Day 37: The Texas Senate’s War On Teachers, Justice, And Common Sense

How Dan Patrick and Senate Republicans are undermining public education and due process.

Yesterday, the Texas Legislature took another step toward reshaping public education, not necessarily for the better. SB26, a sweeping education bill championed by Conservative lawmakers, passed with promises of boosting teacher pay and improving student outcomes. But beneath the surface, the bill reads more like a Trojan horse for privatization, union busting, and a long-term erosion of public education as we know it.

SB26 shifts teacher compensation from across-the-board salary increases and implements a performance-based pay system. On paper, rewarding high-performing teachers sounds excellent. In reality, this model has been used to justify pay disparities, foster favoritism, and force teachers into a test-score rat race rather than focusing on student development.

Merit and meritocracy are words we hear Conservatives use all too much. They frame these ideas as the backbone of fairness, insisting that success comes purely from hard work and ability. But in practice, “meritocracy” is often just a smokescreen for maintaining existing racial hierarchies. It ignores the systemic barriers that keep marginalized communities from accessing the same opportunities as their wealthier, white counterparts. In education, employment, and economic mobility, so-called “merit-based” systems reward those who already have advantages through generational wealth, access to elite schools, or the benefit of implicit biases in hiring and promotions.

When conservatives push for “merit” in policies like education funding or hiring practices, they advocate for policies that protect privilege rather than create equity. In reality, meritocracy doesn’t level the playing field. It rigs the game in favor of those already winning.

Brandon Creighton (R-SB04) used the words “merit” and “meritocracy” yesterday to describe SB26, which was a major red flag 🚩. This bill prohibits school districts from implementing general salary increases for instructional staff, except for inflation adjustments. Instead, funding is funneled into selective incentives that only some teachers will qualify for.

SB26’s move to contract a third party to provide legal assistance and liability insurance for teachers is particularly insidious.

This might sound like a win, but here’s the catch: this state-controlled insurance provider would replace a key service teachers’ unions offer, weakening their role in advocating for educators’ rights. It’s union-busting in disguise.

The bill also explicitly bans these contracted entities from engaging in political advocacy. Thus, teachers seeking to oppose harmful education policies will have one less resource. This is a classic conservative strategy: chip away at organized labor under the pretense of “helping” workers.

SB 26 isn’t about helping teachers. It’s about undermining unions, expanding state control over local schools, and pushing a corporate-style pay system that benefits wealthier districts while punishing the most vulnerable. Instead of investing in systemic reforms like universal Pre-K and across-the-board salary increases, the Texas Republicans have chosen to deepen inequities and destabilize an already struggling profession.

If the GOP were serious about education, they’d invest in all teachers, not just a select few. So, when Republicans announce that they’re pushing bills to raise teacher pay, just know that it’s total bullshit.

On top of this bill, which the Senate will claim is “teacher pay raises,” during yesterday’s hearing, Senator Bettencourt (R-SD07) continued his Trump impressions throughout. Weirdly, he does this in every hearing now.

The new narrative Senate Republicans are using this year.

When the Senate passed SB2 a few weeks ago, Senator Creighton, in his closing argument, said along the lines, “This bill is good and will help families, and if you vote against it, you’re against families.”

However, SB2, like SB26, is a bad bill that does not aim to help families or improve teachers’ lives. It’s a terrible way to debate and doesn’t address legitimate concerns about the impact of these legislations. While the GOP is pushing harmful legislation that is generally bad for Texas, they are saying at the same time, “You’re bad if you don’t vote for this.”

Lt. Governor Dan Patrick used the same argument yesterday when the Senate passed a joint resolution allowing judges to deny bail under certain conditions. He also used victims to justify his stance.

The argument Dan Patrick is making is both simplistic and dangerous. By framing opposition to this bill as a disregard for victims, he shuts down any honest debate about constitutional rights, due process, and the broader implications of expanding pretrial detention.

Reactionary governing, where emotional appeals dictate policy and fear rather than careful deliberation, creates more problems than it solves.

While no one wants violent criminals to walk free, the justice system already allows judges to deny bail in extreme cases. Expanding this authority without clear safeguards opens the door to pretrial incarceration for people who haven’t been convicted of anything. It’s an easy way for politicians like Patrick to claim they’re being “tough on crime” while ignoring the realities of an overcrowded, underfunded jail system.

Governance by fear and spectacle, rather than addressing the root causes of crime, doesn’t make Texans safer. It just makes it easier for the state to strip away constitutional protections under the guise of public safety.

The Senate was batting 1,000 yesterday and then honored famed bigot Riley Gaines.

Riley Gaines has been a favorite on the right-wing political circuit over the last few years because of her anti-trans bigotry. Gaines became prominent after she tied Lia Thomas, the transgender swimmer from Penn, for fifth place in the 2022 NCAA championships.

Since then, she’s been one of the loudest voices in the world complaining about trans athletes and female athletes she believes are men.

She’s a bigot, plain and simple. Yet, yesterday, Senate Republicans honored her, calling her a “hero” and saying she was “saving women’s sports.”

It’s enough to make you want to vomit.

The House was mostly quiet yesterday.

There weren’t any committees, and although the chamber gave up shortly after, nothing major happened.

Tony Tinderholt (R-HD94) asked Speaker Burrows about passing a resolution to circumvent the Texas Constitution and hear legislation before the 60-day waiting period (March 14). However, his resolution has not been passed.

It’s all performative. Tinderholt, who is close allies with Brian Harrison and also funded by Tim Dunn, doesn’t want to move on legislation quicker. They just want more camera time.

Yesterday was a perfect snapshot of what Republican governance in Texas has become. Cruel, reactionary, and entirely performative.

They push harmful legislation under the guise of “helping families” while actively making life harder for teachers, students, and working Texans. They use emotional appeals to strip away constitutional rights, all while honoring right-wing culture warriors to keep their base riled up.

SB26 isn’t about raising teacher pay. It’s about union-busting and corporate control of education. The bail amendment isn’t about protecting victims. It’s about expanding pretrial incarceration without due process. And honoring Riley Gaines has nothing to do with women’s sports. It’s about appeasing the far-right’s obsession with attacking trans people.

Texas Republicans aren’t governing. They’re putting on a show, and the people paying the price are the ones who can’t afford to play along.

• March 14: The last day Legislators can file bills.

• June 2: The 89th Legislative Session ends.

• Click here to find out what Legislative districts you’re in.

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