HOUSTON – Texas Governor Greg Abbott spoke with KPRC 2 in a one-on-one interview Wednesday afternoon.
Among the topics he discussed with KPRC 2’s Keith Garvin included school vouchers and a bill related to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which the governor signed into law on Wednesday.
School vouchers in Texas
On school vouchers, the top question we have been hearing from KPRC 2 viewers was why the issue was not put forward in a referendum before voters. This was the governor’s response:
“So, for one, there are other states that do referendums, the State of Texas doesn’t have that as part of our legislative process, states like California, they’re governed by initiative and referendum and its total chaos out there,” Abbott said. “In Texas, we elect representatives to go listen to their constituents and to cast votes based upon their districts.”
SEE ALSO: As DOGE rips through the federal government, Texans wonder what it means for them
We asked the governor about what safeguards would be in place to make sure those who want and need the vouchers the most aren’t priced out of the process, given the history in other states. Abbott said officials have found the $10,000 exceeds the average cost of private schools across the state.
“A lot of those schools that exist are so high in price that they skew those numbers, there are a plentiful number of schools, especially there in the greater Houston area, that would be available for families to be able to choose from if they want to be able to choose different than what their child is currently attending,” Abbott said.
MORE: In private school voucher push, Gov. Abbott breaks through by playing hardball
Helping Texans recoup stolen SNAP benefits
Abbott was asked about his thoughts on a piece of federal legislation Houston area representative Al Green is slated to introduce federally Thursday which would provide federal funds to replace stolen SNAP benefits. Abbott didn’t commit to supporting the legislation, saying he hadn’t seen it yet, but he would take a look at it.
“If there are people out there stealing those benefits, that’s a crime, and that crime needs to be prosecuted and we need to eliminate the theft of those benefits,” Abbott said. “We want to ensure that the people for whom those benefits were intended actually receive those benefits.”
Texas creates its own DOGE
Gov. Abbott also spoke about Senate Bill 14, which he signed into law Wednesday. The bill will create the “Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office”. Modeled after the federal Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Abbott spoke about what the office will be doing, saying this had been in the works even before Elon Musk and DOGE began its work in the federal government.
“Texas has been ranked the number one state for doing business for 20 years in a row, that said, we always need to find ways to make it easier to do business and also easier for families, in Houston and elsewhere, to be able to live,” he said. “What this program is going to do is provide the resources and the tools and the strategies to make sure we are able to cut through the regulatory environment that drives up the cost of doing business, drives up the cost of living in a city like Houston, and will make it far easier for constituents in Houston and across the state to be able to deal with their state government.”
SEE ALSO: As DOGE rips through the federal government, Texans wonder what it means for them
Before you "PRESS START" to your day, get ahead of the game with our morning newsletter.
