The legislature finally appears ready to pass a bill creating $1 billion in education savings accounts.

T exas has debated the issue of universal school choice, which provides education options to parents of all income groups, for almost a decade. The state senate has passed it six times, but until now the idea has always died in the Texas house.

That’s what makes Thursday’s announcement by Dustin Burrows, the new GOP speaker of the house, a big deal. He told a Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) conference that a bill creating $1 billion in education savings accounts has been introduced, and “it has the votes and will become law.”

Under the bill, Texas families could receive $10,000 a year for children’s tuition at a private school and other expenses such as textbooks, transportation, and therapy. The bill also provides $11,500 per student for children with disabilities and at least $2,000 a year for students from homeschooling families.

Governor Greg Abbott, who helped raise money to defeat nearly a dozen anti-school-choice house members in primaries last year, told TPPF: “Those who are entrenched in the status quo do not believe in school choice because it disrupts the monopoly that they have on education.” He said the real objection of critics to choice comes down to just three words: keeping “money, money, money” flowing to their bureaucracy.

He then proceeded to go through every argument that opponents make and refute them. The program will allow every Texas family to access a school choice program; public school funding remains at an all-time high of more than $15,000 a year per student; and homeschool parents will have control over their curriculum.

The governor went further and declared that he plans to fight the growth of local property taxes by having the legislature require two-thirds voter approval for all tax increases. The growth of public school budgets has led to higher local taxes, which fuels voter discontent with education. A video that preceded his speech laid out just how public education money in the state is siphoned away by administrators and “profiteers.”

Should Texas, a state with more than 30 million people, pass universal school choice, it will act as an accelerant to efforts in other states and allow school choice advocates to move closer to their goal of having programs up and running in 25 states by the end of 2025. The number stands at 16 and growing.