East Texas State Representative Cody Harris ended a town hall meeting in Palestine, Texas, one hour early on Friday night after heated exchanges with the audience.
The event, held at Palestine High School, was intended to discuss Harris’s education policy initiatives in Austin. He was joined by Representative Brad Buckley of Salado, the author of the school choice bill, House Bill 3. The meeting, set to last two hours, was cut short as tensions rose, as reported by KETK.
Protesters against school choice gathered outside, and audience members frequently interrupted the discussion with loud comments and questions. Harris issued a warning to maintain respect, but the disruptions continued. Many attendees had already left when Harris decided to walk off the stage.
The town hall was organized to explain several education-related bills. House Bill 2 proposes over $7.6 billion in public education investments, including teacher pay raises. House Bill 4 seeks to eliminate the STAAR test, while House Bill 6 aims to expand disciplinary measures to improve classroom environments and retain educators.
Some attendees expressed frustration that Harris did not directly address concerns. Grace Mancilla, principal of A. M. Story Intermediate School, criticized the decision to have Rep. Buckley, who does not represent the area, respond to many questions.
Parents like Lauren Jones voiced concerns that diverting funds to school choice programs could harm public schools. “Teachers deserve higher pay and more funding. I want my taxes to support better education for my daughter, not benefit the wealthy,” Jones told KETK.
Following the event, Harris defended his decision to end the meeting early in a Facebook statement, describing the disruptions as a “Palestinian-style protest” that prevented productive dialogue.
Despite Gov. Greg Abbott’s celebration of gaining majority support for school vouchers in the Texas House, the fight is far from over. Critics, including Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, have vowed to challenge the measure, warning it could divert funds from public schools. Lawmakers are still negotiating key differences between the House and Senate proposals, signaling that the path to final approval remains uncertain.
The House plan would prioritize low-income families and students with disabilities, offering ESAs valued at 85% of the average amount public schools receive per student. The Senate’s version, Senate Bill 2, would offer a flat $10,000 per student, with additional funds for special education students.
Buckley emphasized that the House’s funding model is designed to address concerns about diverting money from public schools. “It was important to have that connection—we never wanted ESAs to receive more funding than public schools,” Buckley told The Texas Tribune.
