Senator Brandon Creighton from Conroe, Texas has been a strong advocate for tax reform legislation. Recently, the Texas House of Representatives voted on Senate Bill 8, which could potentially fall short of the votes needed to pass in the lower house. On the same day, the Texas Senate approved a bill that would create a program to allow parents to use state funds to pay for private schools. This long-standing conservative goal was one of Governor Greg Abbott's main reasons for this legislative session and a major concern for public education advocates.
The bill was passed with 18 votes to 13 supporters, with Senator Creighton being one of the supporters. Borris Miles, Democrat from Houston, expressed his concern that there weren't enough measures to ensure that funds weren't misused and to hold private schools accountable for test results. The bill's passage in the Texas Senate was no surprise; Patrick, the leader of that chamber, has long supported voucher-like programs. But the big question this session has been whether that program would have enough votes in the House of Representatives, where Democrats and rural Republicans have often rallied against any measure that would send public money to private schools. Senator Creighton has been a vocal proponent of tax reform legislation. He co-authored HJR 10 which would create the Texas Legacy Fund dedicated to infrastructure projects and long-term state obligations.
Additionally, he authored HB 3601 which provides educational incentives to retain members of the Texas state military and HB 947 which exempted active duty members of the armed forces from paying fees and taxes for purchasing a vehicle out of state. He also co-authored HJR 39 which would propose a constitutional amendment to allocate funds to Texas state parks. Although this represents a favorable change to the position in favor of vouchers, it shows that the House is still far short of the 76 votes needed to pass legislation of this type if it were to be approved in plenary. While SB 8 does not explicitly target LGBTQ people, those who oppose it have raised concerns that the bill's broad scope and vague language prohibit Texas schools from recognizing the existence of the community. During Thursday's hearing, Democratic senators José Menéndez of San Antonio and Sarah Eckhardt of Austin said the bill could also prevent students from learning about a wide range of topics, from the women's suffrage movement to the historic ruling in favor of marriage equality and the leading cause of cervical cancer. Since Texas funds school districts based on attendance, any student who leaves a school district would earn less money. Senator Creighton has been an advocate for tax reform legislation since his election in 2012. He has consistently voted in favor of bills that would reduce taxes and increase funding for infrastructure projects.
His commitment to tax reform legislation is evident in his voting record and his authorship of several bills related to tax reform. It is clear that Senator Brandon Creighton from Conroe, Texas has been an advocate for tax reform legislation. His commitment to reducing taxes and increasing funding for infrastructure projects is commendable and should be applauded by all Texans.
