Connect with us

Texas

Texas Democrats say they won't back down from school choice fight | Texas: The Issue Is

Published

on

Texas Democrats say they won't back down from school choice fight | Texas: The Issue Is


When the Texas Legislature gavels in a new session this January, we will see another round in the battle over school vouchers.

Advertisement

Earlier this month, Texas Governor Greg Abbott held a news conference claiming victory on the issue. Abbott says he has the votes to pass vouchers, which has become one of his legislative priorities.

Abbott actively campaigned against rural Republicans who opposed his school voucher plan in the previous legislative session.

“There was a tidal wave of support for those House candidates that I supported,” the governor said. “We will ensure that every parent has the right to choose the school that is best for their child.”

Advertisement

Gov. Abbott says he has 79 solid votes for school vouchers. A bill needs 76 votes to pass the Texas House.

Voucher opponents, like State Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, are not giving up the fight.

Advertisement

State Rep. James Talarico

Talarico talked with FOX 7’s Rudy Koski about the upcoming debate and if compromise on the issue is possible.

State Rep. James Talarico: “I think the fight to save public education will be the number one issue in the next legislative session. A majority of the counties in the State of Texas don’t have a single private school in them and the cost of the voucher doesn’t even cover the full cost of tuition at most private schools in Texas, so working class families, like the ones in my district, or my former students on the west side of San Antonio, they can’t take advantage of this voucher scam, and so instead the vast majority of the money will end up going to wealthy families who are already sending their kids to private school.”

Advertisement

Rudy Koski: “The governor has spent the last several months doing what some would describe as a revenge tour, going after rural Republicans who were part of this pro-education, bipartisan blocking coalition. They are gone. You have lost them. He says he has the numbers. Are you throwing up the white flag?”

Rep. Talarico: “Not at all. We didn’t lose all of them, despite the onslaught of big money and big lies into these Republican districts you still had pro-public education Republican legislators survive and are coming back to the Capitol this session. I’m thinking about Drew Darby and Stan Lambert and Gary VanDeever, despite the victories that the governor may have scored in this election cycle, this should not be mistaken for a mandate on private school voucher scams. The governor didn’t campaign on vouchers. The majority of Texans, according to the latest polling, reject private school voucher scams.”

Advertisement

Rudy Koski: “Is there ground for compromise in this debate?”

Rep. Talarico: “I think a voucher is bad public policy no matter how you cut it. I will never support a voucher scam, but if my colleagues in the House, Republicans and Democrats, if we can all agree that we need to fully fund our neighborhood public schools, then I will work with anyone to make that a reality.”

You can watch Texas: The Issue Is every Sunday night on TV and anytime on FOX LOCAL.

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Texas

Court orders Biden admin to stop selling border wall materials, was 'illegally subverting' laws: Texas AG

Published

on

Court orders Biden admin to stop selling border wall materials, was 'illegally subverting' laws: Texas AG


The Biden administration on Friday said it would stop selling off materials slated to be used to build a border wall ahead of the incoming Trump administration, which has promised to bring back tougher efforts to combat illegal immigration.

The Biden administration confirmed to a court that it will agree to a court order preventing it from disposing of any further border wall materials over the next 30 days, allowing President-elect Trump to use those materials, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said. 

The Biden administration has been auctioning off border wall parts since at least 2023, with parts listed for sale on auction marketplaces, after it abruptly shut down most border wall construction in 2021.

GOP SENATOR MOVES TO BLOCK FEDS FROM DISPOSING OF BORDER WALL MATERIALS AMID AUCTION BACKLASH 

Advertisement

Piles of unused border fence sit at one of the border wall construction staging areas on the Johnson Ranch near Columbus, N.M., on Monday, April 12, 2021.  (Photo By Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

President-elect Donald Trump then urged the Biden Administration to stop. Fox News Digital has reached out to Trump’s representatives. 

“We have successfully blocked the Biden Administration from disposing of any further border wall materials before President Trump takes office,” Paxton said. 

“This follows our major victory forcing Biden to build the wall, and we will hold his Administration accountable for illegally subverting our Nation’s border security until their very last day in power, especially where their actions are clearly motivated by a desire to thwart President-elect Trump’s immigration agenda,” he added. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS

Advertisement
Paxton presser

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks at a news conference in Dallas on June 22, 2017.  (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez, File)

In a news release, Paxton’s office said that if the Biden administration disposes of border wall materials purchased with funds subject to an injunction in violation of a court order, “it would constitute unethical and sanctionable conduct and officials could be held in contempt of court.”

Texas has said it intends to do all it can to help the incoming administration build the wall at the southern border when Trump enters office.

The Biden administration abruptly ended border wall construction in January 2021 after 450 miles had been built in the first Trump administration. While border hawks say a wall is a critical tool to stopping illegal immigration, some Democrats have said a wall project is xenophobic and ineffective.

HOUSE OVERSIGHT REPUBLICANS INVESTIGATING BIDEN ADMIN’S SALE OF BORDER WALL PARTS: ‘WASTE AND ABUSE’ 

Trump at a part of the border wall

President Donald Trump tours a section of the border wall, Tuesday, June 23, 2020, in San Luis, Ariz. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

The auctioning off of border wall parts began in 2023 with parts listed for sale on GovPlanet.com, an online auction marketplace. The Defense Department’s logistics agency told media outlets that the excess material had been turned over for disposition by the Army Corps of Engineers and was now for sale.

Advertisement

Those auctions have continued, with officials in Arizona telling Fox News Digital that auctions have been occurring weekly for some time. The practice drew attention last week when The Daily Wire published video showing unused wall parts being transported on flatbed trucks in Arizona, even though the materials could be used in the next Trump administration. 

Trump previously called Biden’s efforts to sell unused border wall materials at a discounted rate “almost a criminal act.”

Trump said the auctions would cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars to re-purchase the large steel bollards and concrete. He called on President Biden to “please stop selling the wall” and suggested his team would obtain a restraining order to halt the sales.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“What they’re doing is really an act, it’s almost a criminal act,” he said. “They know we’re going to use it and if we don’t have it, we’re going to have to rebuild it, and it’ll cost double what it cost years ago, and that’s hundreds of millions of dollars because you’re talking about a lot of, a lot of wall.”

Advertisement

Fox News Digital’s Adam Shaw, Brooke Singman and Peter Pinedo contributed to this report. 



Source link

Continue Reading

Texas

Texas Longhorns in Contention for Two Top 2026 Recruits

Published

on

Texas Longhorns in Contention for Two Top 2026 Recruits


Although the 2024-2025 football season has yet to subside, head coach Steve Sarkisian and the Texas Longhorns have already been scoping out the next generation of athletes for their dynasty in the making.

The Longhorns secured the No. 1 recruiting class for 2025, with 25 high school players committed as of Dec. 6 following the early signing period, including four five-stars.

But now the focus has begun to shift over to the class of 2026, and Texas looks to add even more depth and strength to eventually turn into NFL-level talent. With two 2026 commits already making their announcement, four-star quarterback Dia Bell and three-star wide receiver Chris Stewart, Sarkisian continues to make strides toward the future success of his program.

On3’s Chad Simmons revealed his predictions for where the top 2026 recruits would call home on Wednesday and discussed Texas as an option for some of the best in the nation.

Advertisement

Simmons feels the most confident that four-star offensive tackle John Turntine will commit to the Longhorns after visiting the Forty Acres multiple times and building relationships with the football staff. Turntine hails from North Crowley in Fort Worth, making Texas a candidate that’s close to home.

The 305-pound offensive lineman just helped his team win the Texas 6A Division 1 state championship title over none other than Austin Westlake, a former stomping ground for current Longhorn Michael Taaffe, and would certainly make for a promising addition. Other schools in contention for Turntine include SMU, Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Oregon, but On3 rates Texas as having the best chance of recruitment.

“There is real confidence in Austin that Texas feels good about their position with in-state offensive tackle target John Turnstine III,” Simmons said. “He has visited Texas numerous times, and he and his family have really connected with the staff. From Steve Sarkisian to Kyle Flood to recruiting assistants, Turntine has built some strong relationships. The North Crowley star just won a state title and he is expected to take many more visits, but Texas continues to set the pace.”

Another four-star with Texas in his sights is cornerback Davon Benjamin, who listed the Longhorns within his top eight schools on Thursday. Benjamin stands as the No. 4 safety and No. 47 player overall in the 2026 class, according to 247Sports. However, Simmons wasn’t positive that Texas would be the one to land Benjamin and predicted the dual-threat athlete to commit to Oregon out of over 30 offers. The Longhorns must compete against football powerhouses such as Georgia, Ohio State, and Miami in order to snag this star recruit.

There’s no doubt that it will be a tight race among all of the best college football programs to formulate a promising 2026 roster, and Texas has a decent head start with the commitment of Bell to help get the ball rolling.

Advertisement

Join the Community:

Subscribe to our YouTube Page HERE

ADVERTISING

You can follow us for future coverage by subscribing to our newsletter here. Also, be sure to like us on Facebook @LonghornsCountryOnSI & follow us on Twitter at @LonghornsSI

Other Texas Longhorns News:

MORE: Urban Meyer Believes Texas Longhorns Beat Arizona State For One Reason

MORE: Texas Longhorns’ Colin Simmons Wins Freshman of The Year Award

Advertisement

MORE: Arizona State Head Coach on Quinn Ewers Recruitment: ‘I Had No Chance’

MORE: Texas Longhorns Had ‘Come to Jesus Meeting’ After SEC Championship

MORE: Texas Longhorns Transfer WR Johntay Cook Predicted to Stay in SEC



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Texas

Dense fog expected overnight; sunshine to return to North Texas

Published

on

Dense fog expected overnight; sunshine to return to North Texas


Dense fog expected overnight; sunshine to return to North Texas – CBS Texas

Watch CBS News


North Texas experienced another day of significant rain, accompanied by strong storms and gusty winds. Fog is expected overnight, but sunshine will return.

Advertisement

Be the first to know

Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.




Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending