Thread by @webbnat13

Here’s the testimony I didn’t get to give despite waiting 9 hours at the #texascapitol:

I’m Rev. Natalie Webb, pastor of University Baptist Church, Austin. I represent the 6,000+ faith leaders of @pastors4txkids who are AGAINST SB8 (and all other vouched/ESA bills). (1/10)

I trust that you all want what is best for TX kids, ALL TX kids. But the reality is that SB8 leaves most of our TX kids high and dry by diverting funds away from their education, to subsidize the education of a small group of privileged students. (2/10)

SB8 promotes “school choice” for only SOME parents, at the expense of MOST Texas children. 
Kids in rural school districts (like Denver City ISD, where I grew up) who don’t have access to private options, will pay the price. (3/10)

Kids with disabilities, whose federal protections are not available in private schools, will pay the price. Kids in urban areas whose parents can’t afford private school tuition that exceeds the amount provided by a voucher, will pay the price. (4/10)

Kids in the suburbs, whose working parents can’t provide transportation to a private school, will pay the price. All of those children – whose classes will get even larger and whose school resources will get even smaller – are beloved children of God. (5/10)

They have the God-given right to a quality, free, public education, and SB8 would leave them behind. In my faith, we follow Jesus of Nazareth, who had quite a lot to say about people in power leaving the vulnerable behind. (6/10)

SB8 would create a system that does real harm to the majority of Texas Children. It would also threaten the religious liberty of both private citizens AND the religious liberty of private religious schools (7/10)

Government should NOT be in the business of funding doctrinal teaching (whether Christian or Buddhist or Wiccan or etc), and private schools accept government funding at the risk of their distinctiveness and values. (8/10)

Instead of creating more “choice”, vouchers create LESS by turning private religious schools into watered down, unaccountable arms of the state, and by taking funding away from our already under-funded public schools. (9/10)

This legislations tramples on religious liberty, and on the vast majority of our Texas children, families, and communities, any way you slice it. Thank you. (10/10) #sb8 #txed