Additional Information

First elected to the Texas House in a January 2020 special election runoff to serve out the remaining term of former Rep. John Zerwas, who resigned in 2019. Current term expires January 2025.

Ran unsuccessfully for the same House seat in 2002 and 2004. Ran unsuccessfully for the Texas Senate in 2006 and 2014. Also ran unsuccessfully for Railroad Commissioner in 2016.

Endorsed in the 2024 Republican primary election by Gov. Greg Abbott. Abbott is endorsing incumbents who supported his voucher bill, HB 1, in the fourth special session of the 88th Legislature.

Endorsed in the 2022 general election and Republican primary election by the Texas Home School Coalition, which supports using public funds for private and home-schools, giving private and home-schooled students greater access to public education services, and limiting state oversight of private and home schools.
 

Related Blog Posts

• House Vote #1 - 2023: PRIVATE SCHOOL VOUCHERS

  Voted against a budget amendment to prohibit state funds from being spent on private school vouchers. ATPE supported the amendment.

  House Floor Amendment 45 by Rep. Abel Herrero (D–Robstown) to House Bill 1 by Rep. Greg Bonnen (R–Friendswood), 88th Legislature, Regular Session. During its April 6, 2023, debate on the budget bill, the House passed this ATPE-supported amendment banning use of state funds for a private school voucher. (Record vote #111. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.) The amendment passed but was later stripped out of the final budget bill.

• House Vote #2 - 2023: CURRICULUM

  Voted for a bill that incentivized school districts to require educators to teach from prepackaged statewide curriculum designed by the Texas Education Agency.

  House Bill 1605 by Rep. Brad Buckley (R–Salado), 88th Legislature, Regular Session. The bill incentivizes school districts to require certain educators to teach from prepackaged statewide curriculum designed by the Texas Education Agency. Read more about the bill here. On May 3, 2023, the House voted to pass the bill on third reading. (Record vote #914. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.) The Legislature ultimately passed a Senate version of the bill.

• House Vote #3 - 2023: PRIVATE SCHOOL VOUCHERS

  Voted for a motion to allow the House Public Education Committee to meet for the purpose of voting on a new version of a private school voucher bill that had not been publicly vetted. The House refused to grant permission for the meeting.

  This vote taken May 10, 2023, prevented the House Public Education Committee from holding a previously unscheduled meeting to rush through a last-minute vote on a controversial voucher bill that had not been publicly vetted. Committee Chairman Brad Buckley (R–Salado) requested permission for his committee to meet while the full House was still in a floor session. Rep. Ernest Bailes (R–Shepherd) objected to the motion and called for a record vote. The vote denying permission for the committee to meet was a pivotal point in stopping the push for vouchers during the regular session. Read more about the vote here. (House Record vote #1464. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.)

• House Vote #4 - 2023: SCHOOL FUNDING

  Voted for a bill to change funding formulas for school districts and the minimum salary schedule.

  House Bill 100 by Rep. Ken King (R–Canadian), 88th Legislature, Regular Session. The bill intended to make funding formulas enrollment-based rather than attendance-based. It also called for condensing the minimum salary schedule to a three-tiered schedule covering 10 years, which ATPE opposed. On April 27, 2023, the House voted to pass the bill on third reading. (Record vote #595. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.) The Senate later added a private school voucher provision to the bill, which resulted in HB 100’s failure to pass.

• House Vote #5 - 2023: SCHOOL FUNDING

  Voted against an amendment to raise the Basic Allotment to $6,500. ATPE supported the amendment.

  House Floor Amendment 7 by Rep. Trey Martinez-Fischer (D–San Antonio) to House Bill 100 by Rep. Ken King (R–Canadian), 88th Legislature, Regular Session. The amendment would have increased the Basic Allotment from $6,250 to $6,500. On April 26, 2023, the House voted to reject the Martinez-Fischer amendment. (Record vote #564. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.)

• House Vote #6 - 2023: TEACHER PIPELINE

  Voted against an omnibus bill that proposed several regulatory changes and a one-time stipend of $2,000 for teachers. ATPE opposed the bill as insufficient in terms of providing a meaningful increase in educator compensation or enhancement of teachers' rights.

  Senate Bill 9 by Sen. Brandon Creighton (R–Conroe), sponsored in the House by Rep. Harold Dutton (D–Houston), 88th Legislature, Regular Session. Marketed as a “Teacher Bill of Rights,” SB 9 proposed a one-time stipend of $2,000 for teachers and several regulatory changes affecting the education profession. Read more about the bill and ATPE’s opposition to it here. On May 23, 2023, the House voted to pass the bill on second reading. (Record vote #2021. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.) The bill ultimately died in the House when it was withdrawn from consideration on third reading.

• House Vote #7 - 2023: TEACHER RECRUITMENT/RETENTION

  Voted for a bill to address teacher recruitment and retention through increased funding for incentive pay and other initiatives.

  House Bill 11 by Rep. Harold Dutton (D–Houston), 88th Legislature, Regular Session. This bill aimed to improve teacher recruitment and retention through increased funding for incentive pay and other initiatives. Read more about the bill and ATPE’s position on it here. On April 26, 2023, the House voted to pass the bill on second reading. (Record vote #563. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.) The bill later died in the Senate.

• House Vote #8 - 2023: SCHOOL SAFETY

  Voted for an omnibus school safety bill that provides funding to help schools comply with safety requirements. ATPE supported the bill.

  House Bill 3 by Rep. Dustin Burrows (R–Lubbock), 88th Legislature, Regular Session. This omnibus school safety bill provides $1.3 billion in school safety funding, calls for mental health training for school district employees, requires an armed officer at every campus, and allows the state to appoint a conservator to help school districts achieve compliance. The bill includes ATPE-recommended language limiting the scope of the conservator’s authority. On May 28, 2023, the House adopted the Conference Committee Report on HB 3, approving final passage of the bill. (Record vote #2229. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.)

• House Vote #9 - 2023: SCHOOL COUNSELORS

  Voted for a bill that removed the requirement for school counselors to have prior experience as a classroom teacher. ATPE opposed the bill.

  Senate Bill 798 by Sen. Mayes Middleton (R–Galveston), sponsored in the House by Rep. Brad Buckley (R–Salado), 88th Legislature, Regular Session. The bill removed the requirement for school counselors to have prior experience as a classroom teacher. On May 16, 2023, the House voted to pass the bill on second reading. (Record vote #1750. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.) The bill was finally passed the next day and ultimately became law.

• House Vote #10 - 2023: SCHOOL CHAPLAINS

  Voted for a bill that allows school districts to employ paid or volunteer chaplains for student counseling and support and requires school boards to adopt a policy on whether to use chaplains. ATPE opposes allowing chaplains not certified as school counselors to provide counseling services to students.

  Senate Bill 763 by Mayes Middleton (R–Galveston), sponsored in the House by Rep. Cole Hefner (R–Mount Pleasant), 88th Legislature, Regular Session. The bill allows school districts to employ paid or volunteer chaplains to support students without requiring them to be certified or trained as school counselors. SB 763 also requires each school board to vote on whether to adopt a policy authorizing the district’s use of chaplains. On May 8, 2023, the House voted to pass its version of the bill on second reading. (Record vote #1280. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.) The Legislature ultimately passed a compromise version of the bill.

• House Vote #11 - 2023: RETIREMENT

  Voted for a bill that provided a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) and 13th check for retired educators. ATPE supported the bill.

  Senate Bill 10 by Sen. Joan Huffman (R–Houston), sponsored in the House by Rep. Greg Bonnen (R–Friendswood), 88th Legislature, Regular Session. The bill provides a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) and 13th check for retired educators. On May 28, 2023, the House voted to adopt the conference committee report on SB 10, approving final passage of the bill. (Record vote #2210. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.)

• House Vote #12 - 2023: ACCELERATED INSTRUCTION

  Voted for a bill that modified the requirements for accelerated instruction to make them less burdensome for teachers and schools. ATPE supported the bill.

  House Bill 1416 by Rep. Keith Bell (R–Forney), 88th Legislature, Regular Session. The bill was a clean-up for 2021’s House Bill 4545 (87-R), which required accelerated instruction for students who failed a STAAR exam. Based on feedback from teachers and school districts, HB 1416 reduced the hours of accelerated instruction required per subject and raised the teacher-student ratio to make it more manageable. On May 19, 2023, the House voted to concur in the Senate amendments to HB 1416, approving final passage of the bill. (Record vote #1873. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.)

• House Vote #13 - 2023: LIBRARY BOOKS

  Voted for a bill establishing a rating system for and restricting certain content in school library materials.

  House Bill 900 by Rep. Jared Patterson (R–Frisco), 88th Legislature, Regular Session. The bill requires book vendors to rate books based on sexual content and the development of additional state standards. The bill also prohibits certain materials from public school libraries and requires parental notification and consent for student access to certain other library materials. Read ATPE’s written testimony on the bill here. On April 19, 2023, the House voted to pass HB 900 on second reading. (Record Vote #334. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.) The bill was ultimately approved by both the House and Senate and became law.

• House Vote #14 - 2023: PRIVATE SCHOOL VOUCHERS

  Voted against the Raney amendment that stripped voucher language from an omnibus education bill. ATPE supported the amendment, which stopped the last attempt to pass vouchers through the Texas Legislature in 2023.

  House Floor Amendment 2 by Rep. John Raney (R–Bryan) to House Bill 1 by Rep. Brad Buckley (R–Salado), 88th Legislature, fourth called Special Session. The amendment removed voucher provisions from an omnibus education bill, effectively stopping the last attempt to pass vouchers during the 2023 legislative sessions. Read more about the amendment here. On Nov. 17, 2023, the House voted to adopt the Raney amendment. (Record vote #56. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.)

• (Historical) House Vote #1 - 2021: VOUCHERS

  Voted against a budget amendment to prohibit state funds from being spent on private school vouchers. ATPE supported the amendment.

  House Floor Amendment #84 by Rep. Abel Herrero (D-Robstown) to Senate Bill 1 by Sen. Jane Nelson (R-Flower Mound), 87th Legislature, Regular Session. The House passed the ATPE-supported amendment during its debate on the budget bill, April 22, 2021. (Record vote #410. View an official record of the vote in the House Journal.)

• (Historical) House Vote #2 - 2021: SPECIAL EDUCATION

  Voted for a bill creating the "Supplemental Special Education Services" grant, which allows parents of eligible students in special education to apply for a grant of up to $1,500 for the purchase of supplemental educational services and materials.

  Senate Bill 1716 by Sen. Larry Taylor (R-Friendswood), sponsored in the House by Rep. Greg Bonnen (R-Friendswood), 87th Legislature, Regular Session. The bill as passed by the Senate would have created a special education voucher program, which ATPE opposed, but the House removed the voucher language. On May 26, 2021, the House voted to pass its version of the bill on third reading, sending SB 1716 to the governor without objection from ATPE. (Record vote #1516. View an official record of the vote in the House Journal.)

• (Historical) House Vote #3 - 2021: COMPENSATION

  Voted against an amendment that would have ensured teachers could keep pay raises they had received as a result of 2019 school finance legislation. ATPE supported the amendment.

  House Floor Amendment #14 by Rep. Chris Turner (D-Arlington) to House Bill 1525 by Rep. Dan Huberty (R-Kingsville), 87th Legislature, Regular Session. On April 21, 2021, the House passed the ATPE-supported amendment during its floor debate on a school finance clean-up bill. (Record vote #387. View an official record of the vote in the House Journal.)

• (Historical) House Vote #4 - 2021: CIVICS AND CURRICULUM

  Voted for a bill that mandated changes to social studies curriculum standards, sought to ban the teaching of concepts that have been associated with "critical race theory," limited students' access to course credit for activities related to legislation, and restricted educators' discussions of controversial topics and current events in the classroom. ATPE opposed the bill.

  House Bill 3979 by Rep. Steve Toth (R-The Woodlands), 87th Legislature, Regular Session. On May 11, 2021, the House voted to pass the ATPE-opposed bill on third reading. (Record vote #982. View an official record of the vote in the House Journal.) Read more about the bill here.

• (Historical) House Vote #5 - 2021: CIVICS AND CURRICULUM

  Voted for a bill passed during the second special session that replaced HB 3979 passed during the regular session. The bill requires the State Board of Education to change social studies curriculum standards and seeks to ban the teaching of concepts that have been associated with "critical race theory." SB 3 mandates a civics training academy for certain teachers and requires that teachers address controversial topics in an objective manner free from political bias. ATPE opposed the bill overall but supported House floor amendments that made the bill better than its predecessor, HB 3979.

  Senate Bill 3 by Sen. Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola), sponsored in the House by Rep. Dan Huberty (R-Kingwood), 87th Legislature, Second Called Session. On Sept. 2, 2021, the House amended and then voted to approve the bill on third reading. (Record vote #150. View an official record of the vote in the House Journal). Read more about SB 3 here.

• (Historical) House Vote #6 - 2021: HOME-SCHOOL UIL

  Voted for a bill that allows home-schooled students to participate in University Interscholastic League (UIL) activities on behalf of and at the expense of a school district without meeting the same academic requirements under "no pass, no play" rules that apply to public school students. ATPE opposed the bill.

  House Bill 547 by Rep. James Frank (R-Wichita Falls), 87th Legislature, Regular Session. On May 13, 2021, the House voted to approve the ATPE-opposed bill on third reading. (Record vote #1028. View an official record of the vote in the House Journal.) The Senate later amended HB 547, removing House provisions that would have given coaches additional authority to verify home-schooled students' academic eligibility and allowed students served by the Texas Juvenile Justice Department to participate in UIL. On May 28, 2021, the House voted to concur with the Senate amendments to the bill, thereby sending a final version of HB 547 to the governor. (Record vote #1556. View an official record of the vote in the House Journal.) Read more about the bill here.

• (Historical) House Vote #7 - 2021: CHARTER SCHOOLS

  Voted for a bill that expands property tax exemptions for charter schools and those who lease property to a charter school. ATPE opposed the bill.

  House Bill 3610 by Rep. Barbara Gervin-Hawkins (D-San Antonio), 87th Legislature, Regular Session. On May 8, 2021, the House voted to approve the ATPE-opposed bill on third reading. (Record vote #913. View an official record of the vote in the House Journal.) Read more about the bill here.

• (Historical) House Vote #8 - 2021: RETIREMENT

  Voted for a bill authorizing a one-time supplemental payment or "13th check" of up to $2,400 to TRS retirees. ATPE supported the bill.

  Senate Bill 7 by Sen. Joan Huffman (R-Houston), sponsored in the House by Rep. Greg Bonnen (R-Friendswood), 87th Legislature, Second Called Session. On Aug. 30, 2021, the House voted to approve the ATPE-supported bill on third reading. (Record vote #98. View an official record of the vote in the House Journal.)

• (Historical) House Vote #9 - 2021: VIRTUAL SCHOOLS

  Voted for a bill that would have expanded full-time virtual school programs statewide. ATPE opposed the bill.

  House Bill 1468 by Rep. Keith Bell (R-Forney), 87th Legislature, Regular Session. On April 28, 2021, the House voted to approve the ATPE-opposed bill on third reading. (Record vote #497. View an official record of the vote in the House Journal.) The Senate passed an amended version of HB 1468, and the bill was eventually sent to a conference committee to generate a compromise version. HB 1468 ultimately died when the House failed to vote on the conference committee report before the regular session ended.

• (Historical) House Vote #10 - 2021: VIRTUAL SCHOOLS

  Voted for a bill that expands funding and authorization for full-time virtual school programs statewide. ATPE opposed the bill.

  Senate Bill 15 by Sen. Larry Taylor (R-Friendswood), sponsored in the House by Rep. Keith Bell (R-Forney), 87th Legislature, Second Called Session. Based on the ATPE-opposed HB 1468 that failed to pass in the regular session, SB 15 expands state funding options for students in full-time virtual schools. On Aug. 30, 2021, the House voted to pass the bill on third reading. (Record vote #96. View an official record of the vote in the House Journal.)

• (Historical) House Vote #11 - 2021: ACCOUNTABILITY

  Voted for a bill that pauses accountability ratings for the 2021-22 school year, halts progressive sanctions for D- and F-rated schools once they earn a C rating, and clarifies due process protections for districts facing sanctions.

  Voted for/Voted against/Was "present not voting" on/Was absent for the vote on a bill that pauses accountability ratings for the 2021-22 school year, halts progressive sanctions for D- and F-rated schools once they earn a C rating, and clarifies due process protections for districts facing sanctions.

• (Historical) House Vote #12 - 2021: TESTING/ACCELERATED INSTRUCTION

  Voted against a bill that eliminated the STAAR passage requirement for grade promotion but requires accelerated instruction for students who failed a STAAR test.

  House Bill 4545 by Rep. Harold Dutton (D-Houston), 87th Legislature, Regular Session. On May 28, 2021, the House voted to concur with Senate amendments to the bill, which sent a final version of HB 4545 to the governor. (Record vote #1689. View an official record of the vote in the House Journal). Read more about the bill here.

• (Historical) House Vote #13 - 2021: ACCELERATED INSTRUCTION

  Voted for a bill that would have eased implementation of HB 4545, passed during the regular session, by limiting the subjects in which tutoring is required for students who failed a STAAR test and offering temporary relief from tutoring group size limits.

  House Bill 233 by Rep. Dan Huberty (R-Kingwood), 87th Legislature, Second Called Session. On Sept. 2, 2021, the House voted to approve the bill on third reading. (Record vote #153. View an official record of the vote in the House Journal). The bill ultimately died when the Senate declined to hear it before the end of the session. Read more about the bill here.

Candidate Survey Responses

HAS NOT RESPONDED TO THE 2024 ATPE CANDIDATE SURVEY.

Did not respond to the 2022 or 2020 ATPE Candidate Survey.

Additional Comments from Candidate on Survey

No additional comments