Seattle, Wash., Apr 19, 2025 /
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The Texas House of Representatives this week approved a sweeping school choice bill, one hailed by the state’s Catholic bishops and which could significantly reshape how families access private and religious education in the state.

Senate Bill 2 passed 86–63 after intense debate. The bill would create a $1 billion Education Savings Account (ESA) program, giving eligible families up to $10,000 per student to spend on tuition, transportation, therapy, and other education-related expenses. It previously passed the state Senate in February. 

The measure now heads to a conference committee where lawmakers will reconcile differences between the House and Senate versions.

Texas Catholic leaders welcomed the bill’s passage this week. 

“Thank you to all who worked so hard for passage of this legislation that will give parents a true choice for the education of their children,” Bishop Michael Olson of the Diocese of Fort Worth said on X.

The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops likewise praised the vote, calling it the result of sustained collaboration. 

“We have worked alongside you and so many others for this day,” the bishops wrote, naming state House Speaker Dustin Burrows, state Gov. Greg Abbott, and other legislative champions of parental choice.

Abbott, who has made school choice a central plank of his legislative agenda, praised the bill’s passage. “I look forward to this school choice legislation reaching my desk, when I will swiftly sign it into law,” he posted on Instagram.

The vote was also celebrated by longtime school choice advocates. The Texas Public Policy Foundation, which has supported ESA legislation for years, called the bill’s passage a generational victory.

Growing share of Catholic students take part in school choice

This week the National Catholic Educational Association reported that nearly 1 in 5 Catholic school students across the U.S. now participate in a school choice program — up nearly 5 percentage points from last year. 

In states with robust choice legislation, Catholic schools are seeing enrollment stabilize and even grow after decades of decline.

Texas’ 230 Catholic schools serve approximately 75,000 students, many from working-class and immigrant families. With tuition averaging more than $7,000 per year, schools have long relied on parish subsidies and scholarship funds to make education accessible, meaning the proposed ESA could make Catholic education a sustainable option for many families. 

While Catholic leaders and school choice advocates cheered the vote, others in the Texas Legislature criticized the measure. Every state House Democrat opposed the bill, arguing that it would siphon funds away from public schools already facing budget shortfalls.

State Rep. James Talarico proposed putting the issue to a statewide vote. His amendment failed.

“Private school vouchers will take money out of our public schools and give it to wealthy parents who are already sending their kids to private school,” he claimed after the vote.

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Amendments to expand the bill’s eligibility and support lower-income families were also rejected, drawing further criticism from Democrats and public school advocates.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced Thursday that he would recommend the state Senate concur with the House version without changes. 

“I’ve fought for school choice for my entire legislative career. Now, in consultation with Sen. Brandon Creighton, I am recommending the Senate concur with Senate Bill 2 — the largest school choice launch in American history,” Patrick wrote on X.

The bill also expands vocational training pathways. State Rep. Gary Gates told CNA the ESA framework aligns with House Bill 20, which he authored to allow high school students to attend Texas State Technical College full time.

“We have an incredible shortage of highly skilled labor in this country,” Gates said. “Here, a high school student could come out of school with no debt.”

If enacted, the ESA program could launch as early as the coming academic year.

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) is making the best use of its existing space—by filling it in! Currently, there is a lot of open space above the baggage claim area at AUS. With record-breaking passenger and airline activity growth over the last three years, AUS needs to transform from a medium-sized airport into a large airport. One critical step in our journey is to give more queuing space for ticket counters and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints as soon as we possibly can.

The Atrium Infill project will do just that — by expanding the departures level of the Barbara Jordan Terminal by 12,000 square feet! This is important because “AUS was originally designed for 11 million, and we’re at 21 million,” said Van Thompson, one of the project managers working on the Journey With AUS expansion program. 

Van Thompson

The Atrium Infill project is one of many construction projects that make up the Journey With AUS program, a multi-year construction plan allowing for Austin-Bergstrom International Airport to grow its terminal, parking and taxiways. This project is specifically aimed at solving the long TSA checkpoint lines that can sometimes extend outside the terminal doors.

This new floor expansion on the departures level will also give the arrivals level a new ceiling! The new ceiling will feature lighting that will enhance the visibility of baggage on the baggage carousels. It will also have new state-of-the-art sprinkler systems. “We are coordinating with the fire marshal and fire engineer,” said Thompson. The Atrium Infill will also allow for a new paging system for public addresses and emergencies. “It will be more efficient and easier to maintain,” said Thompson.

A more efficient heating and cooling system will be installed as well, allowing for a more comfortable indoor climate at TSA checkpoints. “Air handling units need to be replaced every 20-25 years, and AUS is 25 years old,” said Thompson.

The Atrium Infill project brought on the project’s designer and contractor together at the same time at the beginning, allowing for seamless coordination and collaboration between teams. “This way, the builder has input into design, cost control and constructability, and they can collaborate through the entire project,” said Thompson.

Thompson is no stranger to airport construction. He was the Chief Airport Engineer at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and has worked for airports and transit systems throughout the country.

Thompson is most excited about the design of the upcoming Atrium Infill, “The beams are designed so that no additional columns will need to be added to the baggage claim area.” This will allow for passengers to still enjoy the guitar sculptures and Barbara Jordan sculpture on display from many angles.

During the Atrium Infill construction, the Barbara Jordan statue will be out of the public’s eye because she will be protected by construction walls showcasing her glass ceiling-breaking life as a public figure here in Texas and on the national stage. Visitors and passengers to the arrivals level of the Barbara Jordan Terminal at AUS will be able to enjoy museum-quality photography illustrating her many accomplishments including being the first black female state senator in Texas, the first black congresswoman elected from the South, and the first black and woman keynote speaker at the Democratic National Convention. The construction walls surrounding the Barbara Jordan statue will also feature photography of the actual sculpture, so that visitors can still see what the sculpture looks like, while it is protected during the Atrium Infill construction.

Five guitar sculptures will be relocated from Baggage Carousel 3 to Baggage Carousels 5 and 6. That way, the beloved artwork can still greet passengers to AUS as they gather their baggage at the carousels. “They are so well-loved,” said Thompson. The five guitars will be brought back to Baggage Carousel 3 once the Atrium Infill construction is complete. 

New artwork will be installed as part of the Atrium Infill. Thompson is working closely with the City of Austin’s Art in Public Places program to coordinate a new art piece that will be installed in the ceiling of the departures level of the Atrium Infill. It will be brand new art that is currently still being developed by the artist.

As the project manager overseeing both the designer and the contractor, Thompson works closely with other stakeholders too, including those interested in sustainability. “We are coordinating closely with the sustainability group, using best practices and guidelines. Low-carbon concrete is being used,” said Thompson, “We are as much as possible going to recycle material that’s being demolished.”   

Passengers traveling after midnight and before 8 a.m. will hear loud construction noises — and as noisy as it can be, we hope you’ll understand that it’s the sound of progress as we move forward with improving our airport. “We need an 8-hour shift to be productive,” said Thompson, “Employees and passengers will see a lot of walls and barriers. The work will be phased and done at night. We are trying to build this without disruption to operations.” Thompson added, “Bolting and welding will be going on. Contractors are mandated to keep noise below a certain level. We’ll be monitoring to make sure they comply.”

Passengers can look forward to the Atrium Infill’s completion — and more room to roam — in 2026.      

My cousin Daryl was funny, kind and generous — but at 37, when he needed lifesaving behavioral health care, his options were limited and insufficient.

Daryl was my older cousin who made my childhood in Midland memorable. Despite being a popular 14-year-old, Daryl was never too cool to play with his younger cousins. One memory that makes me smile is when he taught me my left from my right while playing Twister. I was confused about where to place my hands and feet, and at one point, Daryl paused the game and theatrically pointed left and right. He shouted, “Left, left,” then, abruptly, “RIGHT!” His animated antics made me laugh, turning an embarrassing moment into a lighthearted one. After that day, I never confused my left with my right again.

Throughout his too-short life, Daryl retained his warm humor and deep love for his family, even as his health declined. Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at 25, Daryl suffered from diabetic nerve pain and turned to controlled substances for relief. Over time, he developed substance use disorder (SUD), causing his already fragile health to deteriorate further. For over five years, Daryl cycled in and out of hospitals, battling pain, substance abuse and, eventually, depression. His chronic illnesses made steady employment and health insurance difficult to maintain.

Lacking coverage, his options for the inpatient treatment he needed in Midland were nearly nonexistent — an all-too-common reality. Nationwide, over a third of people with a mental health condition also experience substance use disorder, but fewer than 19% receive treatment for both. In Daryl’s case, the closest inpatient facility able to help him was hours away. Without that care, Daryl succumbed to his illnesses at age 37.

Tragedies like this may soon become history in Midland.

Opening in April 2026, the Permian Basin Behavioral Health Center will provide a vital treatment resource for West Texas – one that might have saved Daryl’s life had it been available when he needed it most.

Midland and Ector County hospital districts will co-manage the 200-bed facility, providing inpatient treatment, court-ordered evaluations and family counseling services. Notably, the center will accept patients regardless of insurance status, filling a major gap in care for the region’s 500,000 residents.

The center will also create career opportunities for behavioral health professionals at a time when workforce recruitment and retention plague our health systems. Even before its doors open, the Permian Basin Behavioral Health Center has already partnered with local colleges including the University of Texas Permian Basin, Midland College, Odessa College and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center to train and build out the next generation of our homegrown healthcare workforce.

Under the leadership of Reps. Tom Craddick and Brooks Landgraf, the Legislature approved more than $126 million to help build the facility. The center’s leadership raised an additional $100 million to make the facility a reality.

Even before it opens, the center is a success story — a testament to the commitment of state legislators and community leaders. But a state-of-the-art facility alone isn’t enough.

To truly fulfill its promise, the center must have the funding to staff its beds and provide lifesaving care in the Permian Basin. Texas lawmakers now have a critical opportunity to ensure that happens. As the conference committee members from the House and Senate meet to finalize next biennium’s budget, securing operational funding must be a top priority before the session concludes in June.

Families like mine across Texas have lost loved ones because behavioral health care was too far away or too limited. Investing in behavioral health is not only compassionate, it’s also smart policy that saves money, eases the burden on our emergency rooms and law enforcement and — most important — saves lives.

Daryl’s death at 37 years old was a preventable tragedy. Had he received the care he needed, he might still be here. Our new center is a victory, but a building alone isn’t sufficient. We must ensure our investment has the resources and staff it needs to make a difference.

Texas lawmakers should fund the Permian Basin Behavioral Health Center as an investment in the lives of those who need care and in the community that supports them.

Miriam Pearsall is chief of staff for policy at Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute.