Rogers applauds defeat of vouchers, bemoans loss of teacher raises in reflection on 2023 sessions

Dec. 9—Texas Rep. Glenn Rogers on Thursday applauded the defeat of public school vouchers but bemoaned the loss of teacher pay raises during a regular — and four special — sessions.

The Graford Republican also told the Weatherford Democrat he plans to host town hall meetings before the next legislative session in Austin to build support for creating a three-county entity to advocate for water projects in his District 60.

"We didn't have time to do the town halls with constituents," he said of the Cross Timbers Regional Utility Authority bill he filed mid-session last spring.

Thirty-five elected and appointed bodies backed his Cross Timbers bill, uniting Parker, Palo Pinto and Stephens counties to expand their sway in Austin.

But misinformation doomed its chances of reaching the finish line. Rogers said people mistook an eminent domain authority, that was limited to pipeline rights of way, as somehow threatening their wells and other property.

Rogers and fellow rural Republicans frustrated Gov. Greg Abbott's plan to create a voucher system giving some $10,000 to parents to spend on private or home schooling.

"From the standpoint of the voucher situation, it really blows my mind how anyone, how they could consider vouchers conservative," he said. "Taking tax dollars and putting them in the public sector is not my definition of conservative."

Rogers said 88 percent of the calls, texts and emails to his office during the last 30 days opposed the governor's plan. He also said seven out of 10 students receiving vouchers in states that have them already were going to private schools.

"I support private and public school," he added. "Over 90 percent of the 5 million kids (in Texas) are in public school."

Abbott married his support for public school teacher pay raises to the voucher plan. Rogers said teacher pay raises would have happened if the two issues had been voted separately.

"But we were not afforded that opportunity," he said. "And that's the biggest disappointment of the session that we, with a $32 billion surplus, we didn't get the school teacher pay raise."

Lawmakers did get a supplemental pay for teachers and the first cost of living increase retired teachers have seen in 20 years, he said.

Rogers and his anti-voucher GOP colleagues face Abbott-endorsed primary challengers, statewide news outlets are reporting.

The governor endorsed Rogers in his first two bids for the legislature — but this time he's backing returning challenger Mike Olcott of Aledo.

"And I supported every legislative priority (Abbott's) had except for vouchers," he said, later smiling when asked if Abbott had directly engaged him on the topic. "No direct conversations with the governor."

Rogers is in lock-step with Abbott and his Operation Lone Star along the southern border. Two visits to the Rio Grande River convinced him the billions spent there were the conservative investment.

"You see it in person, it's worse than what you see on TV," Rogers said.

He's also in lock-step with those who oppose goose-stepping. After a national Nazi sympathizer met with prominent Texas GOP activist Jonathan Stickland for nearly seven hours in October in west Fort Worth, Rogers issued public statements calling for Olcott and the Parker County party to speak out against antisemitism.

He's waiting for any replies but doesn't seem to expect one.

"The really simple thing to do after this (meeting) is just to denounce anti-semitism and Jonathan Stickland's role," Rogers said.

In response to Rogers' call in mid-October, Olcott did denounce Fuentes' anti-Semitic views, telling the Weatherford Democrat, "I condemn anti-Semitism, and I condemn neo-Nazis."

The owner of a working ranch, Rogers has kept his eye on a horizon where he now sees wind turbines. As vice chairman of the House Land and Resources Management Committee he filed two bills on wind power generators.

One was a light pollution bill requiring turbines to light up only when aircraft are in the area. The other created spacing to preserve scenic views from rivers and state parks.

"As a landowner, I appreciate the ranchers that want to get that extra income," he said. "On the other hand, you have have the people who don't want it for the aesthetics."

Rogers said he hopes to re-file both measures in the 2025 legislative session.