Daily Dispatch 3/12/25: Heated Debate Over Vouchers At The Capitol, and More

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:Discussion of HB3, the Texas House GOP's attempt to establish a billion-dollar private school voucher program was heated, and hundreds signed up for a long day of testimony: https://www.kut.org/2025-03-11/texas-house-republicans-get-an-earful-from-the-opposition-on-proposed-school-voucher-program...Texas citizens called for this money to instead be invested directly in public schools, and reminded lawmakers of the segregationist origins of the private school voucher concept: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/11/texas-house-school-voucher-bill/...Athletics programs at public schools would take as much damage as other departments - threatening a central pillar of community in small Texas towns, and increasing already-existing performance disparity between richer and poorer districts: https://news4sanantonio.com/news/local/texas-high-school-athletics-could-face-difficulties-amid-ongoing-school-voucher-debate-school-administrators-brennan-bearsIn what could be seen as a major loyalty test, Republican Senator John Cornyn and Austin Rep. Michael McCaul are countering Donald Trump's latest whim - he want to get rid of the CHIPS Act, which has resulted in billions worth of semiconductor manufacturing investment in Texas: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/12/texas-congress-cornyn-mccaul-trump-chips-act/Do you rent your home? Chances are, you do - and HB-32, being billed as an "anti-squatting" measure, would actually make it much easier for your landlord to evict you: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/squatters-renters-bill-20213405.phpWomen's History Month, being observed throughout March across Texas, serves both as a celebration of the history of breakthroughs for women, and a reminder that Texas is the worst state for them: ⁠⁠https://progresstexas.org/blog/celebrating-women%E2%80%99s-history-month-worst-state-women⁠⁠San Antonio listeners! Progress Texas will visit the Alamo City for the first time in far too long on May 6! Please join us for a fun fundraising gathering of progressives and a LIVE podcast taping. RSVP here: ⁠⁠⁠https://act.progresstexas.org/a/sanantonio_mixer⁠⁠⁠The merch to match your progressive values awaits at our web store! Goodies at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://store.progresstexas.org/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.We're loving the troll-free environment at BlueSky! Follow us there at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://bsky.app/profile/progresstexas.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Thanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://progresstexas.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.