Southwest
Here’s why rural Republicans are finally beginning to shift and support school choice
Rural Republican lawmakers are beginning to shift on school choice after historically blocking efforts.
The Wyoming legislature earlier this month passed a school choice bill after past failed attempts to make that happen in the Cowboy State.
Lawmakers hope to provide education saving accounts for all K-12 students to use taxpayer dollars to have alternatives to local public schools such as charter schools, private schools, and homeschooling.
The bill comes after two bills were introduced and swatted down during the 2023 legislative session. Republican Governor Mark Gordon vetoed a different charter school bill that passed earlier this year.
The Wyoming Education Association expressed hope that Gordon would strike this bill down.
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The state capitol in Cheyenne, Wyoming on October 21, 2023. (Bonnie Jo Mount/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
“Whether or not he does, it’s striking that the legislature in one of the most rural states in America passed a robust school choice bill,” American Federation For Children senior fellow Corey DeAngelis wrote in the Wall Street Journal.
“Rural red-state Republicans, backed by teachers unions, have long opposed school choice. They say their constituents don’t want it because there aren’t many private schools in their districts,” he said.
DeAngelis, a fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, explained further, “Yet the nine most rural states in the country (as measured by population share) now have some form of private school choice.”
He continued, “Maine and Vermont have the oldest private-school voucher programs in the U.S., both enacted in the late 19th century for students who live in rural districts without public schools. Both programs allow state funding to follow the child to the public or private school his family chooses.”
“The school choice stampede through rural states and the political success of education freedom supporters in rural districts should put to bed the myth that rural voters don’t want school choice once and for all,” DeAngelis told Fox News Digital.
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Wyoming’s advancement toward a universal school choice bill is part of a trend of red states passing the measure. Nine states passed universal school choice bills last year and Alabama made the move last week.
As Wyoming seeks to be the eleventh state to pass universal school choice, Texas struggled to join the phenomenon due to rural GOP lawmakers, some who were backed by the teachers’ unions.
Teachers unions traditionally reject school choice measures since they claim it debilitates public school funding and resources as taxpayer funding is siphoned off due to the existence of other education alternatives.
Per the Texas Tribune, the state senate tried different ways to pass an education savings account program, but Democrats and rural Republicans blocked their efforts.
State Rep. Travis Clardy, in particular, voted against school choice and told media outlets that he is not convinced vouchers are a good move for public schools in rural areas where there are not many options like there are in suburban and urban communities.
Gov. Greg Abbott on October 31st, 2023 issued a proclamation stating that universal school choice” would include additional school finance, such as teacher pay raises, school safety, and special education” to appease concerns over the impact of public schools. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
Clardy is one of the 24 GOP lawmakers who voted against ESAs and has been at odds with Abbott over school choice.
Clardy received a donation of $250 from the Texas AFT in 2020. Clardy, a 12-year incumbent, was defeated in this month’s primary by Joanne Shofner in House District 12.
Jason Bedrick, education policy fellow at the Heritage Foundation, told Fox News Digital that rural voters are “waking up to the fact that there are issues in their schools too, and there are more options in rural areas than most people think.”
“As we note in the report, opponents of school choice often say that 1) there are no options besides the public schools in rural areas, and 2) so many kids would leave for these options that the public schools in rural areas would collapse. Those statements cannot both be true simultaneously, but they can both be false. And, indeed, they are false.”
He explained further, “As we document, there are more options in rural areas than most people realize, and with school choice policies in place, there is growth in the private options in rural areas. Additionally, far from destroying rural public schools, the evidence suggests that more choice and competition improves the quality of the public school system in rural areas, just as it does in urban and suburban areas.”
According to a poll from the University of Houston, it reported that 60% of Republican primary voters would be less likely to vote for an incumbent Texas House representative who opposed school choice measures in 2023.
The report stated, “The negative impact on the vote intention for a House incumbent who voted against school choice/vouchers does not vary by region, with 63% of GOP primary voters in urban and suburban counties less likely to vote for the incumbent compared to 58% in rural and semi-rural counties.”
Nine Republican incumbents lost their elections and eight more were pushed into runoffs in the primary last week. Considering the defeat of certain incumbents, the primary election favored Republican candidates who pushed for school choice.
A shift in the Texas legislature could enshrine school choice efforts in the Lone Star State, as GOP primary results indicate that voters favor school choice legislation.
DeAngelis added that the primary results indicate the “biggest political shift towards school choice in Texas history.”
“The Texas election is already sending shockwaves all across the country: rural voters want school choice,” DeAngelis said to Fox News Digital. “These legislators also knew about the non-binding ballot proposition from 2022 finding that 88% of Texas Republican primary voters supported school choice, but they ignored the will of their constituents. In fact, Representative Glenn Rogers said that the Republican primary ballot proposition result was ‘not valid data’ the same day he voted against school choice last November. He ended up losing by 27 points to Mike Olcott on election night.”
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed an unprecedented school choice bill called the Students First Act. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Furthermore, the primary results came after a recent report showing donations from teachers’ unions supporting Republicans who previously rejected school choice measures.
Although the teachers’ unions publicly endorse Democrats, they have shown support for Republicans with a track record of voting against school choice measures.
Campaign finance reports posted by Corey DeAngelis on X show that the Texas AFT donated $25,000 to the PAC “Defend Rural Texas PAC.”
DeAngelis told Fox News Digital last year that Texas state lawmakers could face consequences for choosing not to support school choice by being ousted in the next primary election cycle. He foresaw a parallel between Texas and what occurred in Iowa when Gov. Kim Reynolds sought to pass universal school choice legislation.
Reynolds endorsed nine candidates with a pro-parent platform in primary elections, ousting the incumbent GOP candidates who did not support that platform.
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Southwest
Girl begged for help months before alleged killing by father, girlfriend — earlier abuse case closed: report
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Newly released police records show that 10-year-old Rebekah Baptiste pleaded for help months before she was allegedly killed by her father and his girlfriend in Arizona, revealing an earlier abuse report that was closed despite documented injuries.
According to FOX 10 Phoenix, a Phoenix police report details a 911 call made from a local gas station in October 2024, roughly nine months before Rebekah was found unresponsive. The report states the child approached a gas station clerk and begged for help, prompting officers to respond.
Police wrote that Rebekah told officers her father’s girlfriend, Anicia Woods, had hit her with a brush and a belt as punishment and forced her to run laps and endure other physical discipline for “acting out,” the outlet reported. Officers documented visible injuries, and Rebekah was taken to Phoenix Children’s Hospital, where she was treated for a bloody lip and bruising on her hands and feet, according to the report.
Despite the child’s statements and her injuries, investigators closed the case after her father, Richard Baptiste, and Woods told police the injuries were self-inflicted, the outlet reported.
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A father and girlfriend face murder charges after 10-year-old Rebekah Baptiste died from extensive injuries while living off-grid in rural Arizona. (GoFundMe)
Rebekah was later found unresponsive on July 27, 2025, near a remote campsite outside Concho, Arizona, where investigators say the family had been living off-grid in a yurt without electricity or running water after relocating from Phoenix earlier that month. The family slept on thin mattresses on the floor and hauled water in plastic jugs from a convenience store roughly 15 miles away, according to investigators.
A 36-page probable-cause affidavit from the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office detailed what detectives described as escalating abuse and repeated attempts by Rebekah to flee. Records show the girl had previously jumped out of a window while living in Phoenix and made multiple escape attempts after the move to Concho, including the day she was taken to the hospital.
Despite Rebekah’s visible physical decline, including being too weak to drink from a straw, Woods, who claimed to have a background in nursing, told investigators she believed the girl “would be fine” and did not seek immediate medical care.
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An Arizona couple is facing murder charges after a young girl was found unresponsive on a highway and died days later. (Apache County Sheriff’s Office)
When first questioned, both Woods and Baptiste denied knowing what caused Rebekah’s condition, suggesting she may have fallen. Medical professionals later found extensive signs of abuse, including a brain hemorrhage, burn marks, missing toenails and hair, and numerous cuts and bruises, according to investigators.
Previously reviewed 911 calls from July 27 show Woods referring to Rebekah as her daughter and claiming she was providing rescue breaths, though dispatchers noted she had not begun chest compressions and hesitated to place the child on firm ground, citing nearby rocks. Emergency crews later arrived, but Rebekah did not survive her injuries and was pronounced dead days later at Phoenix Children’s Hospital.
Investigators wrote that when Baptiste was shown what one detective described as “horrendous photos” of his daughter’s injuries, he “lacked in expressing any emotion.” The detective added it would have been impossible for a parent not to notice the extent of the child’s injuries.
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Authorities say Baptiste later admitted to striking Rebekah with a belt as punishment for running away, though he denied causing her head injuries. Detectives also reported finding bloody clothing inside the family’s tent that had been changed before emergency services were contacted.
Both Baptiste and Woods are now facing first-degree murder and multiple child abuse charges, including allegations involving Rebekah’s two younger siblings. Prosecutors have also alleged Rebekah suffered ongoing physical and sexual abuse.
Concerns about the children’s safety had been raised repeatedly before Rebekah’s death. School officials at Empower College Prep reportedly contacted Arizona’s Department of Child Safety (DCS) at least 12 times over two years, including after Rebekah’s unexplained absence from school, according to prior reporting.
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A memorial plaque for Rebekah Baptiste marks a planted tree in her memory at an outdoor garden, dated Dec. 20, 2014, to July 30, 2025. (Empower College Prep Elementary)
Rebekah was remembered by the school, where she attended for two years, in a tribute posted on its Facebook page the day after Christmas. School officials described her as intelligent, compassionate and a natural leader, noting she earned the Star Wolfpack award for exemplifying the school’s core values.
In her honor, the school planted a tree with pink flowers, surrounded by a rock garden made from stones created by staff and students, and displayed a decorative crane donated by a staff member. The school said the tributes allow students and staff to remember her life each day.
DCS has since launched a review into whether the agency failed to adequately protect the child. Gov. Katie Hobbs has also pledged to fully investigate the case amid growing public scrutiny.
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State Sen. Carine Werner has cited Rebekah’s case as part of a broader failure within Arizona’s child protection system, calling the deaths of three children with prior DCS contact a “wake-up call.”
Werner said a September stakeholder meeting, part of a multiphase review process, included testimony from families, tribal representatives and child welfare experts as lawmakers weigh possible reforms.
Fox News Digital reached out to DCS and Phoenix police.
Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send story tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.
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Southwest
NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal sponsors former basketball player’s attempt to be tallest police officer in Texas
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Basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal had 3,026 assists in his NBA career, but one of his biggest assists came long after his retirement.
O’Neal, 53, is helping former professional basketball player Jordan Wilmore complete his lifelong dream of becoming the tallest police officer in Texas. O’Neal and Wilmore have more in common than being former basketball players; they are both over seven feet tall.
O’Neal, who stands at seven-foot one, is actually shorter than Wilmore, who is seven-foot three.
Shaquille O’Neal and Jordan Wilmore pose with members of Kemah police department in Kemah, Texas, on Dec. 28, 2025. (EyeCandyMedia)
Wilmore was hoping to become a police officer in Kemah, Texas, but recently failed the state peace officer exam. Wilmore scored a 69, falling one point shy of the requisite 70 needed to pass, but plans to take it again.
“At first I was down, but I thought, you know, I’m still young. You fail, you get right back up. Can’t be too quick to quit,” Wilmore said, according to KHOU.
Police Chief Raymond Garivey praised Wilmore’s determination.
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Shaquille O’Neal holds badge with aspiring police Jordan Wilmore in the background in Kemah, Texas, on Dec. 28, 2025. (EyeCandyMedia)
“In my 34-year career, I’ve seen others fail, but I also see others give up. Once they’re done, they’re done. That’s not the case here. He wants to serve,” Garivey said, according to KHOU.
O’Neal heard about Wilmore’s attempt to become a police officer and reached out, agreeing to sponsor his next attempt at the police academy. The 15-time All-Star will also have a custom-made car ready for Wilmore, to fit his large frame, when he passes the exam.
“I’m really thankful for him helping me out and being there, and being a mentor for helping me through this,” Wilmore said.
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Shaquille O’Neal with aspiring police Jordan Wilmore in Kemah, Texas, on Dec. 28, 2025. (EyeCandyMedia)
O’Neal is a certified peace officer himself and knows the process.
“It actually took me five to seven years to graduate from the LA Sheriff’s Academy. I wanted to just let him know he’s got my full support. I’m going to be on you, brother, make sure you get it done,” O’Neal said, according to KHOU.
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Southwest
Texas woman tries to flee to Mexico across Rio Grande with infant after human smuggling bust, authorities say
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A Texas woman found with five illegal immigrants in her vehicle attempted to flee from authorities near the border by swimming across the Rio Grande into Mexico with an infant, officials said.
Brenda Castro, a U.S. citizen, was a passenger in a Ford Explorer being driven by her husband, also an American citizen, on Dec. 19 in the border city of Laredo when he refused to stop for Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) troopers, the agency said.
Dashcam footage released by DPS shows the SUV traveling at a high speed along residential and rural roads.
Authorities said a high-speed chase ensued when Castro bailed out of the vehicle with an infant and tried to swim across the river, which borders Mexico.
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Brenda Castro jumped into the Rio Grande with an infant in an attempt to flee to Mexico during a high-speed chase with authorities while smuggling illegal immigrants, the Texas Department of Public Safety said. (Getty Images; Texas Department of Public Safety)
Castro’s husband swam across and made it to Mexico, a DPS spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
State and local law authorities at the scene directed Castro to come back to the U.S. side of the border, and she was arrested.
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Bodycam footage shows Brenda Castro and an infant in the Rio Grande on the U.S.-Mexico border. (Texas Department of Public Safety)
While in the river, authorities were heard telling Castro in Spanish to get back to dry land with the child. A law enforcement officer was then seen taking the child out of the water.
“I can’t believe you tried to run back with the baby. You both could have drowned,” a law enforcement officer told Castro while escorting her into a vehicle upon her arrest.
The child was placed under the care of authorities.
Authorities said they found five illegal immigrants in Castro’s vehicle and turned them over to the U.S. Border Patrol.
The Rio Grande is seen from Laredo, Texas, U.S., September 19, 2020. Picture taken Sept. 19, 2020. (REUTERS/Veronica G. Cardenas)
Castro is charged with human smuggling and endangering a child.
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