Conservative Billionaires Are Heading for Rare Defeat in Texas Over Private School Subsidies
- Betsy Devos, Jeff Yass among advocates for voucher programs
- Rural Republicans and Democrats joined forces in opposition
Conservative billionaires, including former US Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and Jeff Yass of Susquehanna International Group, are headed for a rare defeat in Texas over subsidies for private schools, after pushback from an unlikely coalition of city Democrats and rural Republicans.
GOP Governor Greg Abbott and Dan Patrick, the leader of the state’s upper chamber, backed the effort to create taxpayer-funded accounts that parents could use to pay for private education or homeschooling expenses, but multiple bills have failed to advance in the legislature. The stumble comes during a moment of infighting among Texas Republicans, with the House moving to impeach the controversial Attorney General Ken Paxton, who has accused the House speaker of being drunk on the job.