Additional Information

First elected to the Texas Senate in November 2022. Current term expires January 2029.

Member of the Senate Education Committee.

Previously served as a state representative from 1998 to 2023.

Supported by one or more anti-public education organizations or individuals in the 2024 Texas primaries. Also endorsed in the 2024 Republican primary election by Gov. Greg Abbott (R), who is supporting many incumbent legislators in this election cycle based on their pro-voucher voting records.

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.

Endorsed in the 2022 Republican primary election by the editorial board of the Dallas Morning News.

Endorsed in the 2022 Republican primary election by the editorial board of the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram.

 

Related Blog Posts

• Senate Vote #1 - 2023: PRIVATE SCHOOL VOUCHERS

  Voted for a bill that would have established an education savings account (ESA) voucher program. ATPE opposed the bill.

  Senate Bill 8 by Sen. Brandon Creighton (R–Conroe), 88th Legislature, Regular Session. The bill would have established an education savings account (ESA) voucher program. Read more about the bill here. On April 6, 2023, the Senate voted to pass the bill on second reading. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.) The bill ultimately died in the House.

• Senate Vote #2 - 2023: PRIVATE SCHOOL VOUCHERS

  Voted for a teacher compensation bill that the Senate modified to create an education savings account (ESA) voucher program. ATPE opposed the Senate's version of the bill.

  House Bill 100 by Rep. Ken King (R–Canadian), sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Brandon Creighton (R–Conroe), 88th Legislature, Regular Session. The original House bill intended to change school funding formulas and teacher compensation. The Senate modified HB 100 to include an education savings account (ESA) voucher program. Read more about the bill here. On May 23, 2023, the Senate voted to pass its version of the bill on second reading. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.) HB 100 later died in a conference committee because the House refused to accept the Senate’s addition of a voucher to the bill.

• Senate Vote #3 - 2023: COMPENSATION

  Voted against an amendment to grant teachers a $10,000 pay raise. ATPE supported the amendment.

  Senate Floor Amendment 8 by Sen. Morgan LaMantia (D–South Padre Island) to Senate Bill 9 by Sen. Brandon Creighton (R–Conroe), 88th Legislature, Regular Session. The amendment would have given all teachers a $10,000 pay raise. On April 6, 2023, the Senate voted to reject the amendment. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.)

• Senate Vote #4 - 2023: TEACHER PIPELINE

  Voted against an amendment to preserve the elected State Board of Education's (SBOE) veto power over rules adopted by the appointed State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC). ATPE supported the amendment.

  Senate Floor Amendment 9 by Sen. Nathan Johnson (D–Dallas) to Senate Bill 9 by Sen. Brandon Creighton (R–Conroe), 88th Legislature, Regular Session. The amendment would have ensured public oversight of teacher pipeline regulations by maintaining the elected State Board of Education’s (SBOE) veto authority over rulemaking by the appointed State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC). On April 6, 2023, the Senate voted to reject the amendment. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.)

• Senate Vote #5 - 2023: TEACHER PIPELINE

  Voted for an omnibus bill that proposed several regulatory changes and a one-time stipend of $2,000 for teachers. ATPE believed the bill was 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), 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 Senate testimony on it here. On April 6, 2023, the Senate voted to pass the bill on second reading. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.) The bill later died in the House.

• Senate Vote #6 - 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), sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Robert Nichols (R–Jacksonville), 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 21, 2023, the Senate voted to pass its version of HB 3. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.) The Legislature ultimately passed a compromise version of the bill.

• Senate Vote #7 - 2023: SCHOOL SAFETY

  Voted to table (kill) an amendment that would have significantly increased funding for school safety. ATPE supported the amendment and opposed the motion to table it.

  Senate Floor Amendment 2 by Sen. Jose Menendez (D–San Antonio) to House Bill 3 by Rep. Dustin Burrows (R–Lubbock), sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Robert Nichols (R–Jacksonville), 88th Legislature, Regular Session. The Senate’s version of HB 3 proposed a school safety allotment that included $10 per student. The Menendez amendment would have significantly increased that funding to $100 per student. On May 21, 2023, the Senate voted to table (kill) the Menendez amendment. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.)

• Senate Vote #8 - 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), sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Angela Paxton (R–McKinney), 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 May 23, 2023, the Senate voted to approve final passage of the bill. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal).

• Senate Vote #9 - 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), sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Brandon Creighton (R–Conroe), 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 12, 2023, the Senate voted to pass the bill on second reading. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.) The bill later became law after being approved by both the Senate and House.

• Senate Vote #10 - 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), 88th Legislature, Regular Session. The bill removed the requirement for school counselors to have prior experience as a classroom teacher. On April 5, 2023, the Senate voted to pass the bill on third reading. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.) The bill later became law after being approved by both the Senate and House.

• Senate Vote #11 - 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 Sen. Mayes Middleton (R–Galveston), 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 23, 2023, the Senate voted to adopt the conference committee report on SB 763, approving final passage of the bill. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.)

• Senate Vote #12 - 2023: MANDATORY REPORTING

  Voted for a bill that removed educators' ability to anonymously report cases of suspected child abuse and neglect. ATPE opposed the bill.

  House Bill 63 by Rep. Valoree Swanson (R–Spring), sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Kevin Sparks (R–Midland), 88th Legislature, Regular Session. The bill removed educators’ ability to anonymously report suspected child abuse and neglect. On May 18, 2023, the Senate voted to approve final passage of the bill. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.)

• Senate Vote #13 - 2023: TEN COMMANDMENTS

  Authored and voted for a bill that would have required every educator to display the Ten Commandments in their classroom. ATPE opposed the bill.

  Senate Bill 1515 by Sen. Phil King (R–Weatherford), 88th Legislature, Regular Session. The bill would have required every educator to display the Ten Commandments in their classroom. ATPE opposed SB 1515’s mandate of the display in every classroom but did not oppose a related bill, Senate Bill 1721 by Sen. Angela Paxton (R–McKinney), which called for a display of the Ten Commandments in a single prominent location on each campus. On April 20, 2023, the Senate passed SB 1515 on third reading. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.) The bill later died in the House.

• Senate Vote #14 - 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), 88th Legislature, Regular Session. The bill provides a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) and 13th check for retired educators. On May 27, 2023, the Senate voted to adopt the conference committee report on SB 10, approving final passage of the bill. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.)

• Senate Vote #15 - 2023: PRIVATE SCHOOL VOUCHERS

  Voted for a bill that would have established an education savings account (ESA) voucher program. ATPE opposed the bill.

  Senate Bill 1 by Sen. Brandon Creighton (R–Conroe), 88th Legislature, third called Special Session. The bill would have established an education savings account (ESA) voucher program. On Oct. 12, 2023, the Senate voted to pass the bill on second reading. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.) The bill later died in the House.

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

  Voted for 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 for 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 for 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.

• (Historical) House Vote #1 - 2019: EDUCATION FUNDING & REFORM

  Voted for a major school finance and reform bill providing $6.5 billion in increased funding for public education and $5 billion for property tax relief.

  House Bill 3 by Rep. Dan Huberty (R-Kingwood), 86th Legislature, Regular Session. On April 3, 2019, the House voted to approve the bill on third reading. (Record vote #159. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.)

• (Historical) House Vote #2 - 2019: RETIREMENT

  Voted for an ATPE-supported educator retirement bill making the TRS pension fund sound by increasing contribution rates and authorizing a one-time 13th check for retirees.

  Senate Bill 12 by Sen. Joan Huffman (R-Houston), 86th Legislature, Regular Session. On April 25, 2019, the House voted to approve the bill on third reading. (Record vote #661. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.)

• (Historical) House Vote #3 - 2019: SCHOOL SAFETY

  Voted for an ATPE-supported school safety bill offering funding to implement school safety improvements and provide mental health resources.

  Senate Bill 11 by Sen. Larry Taylor (R-Friendswood), 86th Legislature, Regular Session. On May 22, 2019, the House voted to approve the bill on third reading. (Record vote #1610. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.)

• (Historical) House Vote #4 - 2019: SCHOOL SAFETY

  Originally voted against a floor amendment to Senate Bill 11 requiring the state to identify regional resources that schools can use to address students' mental health needs. The amendment was based on Rep. Allison's HB 4414, a bill supported by ATPE. After the vote was reconsidered, King later voted for the amendment as amended.

  House Floor Amendment #8 by Rep. Steve Allison (R-San Antonio) to Senate Bill 11 by Sen. Larry Taylor (R-Friendswood), 86th Legislature, Regular Session. During the House floor debate on this school safety bill, Rep. Allison offered Floor Amendment #8 to improve mental health resources in schools. The amendment passed on May 21, 2019. (Record vote #1579. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.) Procedural note: This amendment was later reconsidered and amended before being adopted by the House again. (Record vote #1600. View an official record of that subsequent vote in the House journal.)

• (Historical) House Vote #5 - 2019: CLASS SIZES

  Voted for a bill that would have weakened the 22:1 cap on elementary school class sizes. ATPE opposed the bill.

  House Bill 1133 by Rep. Jonathan Stickland (R-Bedford), 86th Legislature, Regular Session. On May 9, 2019, the House voted to defeat the bill on second reading. (Record vote #1244. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.)

• (Historical) House Vote #6 - 2019: EDUCATOR QUALITY

  Voted against an ATPE-supported bill that would have funded and strengthened mentoring programs for teachers.

  House Bill 102 by Rep. Diego Bernal (D-San Antonio), 86th Legislature, Regular Session. On April 9, 2019, the House voted to approve the bill on third reading. (Record vote #197. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.) HB 102 did not get heard by the Senate, but its language was incorporated into HB 3 that did pass and become law.

• (Historical) House Vote #7 - 2019: EDUCATOR QUALITY

  Voted against a bill to require certain school districts to assign properly certified teachers to students in elementary grades and prevent students from being taught by first-year teachers in consecutive years. HB 1276 would have applied to school districts with at least 5,000 students, unless the district was exempted under the District of Innovation (DOI) law or received a hardship waiver from the commissioner of education. The bill was designed to prevent students from being assigned for two consecutive school years to teachers with less than one year of experience or teachers not certified in the subject being taught as part of the foundation curriculum. Exceptions were provided for new transfer students and students whose parent or guardian consents to the placement. ATPE supported the bill.

  House Bill 1276 by Rep. Jon Rosenthal (D-Houston), 86th Legislature, Regular Session. On April 25, 2019, the House voted to approve the bill on third reading. (Record vote #746. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.) The bill ultimately died after it did not get heard in the Senate.

• (Historical) House Vote #8 - 2019: CHARTER SCHOOLS

  Voted for a floor amendment to House Bill 3 to increase the transparency and efficiency of charter schools by requiring them to undergo an audit of their fiscal management prior to expanding or opening new campuses and to share the audit results on their website. ATPE supported the amendment.

  House Floor Amendment #15 by Rep. Ernest Bailes (R-Shepherd) to House Bill 3 by Rep. Dan Huberty (R-Kingwood), 86th Legislature, Regular Session. During the House floor debate on the school finance bill, Rep. Bailes offered Floor Amendment #15 on charter school transparency and efficiency. The amendment passed on April 3, 2019. (Record vote #153. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.) The Senate later stripped the amendment out of the bill.

• (Historical) House Vote #9 - 2019: POLITICAL INVOLVEMENT

  Voted for a bill that would prohibit school districts and other local governmental entities from funding legislative advocacy efforts or paying membership dues to organizations that engage in legislative advocacy. King also proposed an amendment to another bill aimed at limiting public employees' access to payroll deduction options, but that amendment was withdrawn prior to a vote. (Floor Amendment #1 to SB 557, debated on May 15, 2019, was recorded in the House Journal on page 3778 and can be viewed online at journals.house.texas.gov.)

  Senate Bill 29 by Sen. Bob Hall (R-Edgewood), 86th Legislature, Regular Session. On May 20, 2019, the House voted to defeat the bill on third reading. (Record vote #1519. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.)

• (Historical) House Vote #1 - 2017: EDUCATION FUNDING

  Voted for the final version of the state's budget bill.

  Senate Bill 1 by Sen. Jane Nelson (R-Flower Mound), 85th Legislature, Regular Session. A conference committee was appointed to resolve differences between House and Senate versions of this primary budget bill. On a motion by Rep. John Zerwas (R-Fulshear), the House voted to adopt the conference committee report and approve the bill for final passage on May 27, 2017. (Record vote #1945. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.)

• (Historical) House Vote #2 - 2017: EDUCATION FUNDING

  Supported a school finance bill that offered $1.5 billion in additional public school funding. Voted for HB 21, which would have increased the basic and bilingual allotments, added a new allotment for students with dyslexia, and funded hardship grants for certain districts losing money due to the expiration of ASATR (Additional State Aid for Tax Reduction). ATPE supported this bill.

  House Bill 21 by Rep. Dan Huberty (R-Kingwood), 85th Legislature, Regular Session. The House voted to approve the bill on third reading on April 20, 2017. (Record vote #328. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.) This bill did not ultimately pass during the regular session.

• (Historical) House Vote #3 - 2017: EDUCATION FUNDING

  Supported additional education funding. Voted for a bill to revise the state's school finance system, add $1.8 billion in new funding for public education, and use the state's rainy day fund to shore up the education budget. ATPE supported the bill.

  House Bill 21 by Rep. Dan Huberty (R-Kingwood), 85th Legislature, Special Session. The House voted to approve its version of a school finance bill on third reading on Aug. 7, 2017. (Record vote #72. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.) The Legislature ultimately passed a watered-down Senate version of the bill.

• (Historical) House Vote #4 - 2017: STUDENT TESTING

  Supported relief from high-stakes testing. Voted for an ATPE-supported bill to extend the Individual Graduation Committees (IGC) law to help qualified high school students graduate in spite of failing a required STAAR test.

  Senate Bill 463 by Sen. Kel Seliger (R-Amarillo), 85th Legislature, Regular Session. The House voted to approve the bill on third reading and final passage on May 23, 2017. (Record vote #1606. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.)

• (Historical) House Vote #5 - 2017: RETIREMENT BENEFITS

  Was absent during the vote on a bill that restructured TRS-Care, the health insurance program for retired teachers. The bill prevented the TRS-Care program from running out of money in 2017 and leaving retired educators without health coverage. ATPE supported the bill.

  House Bill 3976 by Rep. Trent Ashby (R-Lufkin), 85th Legislature, Regular Session. The House voted in favor of a motion to concur with Senate amendments, which enabled final passage of the bill, on May 24, 2017. (Record Vote #1770. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.)

• (Historical) House Vote #6 - 2017: PAYROLL DEDUCTION

  Was absent for the vote on a payroll deduction-related amendment that ATPE opposed. The amendment, which failed to pass, called for a state school finance commission to study whether educators should continue to have access to payroll deduction for their voluntary association dues. In remarks entered into the official House journal after the vote, the legislator indicated that he would have voted for the amendment.

  Floor amendment #20 by Rep. Bill Zedler (R-Arlington) to Senate Bill 16 by Sen. Larry Taylor (R-Friendswood), 85th Legislature, Special Session. The House voted against the amendment on Aug. 14, 2017. The amendment failed to pass. (Record vote #167. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.)

• (Historical) House Vote #7 - 2017: PRIVATE SCHOOL VOUCHERS

  Supported vouchers. Voted against an amendment that would prevent the state budget bill from being used to fund or support any form of private school voucher. ATPE supported this amendment.

  Floor amendment #8 by Rep. Abel Herrero (D-Corpus Christi) to Senate Bill 1 by Sen. Jane Nelson (R-Flower Mound), 85th Legislature, Regular Session. The House adopted the amendment on April 6, 2017. (Record vote #165. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.)

• (Historical) House Vote #8 - 2017: PRIVATE SCHOOL VOUCHERS

  Supported vouchers. Voted against a budget amendment to clarify that no public funds should be used to pay for or support any type of private school voucher. ATPE requested the amendment.

  Floor amendment #9 by Rep. Gary VanDeaver (R-New Boston) to Senate Bill 1 by Sen. Jane Nelson (R-Flower Mound), 85th Legislature, Regular Session. The House adopted the amendment on April 6, 2017. (Record vote #163. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.)

• (Historical) House Vote #9 - 2017: PRIVATE SCHOOL VOUCHERS

  Opposed vouchers. Opposed a budget amendment that would allow for the possibility of state-funded private school vouchers for certain students. Voted for a motion to table (kill) the amendment. ATPE opposed the amendment and backed the motion to table it.

  Motion by Rep. Abel Herrero (D-Corpus Christi) to table floor amendment #10 by Rep. Briscoe Cain (R-Deer Park) to Senate Bill 1 by Sen. Jane Nelson (R-Flower Mound), 85th Legislature, Regular Session. Cain tried to amend the budget bill in order to allow for the possibility of state-funded vouchers for low-income students. ATPE opposed the Cain amendment and supported Herrero's motion to table (kill) the amendment. The House voted to table Cain's amendment #10 on April 6, 2017. (Record vote #164. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.)

• (Historical) House Vote #10 - 2017: PRIVATE SCHOOL VOUCHERS

  Supported vouchers. Voted against a motion aimed at keeping private school voucher language out of a school finance bill. ATPE supported the motion.

  House Bill 21 by Rep. Dan Huberty (R-Kingwood), 85th Legislature, Regular Session. A conference committee was appointed to try to negotiate a compromise between House and Senate versions of a school finance bill. This vote on May 24, 2017, was on an ATPE-supported motion by Rep. John Zerwas (R-Fulshear) to instruct members of that conference committee to reject any language in the bill that would allow private school vouchers. (Record vote #1712. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.)

• (Historical) House Vote #11 - 2017: PRIVATE SCHOOL VOUCHERS

  Supported vouchers. Voted for a motion that would have preserved the possibility of state-funded private school vouchers for students with special needs. ATPE opposed the motion.

  House Bill 21 by Rep. Dan Huberty (R-Kingwood), 85th Legislature, Regular Session. A conference committee was appointed to try to negotiate a compromise between House and Senate versions of a school finance bill. This vote on May 24, 2017, was on a motion by Rep. Ron Simmons (R-Carrollton) to instruct members of that conference committee to favor language in the bill that would allow private school vouchers for students with special needs. ATPE opposed the motion to instruct, which failed to pass. (Record vote #1713. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.)

• (Historical) House Vote #12 - 2017: EDUCATOR QUALITY

  Opposed measures to improve educator quality. Voted against a bill to establish a mentoring program for inexperienced teachers and state funding for mentor stipends, scheduled release time, and training. ATPE supported the bill, which later died in the Senate.

  House Bill 816 by Rep. Diego Bernal (D-San Antonio), 85th Legislature, Regular Session. The House approved the bill on third reading on May 11, 2017. (Record vote #1162. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.) The bill ultimately did not pass the Senate.

• (Historical) House Vote #13 - 2017: EDUCATOR QUALITY

  Supported measures to improve educator quality. Voted for a bill that would prohibit school districts from assigning elementary school students in core subject classes to inexperienced or uncertified teachers for two consecutive years. ATPE supported the bill.

  House Bill 972 by Rep. Helen Giddings (D-Dallas), 85th Legislature, Regular Session. The House approved the bill on third reading on May 6, 2017. (Record vote #954. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.) The bill later died in the Senate.

• (Historical) House Vote #14 - 2017: SCHOOL SAFETY

  Supported "David's Law." Voted for a bill to prevent and address the problem of cyberbullying in schools. ATPE supported the bill.

  Senate Bill 179 by Sen. Jose Menendez (D-San Antonio), 85th Legislature, Regular Session. The House voted to adopt the conference committee report and finally pass the bill on May 27, 2017. (Record vote #1938. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.)

• (Historical) House Vote #1 - 2015: TESTING & CURRICULUM

  Voted for a bill to reduce the time spent on state-mandated testing in grades three through eight, shorten the time required for students to complete state tests, and conduct a state study of testing and curriculum standards that are included on the tests. ATPE supported the bill, which passed and was signed into law.

  House Bill 743 by Rep. Dan Huberty (R-Humble), 84th Legislature, Regular Session. The House voted to approve the bill on third reading on May 4, 2015. (View an official record of the vote in the House journal.)

• (Historical) House Vote #2 - 2015: TESTING & GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

  Voted for a bill to give some high school students who've failed certain STAAR tests a pathway to graduate. The bill allows individual graduation committees to decide, based on the student's academic record and other measures, if the student is college- and career-ready. ATPE supported the bill, which passed and was signed into law.

  Senate Bill 149 by Sen. Kel Seliger (R-Amarillo), sponsored in the House by Rep. Dan Huberty (R-Humble), 84th Legislature, Regular Session. The House amended and then voted to approve the bill on third reading on April 22, 2015. (View an official record of the vote in the House journal.)

• (Historical) House Vote #3 - 2015: SUICIDE PREVENTION

  Voted for a bill to address the epidemic of youth suicide by making available additional training for educators in spotting and responding to the warning signs of suicide. ATPE requested and supported the bill, which passed and was signed into law.

  House Bill 2186 by Rep. Byron Cook (R-Corsicana), 84th Legislature, Regular Session. The House voted to approve the bill on third reading on May 7, 2015. (View an official record of the vote in the House journal.)

• (Historical) House Vote #4 - 2015: PRE-KINDERGARTEN

  Voted for a bill to increase state funding for pre-kindergarten programs that implement certain quality control measures. ATPE supported the bill, which passed and was signed into law.

  House Bill 4 by Rep. Dan Huberty (R-Humble), 84th Legislature, Regular Session. The House voted to approve a committee substitute version of the bill on third reading on April 9, 2015. (View an official record of the vote in the House journal.)

• (Historical) House Vote #5 - 2015: PRE-KINDERGARTEN & CLASS SIZES

  Opposed an amendment to a pre-kindergarten bill that would have limited class sizes to no more than 18 students per educator. (Voted for a motion to table the amendment.) ATPE supported the amendment, which was tabled and did not get added to the bill.

  Motion to Table House Floor Amendment #12 to House Bill 4 by Rep. Dan Huberty (R-Humble), 84th Legislature, Regular Session. Rep. Mary Gonzalez (D-Clint) proposed the amendment to require an 18:1 class-size limit in pre-kindergarten classes, but Rep. Huberty moved to table (kill) the amendment. The House voted to table the Gonzalez amendment on April 8, 2015, via Record Vote #175. (View an official record of the vote in the House journal.)

• (Historical) House Vote #1 - 2013: EDUCATION FUNDING

  Voted against a budget bill providing increased funding for public education and a partial restoration of the education budget cuts made in 2011.

  Senate Bill 1 by Sen. Tommy Williams (R-The Woodlands), 83rd Legislature, Regular Session. A conference committee was appointed to resolve differences between House and Senate versions of this primary budget bill. On a motion by Rep. John Pitts (R-Waxahachie), the House voted to adopt the conference committee report May 26, 2013 (record vote 1336).

• (Historical) House Vote #2 - 2013: PRIVATE SCHOOL VOUCHERS

  Voted against an amendment to prohibit public education funds from being spent on private school vouchers.

  During the House floor debate on the budget (Senate Bill 1), Rep. Abel Herrero (D-Corpus Christi) offered Amendment #95 to prohibit the use of funds in the public education budget for private school vouchers. The House voted to adopt the Herrero amendment April 4, 2013 (record vote 169).

• (Historical) House Vote #3 - 2013: RETIREMENT BENEFITS

  Voted for a bill to shore up the Teacher Retirement System (TRS) and provide most retirees with a benefit increase.

  Senate Bill 1458 by Sen. Robert Duncan (R-Lubbock), 83rd Legislature, Regular Session. The House voted to approve the bill on third reading May 20, 2013 (record vote 949).

• (Historical) House Vote #4 - 2013: EDUCATOR QUALITY

  Voted for a teacher quality bill to raise the standards for entering the education profession; require districts to provide appraisal results to teachers in a timely manner and consider multiple years' appraisal results in making personnel decisions; and require the state to conduct a survey of teacher working conditions and salaries.

  House Bill 2012 by Rep. Mike Villarreal (D-San Antonio), 83rd Legislature, Regular Session. A conference committee was appointed to resolve differences between House and Senate versions of this bill. On a motion by Rep. Villarreal, the House voted to adopt the conference committee report May 26, 2013 (record vote 1318).

• (Historical) House Vote #5 - 2013: EDUCATOR QUALITY

  Voted against creating the Texas Teacher Residency Program, a high-quality university program through which new teachers would receive stipends and employment at a school district or charter school while earning a master's degree.

  House Bill 1752 by Rep. Diane Patrick (R-Arlington), 83rd Legislature, Regular Session. After the Senate made changes to the House version of the bill, the House voted on a motion by Rep. Patrick to concur in (accept) the Senate amendments to the bill May 21, 2013 (record vote 1031).

• (Historical) House Vote #6 - 2013: PRIVATIZATION & SCHOOL ACCOUNTABILITY

  Opposed an amendment to the Achievement School District bill to require ASD schools to be subject to laws pertaining to teacher rights and benefits, discipline and class-size limits. (Voted for the motion to table the amendment.)

  Senate Bill 1718 by Sen. Royce West (D-Dallas), 83rd Legislature, Regular Session. During the House floor debate on this bill that called for creating an "Achievement School District" for certain low-performing schools, Rep. Chris Turner (D-Arlington) offered Amendment #2 to require ASD schools to remain subject to laws pertaining to teacher rights and benefits, discipline and class-size limits. On a motion by Rep. Harold Dutton (D-Houston), the House voted to table (kill) the Turner amendment May 21, 2013 (record vote 1044).

• (Historical) House Vote #7 - 2013: SCHOOL ACCOUNTABILITY & CLASS SIZES

  Opposed an amendment to impose a maximum 15:1 student-to-certified teacher average ratio within the proposed Achievement School District for certain low-performing schools. (Voted to table the amendment.)

  Senate Bill 1718 by Sen. Royce West (D-Dallas), 83rd Legislature, Regular Session. During the House floor debate on this bill that called for creating an "Achievement School District" for certain low-performing schools, Rep. Diane Patrick (R-Arlington) offered Amendment #7 to require ASD schools to assign no more than 15 students on average to each certified teacher. On a motion by Rep. Harold Dutton (D-Houston), the House voted to table (kill) the Patrick amendment May 21, 2013 (record vote 1046).

• (Historical) House Vote #8 - 2013: SCHOOL COUNSELORS

  Voted against a bill to require schools to notify the public if a full-time school counselor is not assigned to the campus.

  Senate Bill 401 by Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr. (D-Brownsville), 83rd Legislature, Regular Session. A conference committee was appointed to resolve differences between House and Senate versions of this bill requiring public notice when a full-time school counselor is not assigned to a public school campus. Rep. Alma Allen (D-Houston) moved adoption of the conference committee report. The bill died in the House when the motion to adopt the conference committee report failed May 26, 2013 (record vote 1372).

• (Historical) House Vote #9 - 2013: CHARTER SCHOOLS

  Voted against an amendment that would have delayed the expansion of charter schools.

  Senate Bill 2 by Sen. Dan Patrick (R-Houston), 83rd Legislature, Regular Session. During the House floor debate on this omnibus charter legislation, Rep. Sylvester Turner (D-Houston) offered Amendment #3 to delay the bill's considerable expansion of charter schools in Texas. The Turner amendment failed to pass May 17, 2013 (record vote 876).

Candidate Survey Responses

Did not respond to the 2024, 2022, 2020, 2018, 2016 or 2014 ATPE Candidate Survey.

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