- The creation of Education Savings Accounts for Texas has been a top priority for Gov. Greg Abbott and other Texas Republican leaders for many years. And on Saturday, that long-awaited goal will be met.
Tomorrow, Abbott is holding a bill signing ceremony for Senate Bill 2. The measure creates a $1 billion dollar school voucher program. Education Savings Accounts will be funded using state tax payer dollars. Parents will be eligible to use the voucher funds to pay for private school tuition and other, approved education-related costs.
Among the Northeast Texas contingent in the legislature, all Republican, only House District 1’s Gary VanDeaver opposed the program. Only three Republicans – two in the House and one in the Senate, voted against the measure.
- Some cities, school districts and taxing districts around Texas will hold spring elections tomorrow. There are two contested public offices in Commerce. Incumbent mayor Teddy Reel is running for re-election. That office will be contested by Coy Smith. The Commerce Independent School District will have one contested place on the Commerce ISD Board of Trustees. Abbie Harper and Henry Ross are both running for Place 3 on the school board.
Voters in the Hunt Memorial Hospital District will decide the fate of a $29 million bond for hospital expansion. In Greenville, an open seat representing City Council District 1 will be contested by Richard Edgar Hutchins and Ramon Rodriguez. On the Greenville ISD Board of Trustees, District 6 incumbent Aletha Kruse is running against challenger Millie Edwards.
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The City of Commerce will have one polling station, at city hall, downtown. Sample ballots and polling locations can be found at the various county websites. The Hunt County web address is huntcounty.net.