The head of Club for Growth today said the organization will get involved in the school choice debate in Texas. David McIntosh told Lone Star Standard the Club will spend funds to engage 11 Republican members of the state House who have so far not supported choice initiatives.
According to McIntosh, “After parents got to see what’s happening in public schools during the pandemic, it’s no longer acceptable for conservatives to oppose school freedom.”
The group is supporting Gov. Abbott’s push to allow families to choose schools for their children, as well as his proposal to provide up to $8,000 per child from school funds that can be used to pay for education in private and charter schools.
Abbott will convene a special session that begins Oct. 9 to push a bill on Education Savings Accounts. The bill was blocked by a group of Democrats and rural Republicans earlier this year.
"We will take it either way—in a special session or after an election," Abbott said when he announced the special session.
The Club for Growth identified the House members it intends to target as Keith Bell, DeWayne Burns, Justin Holland, John Kuempel, Andrew Murr, Angelia Orr, Shelby Slawson, Reggie Smith, John Smithee and Kronda Thimesch.
McIntosh told Lone Star Standard the Club is asking constituents in the key swing-vote districts to contact their Texas House representatives and tell them to "stand up for families and fund students, not systems.”
Club for Growth describes itself as a free-enterprise advocacy group. A statement on its website says that it “promote[s] school choice as the structural solution to dramatically improve education in America.”
Other national groups are also lining up behind the Abbott push. Tommy Schultz, CEO of the American Federation for Children, said last week that his AFC Victory Fund Super PAC will also fund a pro-school choice effort in Texas.
The school choice movement has gained momentum with support from Republican Governors in several states, including Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, and Utah this year.
