"Texas GOP Infighting Escalates as Special Session on School Vouchers Begins"

The special session in Texas to pass school vouchers, Governor Greg Abbott's top priority, began with Republicans in disarray as Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dade Phelan clashed over a demand for Patrick to return $3 million to a PAC associated with white supremacists. Phelan also expressed his desire for any voucher program to be paired with increased public school funding. Meanwhile, Democrats vowed to fight voucher proposals, even if it meant sacrificing teacher pay raises and additional public school funding. The Senate Finance Committee began considering legislation to increase funding for public schools, which is a prerequisite for many lawmakers to support school vouchers.