House Bill 1: Appropriations Bill Which Prohibits Vouchers

Author:
Representatives Warren Chisum and Ryan Guillen

Summary:
This is an appropriations bill; in the bill it is made clear that the money is not intended to be used for vouchers.

Status:

2/1/2007		(House) Filed
2/5/2007		(House) Read first time
2/5/2007		(House) Referred to Appropriations
3/21/2007		(House) Committee substitute considered in committee
3/21/2007		(House) Reported favorably as substituted
3/21/2007		(House) Committee report filed with Committee Coordinator
3/21/2007		(House) Committee report printed and distributed
3/22/2007		(House) Committee report sent to Calendars
3/22/2007		(House) Considered in Calendars
3/22/2007		(House) Placed on Emergency Calendar
3/22/2007		(House) Calendars Committee rule adopted
3/22/2007		(House) Record vote
3/29/2007		(House) Read second time
3/29/2007		(House) Amendments offered
3/30/2007		(House) Amended
3/30/2007		(House) Read third time
3/30/2007		(House) Amendments offered
3/30/2007		(House) Amendment amended
3/30/2007		(House) Amendment adopted as amended
3/30/2007		(House) Amended
3/30/2007		(House) Amendment fails of adoption
3/30/2007		(House) Record vote
3/30/2007		(House) Record vote Statements of vote recorded in Journal
3/30/2007		(House) Passed as amended
3/30/2007		(House) Record vote
3/30/2007		(House) Subject to Art. III Sec. 49a Tx. Constitution
3/30/2007		(House) Statements of vote recorded in Journal
3/30/2007		(House) Reason for vote recorded in Journal
3/30/2007		(House) Reason for vote recorded in Journal
3/30/2007		(House) Rules suspended
3/30/2007		(House) Rules suspended
4/2/2007		(House) Reported engrossed
4/2/2007		(Senate) Received from the House
4/2/2007		(Senate) Read first time
4/2/2007		(Senate) Referred to Finance
4/10/2007		(Senate) Considered in public hearing
4/10/2007		(Senate) Testimony taken in committee
4/10/2007		(Senate) Reported favorably as substituted
4/10/2007		(Senate) Printing rule suspended
4/10/2007		(Senate) Ordered not printed
4/12/2007		(Senate) Placed on intent calendar
4/12/2007		(Senate) Rules suspended-Regular order of business
4/12/2007		(Senate) Record vote
4/12/2007		(Senate) Read second time
4/12/2007		(Senate) Passed to third reading
4/12/2007		(Senate) Record vote
4/12/2007		(Senate) Three day rule suspended
4/12/2007		(Senate) Record vote
4/12/2007		(Senate) Reason for vote recorded in Journal
4/12/2007		(Senate) Read third time
4/12/2007		(Senate) Passed
4/12/2007		(Senate) Record vote
4/12/2007		(House) Senate passage as amended reported
4/12/2007		Senate Amendments printed and distributed
4/17/2007		(House) House refuses to concur in Senate amendments
4/17/2007		(House) Record vote
4/17/2007		(House) Motion to table prevails
4/17/2007		(House) Record vote
4/17/2007		(House) Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
4/17/2007		(House) House appoints conferees
4/17/2007		(Senate) House refuses to concur-reported
4/17/2007		(Senate) House requests conference committee-reported
4/17/2007		(Senate) House appoints conferees-reported
4/25/2007		(Senate) Senate grants request for conference comm.
4/25/2007		(Senate) Senate appoints conferees
4/25/2007		(House) Senate grants request for conf comm-reported
4/25/2007		(House) Senate appoints conferees-reported
4/25/2007		(House) Rules suspended
4/25/2007		(House) Record vote
4/25/2007		(Senate) Conference committee report filed
4/25/2007		(House) Conf. Comm. Report printed and distributed
4/27/2007		(House) House adopts resolution to go outside bounds
4/27/2007		(House) Point of order overruled
4/27/2007		(House) Point of order withdrawn
4/27/2007		(House) House adopts conference committee report
4/27/2007		(House) Record vote
4/27/2007		(Senate) House adopts conf. comm. report-reported
4/27/2007		(Senate) Senate adopts resolution to go outside bounds
4/27/2007		(Senate) Senate adopts conference committee report
4/27/2007		(Senate) Record vote
4/27/2007		(Senate) Record vote
4/28/2007		(House) Senate adopts conf. comm. report-reported
4/28/2007		(House) Reported enrolled
4/28/2007		(House) Signed in the House
4/28/2007		(Senate) Signed in the Senate
6/15/2007		Signed by the Governor

HSLDA's Position:
HSLDA supports this legislation.

Action Requested:
No action requested at this time.

Resources:
There have been various programs, with various names, designed for the purpose of using public funds to pay for all or part of the costs of students’ tuition at private or religious schools. Those in support of vouchers say they increase “school choice” or “parent choice.” HSLDA opposes vouchers as they are not a free handout from the government and will regulate parental freedoms. To date, no national voucher system has been established, nor is a state voucher system available to homeschools.

Our government has the responsibility to spend our money frugally. For the government to “just give” vouchers to homeschoolers would be irresponsible and pointless. If no strings are attached to vouchers, why waste the time and money sending tax dollars through a complicated bureaucracy only to be returned to the parents? Voucher proponents have conceded that regulation would accompany vouchers, but claim it would not be “excessive.” HSLDA has spent nearly 20 years fighting to protect parental rights to teach children at home, vouchers would hinder the furtherance of this right.

For more information on vouchers, please go to our Issues Library page on vouchers.

Other Resources

Bill Text