By State Rep. Brooks Landgraf
As your state representative, I take seriously my oath to preserve, protect, and defend the constitutions of Texas and the nation. It is my sworn duty to defend your constitutional rights to free speech and to bear arms. The Texas Constitution guarantees those rights, as well as others, such as the right of Texans to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife. Our state constitution forbids a state income tax and requires the legislature to pass a balanced budget every two years. It also requires the legislature to establish, support, and maintain a system of free public schools.
Last week, the state budget for 2024 and 2025 was debated on the House floor. Our state’s budget comes in the form of a piece of legislation, House Bill 1, that is debated and amended by members in full public view. Prior to last week’s floor debate, HB 1 was passed out of the House Appropriations Committee. It must now pass out of the Senate Finance Committee before receiving consideration by the full Senate. After all of that, HB 1 will head to a conference committee of the House and Senate where the changes made by each chamber are combined into one piece of legislation that eventually goes to Governor Abbott’s desk to be signed into law.
Over 400 amendments were filed to HB 1. Many, if not most, of the amendments were filed simply to make a point, to have a conversation about an issue in full public view. Very few of these amendments make it on to the bill, and of those that do, almost none stay on the bill all the way through the process.
One particular budget amendment has garnered a great deal of attention. This amendment has been hyped up by both sides to be something more than it is. The amendment sought to prohibit the use of appropriated funds for school voucher programs. The amendment passed with 86 votes in support, and I was one of them.
I’ve voted for this same amendment in each of the last several sessions and the language has never made it into the final budget. I don’t expect it to survive this time, either.
As I’ve said, I’m serious about my job to defend the constitution. That is why I have and will continue to steadfastly uphold my constitutional oath to support Texas public school students and teachers, and why I voted for this amendment. However, I also believe in parental empowerment and my symbolic vote supporting public schools does not preclude me from seeking every available avenue to improve our system of education and protect parental rights.
School choice legislation is still being considered in the House. I will carefully consider each proposal as they come up for a vote. However, most of the school districts I represent send millions of dollars back to the state each year in the form of recapture payments. Anything that could further reduce the funding pool for these schools and others like them is simply a non-starter for me. Access to private education is not equitable across the state, and I will not stand for a system that would result in even more locally generated tax revenue leaving the energy sector to benefit big cities and their suburbs.
While any school choice proposal will have to go under the microscope, that is not the case for a bill seeking to protect or expand parental rights. I’m not only actively supporting every bill pertaining to this issue, I’m personally working on several bills myself. As a coauthor of HB 900, I’m working to keep bad books out of our public school libraries. HB 900 creates high standards that must be followed for new books to be added to a library and prohibits the purchase of sexually explicit materials.
I’ve also worked hard on HB 1155 and HB 1541, bills that prohibit public school instruction regarding sexual orientation or gender identity and expand parental rights pertaining to their public school children.
Additionally, I’m working on legislation that establishes a grievance procedure for school districts to follow regarding complaints concerning parental rights and requires schools to provide information about parental rights on their websites.
Two other bills I’m fighting for, HB 1686 and HB 1938, prohibit gender reassignment surgeries for children and protect students from sexual grooming. While I am deeply troubled and saddened that any of this legislation is needed, I am and forever will be honored to fight for the rights of parents and for the protection of children. I’m a state representative, but I’m a husband and father first. The rights of parents, like the rights protected in our state and national constitutions, are sacred. Nothing is more important to me than protecting Texas families. That means empowering parents and severely punishing those who take advantage of our youth.
Multiple times this session, I’ve been reminded of this passage from Matthew 18: “If anyone causes one of these little ones to stumble,” Jesus says, “it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.” Those are strong words from our Lord and Savior.
Strong and true. I’ve got my marching orders. I’ll keep up the good fight for Texas little ones and their parents until Jesus calls me home. Until then, my eyes are open and my ears are listening to any good idea that will make Texas families stronger.
God bless Texas!
