private schools

New laws range from school vouchers and water infrastructure funding to a ban on city and county-funded abortion travel funds.

Oklahoma released the names and tax credit amounts for thousands of residents using the Parental Choice Tax Credit, which mostly benefited higher-income families. The data release came after months of delay and pressure from Oklahoma Watch under the state's transparency laws.

The sweeping legislation creates Education Savings Accounts, which allow parents to use state tax dollars toward private education costs. With $1 billion in initial funding, Texas' program is the largest day 1 plan of its kind in the nation.

Senate Bill 2 would create an education savings account program and has been Abbott's top priority.

After hours of debate — and years of pushing from Gov. Greg Abbott — the Texas House gave initial approval to a bill to create an Education Savings Account plan. The school voucher program would allow parents to use public funds towards private school costs.

Some Texas legislators may be done questioning the merits of education savings accounts as it moves to a vote in the State House, but voters aren't. Model programs in other states are showing rural voters could stand to lose the most, and they're preparing to do the math on election day.

This legislative session, creating Education Savings Accounts — which would let parents use public funds towards private education costs — is a top priority for many Texas Republicans. But the voucher plan has also caused contentious clashes between some rural voters and the lawmakers who represent them.

If passed, the legislation would create a program where parents could use state tax dollars toward sending their kids to private schools. While it’s a priority for many Republicans, those opposed to the idea aren’t staying quiet.

This long-awaited move comes weeks after the Senate passed their version of the bill.

The Senate could vote on the proposal as soon as next week. Democrats on Tuesday criticized the bill saying it fails to prioritize the state’s neediest children.