2023-11-05T18:30:07","modified_gmt":"2023-11-05T23:30:07","slug":"texas-gop-leaders-standoff-school-choice-border-security-legislation-unlikely-before-end-of-third-special-session","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/texas-gop-leaders-standoff-school-choice-border-security-legislation-unlikely-before-end-of-third-special-session\/","title":{"rendered":"Texas GOP leaders are unlikely to pass school choice and border security legislation before the end of the third special session."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">42<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ftexas-gop-leaders-standoff-school-choice-border-security-legislation-unlikely-before-end-of-third-special-session%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2091284&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Texas House and Senate Leaders\u200d in Standoff Over Border Security and School \u2063Choice<\/h2>\n<p>The Texas\u2063 House and \u2063Senate leaders are currently locked in a heated standoff over\u200b two \u200ccrucial issues: border security and school choice. This deadlock has made it highly unlikely that any legislation will be passed before the final day of the third special session called by Governor Greg Abbott on November 7.<\/p>\n<p>Despite the impasse, there seemed \u2063to be a glimmer of\u2063 hope on Wednesday when Governor Abbott expressed optimism that his top priority, school choice, would finally see progress. \u2063He announced an expanded agenda for the special session \u200cafter &#8220;productive discussions&#8221; with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dade Phelan.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;We are\u2064 on track to ensure there will not be another special session,&#8221; Mr. Abbott confidently declared during a\u200c press conference on November 1.\u200b &#8220;There is enough time to get everything done that \u2063we want to\u200c get done, that needs to get done \u200cto avoid a special session, \u2064especially with what\u200d I think will be the bill \u2063coming out of \u200cthe House later on\u2062 today.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I think that it will be embraced because so many legislators have so many\u2063 wins in the bill that will be coming out today. I think that we are on \u200da timetable where we should be able \u2062to conclude everything that needs to be achieved in this special session.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The \u2064governor&#8217;s office released a statement \u2062detailing the expanded special session agenda, which includes key aspects \u200bsuch as increasing teacher pay, boosting funding for public schools, and phasing out the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) test.<\/p>\n<p>However, just \u200dhours after Governor Abbott&#8217;s \u200doptimistic announcement, House Speaker \u200dDade Phelan \u2062declared that the House would &#8220;stand\u2064 at ease&#8221; until Monday or Tuesday, effectively halting any progress.\u200b This move was met with\u2064 criticism from House Republicans who accused Phelan of abusing House rules and violating the Texas Constitution.<\/p>\n<h3>Related Stories<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/texas-republicans-call-for-gop-house-speaker-dade-phelan-to-resign-5497972?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><strong>Texas Republicans Call for GOP House Speaker Dade Phelan \u200bto Resign<\/strong><\/a>  &#8211; Published on 9\/25\/2023<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/texas-3rd-special-session-kicks-off-after-head-of-conservative-pac-meets-with-known-white-supremacist-5508178?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><strong>Texas&#8217; 3rd Special Session\u200c Kicks Off After Head \u2064of Conservative PAC Meets With Nick Fuentes<\/strong><\/a>  &#8211; Published on 10\/11\/2023<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Despite the ongoing tensions, Lt. Gov. Patrick expressed hope that the Senate \u200bwould take action on the\u2062 bills already passed by the House during their \u200cscheduled Sunday meeting. However, no additional House bills were\u200d introduced before the\u2062 House was placed at ease.<\/p>\n<p>Attorney General Ken Paxton also weighed \u2064in on the situation, calling \u2063for \u2063Speaker Phelan&#8217;s resignation on\u200d social media. The timeline for passing legislation before the special session expires is now deemed too tight by State Rep. Brad Buckley, chair\u2064 of\u200b the \u200dPublic Education Committee.<\/p>\n<p>This is not the first time that Speaker Phelan and House members have attempted to\u2063 pressure the Senate into accepting their legislation \u200dby abandoning the House during a special session. Earlier this year, the House adjourned &#8220;sine die&#8221; after just\u2062 one day of the 30-day special session.<\/p>\n<p>As\u2062 the standoff continues, Governor Abbott has yet\u200d to publicly comment on the situation. However, he has \u2064previously vowed to keep\u2062 calling special sessions until school \u2063choice legislation is passed.<\/p>\n<h2>Border Security Bill<\/h2>\n<p>Border security is another top priority for Governor Abbott\u2062 in the \u2063current special session. However, both chambers have failed to pass any \u2063legislation\u200d on this\u200c issue.<\/p>\n<p>Lt. Gov. Patrick and Speaker Phelan \u200dhave engaged in a war of words on social media, each criticizing the other&#8217;s version \u2062of border\u200c security legislation. Patrick argues that the House version creates a &#8220;revolving door&#8221; by not requiring fingerprinting or background checks \u2064on \u200bimmigrants caught crossing the \u200cborder \u200billegally.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;If \u200bsomeone is a terrorist or \u200dserious felon, they&#8217;ll \u2062be more than happy to take you up on your \u2062offer of avoiding arrest and hitching a ride back to the port of entry\u200d rather than getting fingerprinted or having a background check\u2064 run on them,&#8221; Patrick wrote in a lengthy \u2063post.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The Senate has been the leader on border security legislation long before you arrived in \u2064the\u200b House. \u200cI don&#8217;t pay attention\u200c to you anymore, and neither does anyone else. You&#8217;ve\u2062 become the teacher character from the &#8216;Peanuts&#8217; series. When you talk, all we hear is, &#8216;Wah wah woh wah wah,'&#8221; he continued.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>In response, Speaker Phelan\u200b criticized \u2064the Senate&#8217;s version of border security \u2064legislation, describing it as an &#8220;impotent response&#8221; to the \u2064border crisis.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;Dan Patrick&#8217;s baseless\u200c critique of House Bill 4\u200c is a \u200btransparent attempt \u200dto \u2063deflect from his chamber&#8217;s \u2063own impotent response to the growing crisis at\u2062 the border\u2014a crisis \u2064demanding decisive action, not the ineffective strategies being peddled\u2064 by the Senate,&#8221; Phelan stated.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The Senate&#8217;s response \u2063to the \u2063threat of illegal immigration\u2063 is to establish a long-term, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/texas-gop-leaders-stand-off-school-choice-border-security-legislation-unlikely-before-end-of-third-special-session\/\" title=\"Texas GOP leaders are unlikely to pass school choice and border security legislation before the end of the third special session.\">state-funded hospitality program<\/a> for illegal immigrants rather than deploying immediate and effective deterrents,&#8221;\u2064 he added.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The standoff\u2063 between the House \u2062and Senate continues, leaving\u200b the fate of border security \u200dand school choice legislation uncertain.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What are the \u2063main arguments from those \u200din favor of stronger\u200c border security measures?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  One of the major issues fueling the \u2062current standoff between the Texas House\u200d and\u200b Senate leaders is border security. Governor \u200dAbbott\u2064 has made it\u200d clear\u2064 that this is a top priority \u200bfor him and has called for legislation \u200cto address \u2064the concerning situation at the Texas-Mexico \u200cborder.<\/p>\n<p>The House \u2062and Senate leaders have been unable \u2062to reach \u200ca consensus\u2064 on this issue, \u200dresulting in a\u200c deadlock. While the \u200dSenate has \u200cpassed a border security bill, the \u200dHouse has yet to \u2062bring it to the floor for a vote. This has created\u2064 frustration and tension between the two chambers, as lawmakers from both\u200b sides argue about the best approach to\u200c address border security concerns.<\/p>\n<p>Those \u200cin favor of a\u200b <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/texas-gop-leaders-standoff-school-choice-border-security-legislation-unlikely-before-end-of-third-special-session\/\" title=\"Texas GOP leaders are unlikely to pass school choice and border security legislation before the end of the third special session.\">stronger border security bill argue<\/a> that \u200dit is necessary to protect the\u2063 state \u200dfrom the influx of illegal \u2063immigration, drug smuggling, and human trafficking. They believe that stronger measures, \u200dsuch \u200bas increased funding for border patrol \u2063and \u2062enhanced law enforcement\u200c efforts, are needed to ensure the safety and security of Texas\u2063 communities.<\/p>\n<p>On \u2063the other hand, some\u200d lawmakers in the House are pushing for \u2062a more comprehensive approach that addresses the root causes \u200bof illegal immigration \u200cand\u2064 focuses\u2062 on humanitarian efforts. They \u200bbelieve that \u200dborder security alone is not enough and that \u200cit \u200dis important to \u200baddress the underlying issues that drive people to migrate \u200bto \u2062the \u200cUnited States.<\/p>\n<p>School Choice Legislation<\/p>\n<p>Another contentious issue that has contributed\u200d to the standoff\u200d is school choice. Governor Abbott has long been a proponent of giving parents\u200b more options when it comes to choosing their child&#8217;s education. He believes that school choice\u2062 can help improve the\u2063 quality \u200cof education in Texas and \u200cgive parents more control over their child&#8217;s education.<\/p>\n<p>However, there has been\u2062 disagreement among lawmakers\u2063 about the best way to implement school choice \u200din the state. While the Senate has passed a school choice bill, the House has been\u2062 hesitant to move forward with similar legislation. This has led to a stalemate, with\u2063 neither side willing to compromise on their \u2064positions.<\/p>\n<p>Proponents of\u2063 school\u200d choice \u2062argue that it gives parents the freedom to\u200d choose the best educational environment for their children.\u200b They believe that \u2062competition among schools will lead to higher quality education and better outcomes for \u200bstudents.\u200b They also argue that school choice can help \u200daddress \u2064the\u2064 issue of educational inequality by providing options to low-income families who\u200d might not otherwise be able to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-education-lesson-from-covid-lockdowns-school-choice-is-imperative-for-every-child\/\" title=\"The Education Lesson from COVID Lockdowns: School Choice Is Imperative for Every Child\">afford private school tuition<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Opponents of school choice, however, believe that it \u2064will divert resources away from public schools and \u200blead to further inequities\u200d in the education system. \u2064They argue that instead of investing in school choice \u200bprograms,\u2064 the state \u2063should focus on improving \u2062the quality of \u200bpublic schools and ensuring that every \u200cchild has access to a high-quality education.<\/p>\n<p>The\u2064 standoff between\u2064 the Texas House and Senate leaders over \u2062border\u200c security and school choice has created a\u200b challenging political situation. With the current deadlock, it is \u2063unclear when or if any \u200dlegislation related to these issues will be passed. As \u2064the clock ticks closer to the end of the third\u200d special session, the pressure is mounting for lawmakers to find a resolution and avoid\u2063 another special session being called by\u200b Governor Abbott.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Texas House and Senate leaders are at odds over border security and school choice, hindering the passage of legislation before Nov. 7, the end of Gov. Greg Abbott&#8217;s third special session. Despite optimism from Abbott, it is unlikely that his priority of school choice will be approved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1556,"featured_media":2091285,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2091284","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2091284","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1556"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2091284"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2091284\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2091285"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2091284"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2091284"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2091284"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}