April 10, 2003VOUCHER BILL VOTED OUT OF COMMITTEE
HB 2465 by Rep. Grusendorf (R-Arlington) was voted out of committee this morning. HB 2465 creates a private school voucher program in Texas school districts with more than 40,000 students, in which a majority of the students are eligible for the federal free and reduced price lunch program.
The bill was just brought up at Rep. Grusendorf's desk on the House floor and voted out of the House Public Education Committee. The bill now moves to the Calendars Committee to be scheduled for floor debate.
The House Public Education Committee vote went as follows: Voting no: Rep. Hochberg, Rep. Griggs, Rep. Dawson Voting yes: Rep. Dutton, Rep. Grusendorf, Rep. Madden, Rep. Eissler, Rep. Branch
Absent: Rep. Oliveira
ACTION NEEDED TODAY
Please call your legislators right now and tell them to vote NO on HB 2465 because Texas cannot afford to drain money out of public schools with a voucher experiment.
To find your representative, go to the following website: http://www.capitol. state.tx.us/fyi/fyi.htm
Also, please call the House Public Education Committee members who voted YES to pass this out and tell them you are disappointed in their decision to promote vouchers in Texas in this time of fiscal crisis.
Chair Kent Grusendorf (R-Arlington), 512-463-0624
Rep. Dan Branch (R-Highland Park), 512-463-0367
Rep. Harold Dutton (D-Houston), 512-463-0510
Rep. Rob Eissler (R-The Woodlands), 512-463-0797
Rep. Jerry Madden (R-Richardson), 512-463-0544From the Texas Freedom Network.