DALLAS — Attorney General Ken Paxton and his supporters promised political retribution against those Republicans who voted to impeach him.
And he’s followed through, endorsing primary opponents against many, including state Representative Jeff Leach, R-Allen, one of the leaders of the House impeachment effort.
But Rep. Leach is unfazed, and says bring it on.
“If my primary opponent and other primary opponents across the state want to shroud themselves and cloak themselves in the support of someone who I believe is not only corrupt, but is a sophisticated criminal, then by all means, they can have that,” the Republican told us on Inside Texas Politics. “I’m very proud of my record. I’m proud of the record of the House under Speaker Phelan.”
Voters won’t head to the polls for the Republican primary until next March.
In the meantime, Rep. Leach says his focus remains on the third special session, where Republicans in the Texas House continue to try to pass school voucher legislation.
They’ve introduced HB 1, which offers a limited voucher program in exchange for more school funding.
HB 1 would provide parents with 75% of the average amount each school receives per student, which under this bill would increase by a miniscule amount to $6,190.
The voucher payment to parents could also increase each year because of other school funding sources.
And in the first year of the program, only 25,000 Texas students would be eligible. That number would increase by 25,000 every year until 2027, when that cap goes away.
HB 1 would also provide educators a one-time $4,000 bonus.
Under the Texas Senate’s voucher legislation, SB 1, parents would receive up to $8,000 in taxpayer money to send their children to private schools. And it’s open to most Texas students.
In the lower chamber, though, Democrats and a group of rural Republicans have successfully blocked school vouchers for years, including the regular session that kicked off 2023.
And it remains unclear whether HB 1 could even pass since the Governor’s call for a special session didn’t include school funding or teacher raises, only addressing school vouchers. The Texas Constitution says lawmakers can only pass bills that are on a special session agenda.
So, Rep. Leach is hoping the Governor will expand the call.
At a minimum, the Collin County lawmaker says Texans deserve a public debate and a public vote
“This should not be killed behind closed doors like it has been in past sessions, in past years, for decades. Why don’t we have this debate publicly, in committee and on the floor of the Texas House and have a public vote on it,” he asked.
Representative Leach also discussed a bill he co-authored in the House, HB 7, that prohibits private employers from adopting and enforcing COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
The Senate passed its version of the same legislation, SB 7, which now awaits action in the lower chamber.
“This bill is not about what vaccines are good or bad, who should get which vaccines, including the COVID vaccine. This debate is about who should decide. And I believe that that’s a very personal medical decision that should be made in consultation with someone’s doctor,” said Rep. Leach.