Ryan Edwards

hello

[Jo @JoJoFromJerz]

Imagine posting this after voting against government funding for mental health services.

[Luke Evangelist @lukeevangelist_]

I refuse to believe that A&M’s defensive line has been held 0 times in the last 2 games

[State Rep. Eddie Morales, Jr. @moralesfortexas]

As we head back to Austin on Monday for the beginning of the 3rd Special Session, I wanted to share my Op-Ed that was published in the Alpine Avalanche on why I will be opposing vouchers. I hope you take a moment to read:

"It comes in different dressed-up names; from school choice to vouchers, let’s call it what it is: sending taxpayer dollars to fund private school tuitions. Coming up, presumably on October 9h, Governor Abbott is set to call legislators back to Austin to debate public education funding and school vouchers, with the latter being his highest priority.

Governor Abbott has been vigorously campaigning for school vouchers, but there’s a common denominator for all these rallies: rich private schools. If I had to take a guess, Governor Abbott will not come out to the expansive West Texas desert and mountains for this campaign—because he does not want to answer for the fact our families and students will be snubbed in favor of more suburban and urban areas.

Our rural schools face serious challenges already when it comes to ensuring their classrooms are funded and no student is being left behind. I cannot imagine that without a significant overhaul to funding formulas and local appraisal district accountability, there will be an overwhelming appetite for vouchers in the Texas House of Representatives. There is a bipartisan coalition against vouchers and during the 88th Legislative Session, we overwhelmingly voted against them on numerous occasions.

Governor Abbott knows this, but he is not dissuaded. He promised “universal school choice” to empower Texas parents. A good and digestible message that on face-value gets most Texans to agree, but when people find out that their tax dollars are not going into their student’s public school, but instead to fund another student’s private school tuition, they are not too thrilled about the idea—I cannot blame them.

Let’s face the facts on this. In no reality is this “universal.” I implore you to look around—for many in our district, public school is the only option. As the Representative for House District 74, I cannot, in good conscience, say that your taxpayer dollars should go across the state to fund these private school tuitions.

Instead, I am committed, alongside our school districts, to ensuring our public schools are funded with no shortfall, our teachers are paid a wage that incentivizes them to stay in the profession they love, and promote having the younger generations take the helm at the whiteboard.

If I had to take an educated guess as to the legislative strategy Governor Abbott and the Texas Senate will take, I presume they will try to tie teacher salary increases to vouchers on an all-or-nothing deal. If that is the case, I am disappointed Texas politicians would use our public school teachers as a political pawn.

Words, however, can only go so far. I want to take a moment to layout the crux of this issue. Statewide, the average private school tuition is roughly $10,500. During the 88th Legislative Session, the prevailing voucher policy adopted by the Texas Senate would allocate roughly $8,000 per student who obtains a voucher.

First, this does not even begin to cover the full price of tuition, let alone extra costs including transportation, extracurriculars, uniforms, books, supplies, etc. Second, that is nearly $2,000 more than the current basic allotment (the state share of funding per pupil in public schools). Last year, the state share of school funding totaled only about 46%, leaving property owners to foot most of local district expenses. Without vouchers, we could easily increase the state share to at least 50% in order to provide relief to taxpayers and school districts. (1/2)

[Beto O'Rourke @BetoORourke]

Texas Republicans just acquitted Ken Paxton on all 16 articles of impeachment.

They think corruption and authoritarianism can win out in Texas. It’s on us to prove them wrong.

Do your part to fire them by signing up to register voters in your community: https://t.co/0DH2PO6cQ5

[David Hogg 🟧 @davidhogg111]

There really is a tweet for everything.

[Scott Braddock @scottbraddock]

Paxton aquitted: Easy to understand. @DanPatrick took $3 million from Paxton supporters then aggressivly put his thumb on the scale. He protected Paxton & his mistress from testifying, pressured the jury for a quick verdict by threatning them with sequestering them in the Capitol

[Mason Mennenga @masonmennenga]

christian pastors will be like “i’m too conservative for liberals and too liberal for conservatives” and they are just conservatives who feel bad about being conservative

[Chris D. Jackson @ChrisDJackson]

This is a video of Joe Biden and Beau Biden's son at Beau's funeral. A grandfather embracing his grandson who just lost his father.

People like this jackass are just ghouls.

[Mendi Tackett @mentack]

Texas parents don’t want this. Anti-intellectual Christian nationalists who’ve made their way into office do.

[MothersAgainstGregAbbottPAC/MothersforDemocracyPAC @MomsAGAbbott]

BIDEN DID THIS! Not Greg @POTUS @WhiteHouse

[Senate Democrats @dscc]

CNN reports that Ted Cruz is the MOST VULNERABLE Republican senator this cycle -- and we CAN flip states like Texas blue. Will you rush a donation before our midnight deadline to help elect candidates like Colin Allred (D) and send those like Ted Cruz (R) packing?

[Katie Hill @KatieHill4CA]

Honestly really depressing that the thing that made me leave Congress - nonconsensually shared intimate images - are now being openly displayed IN Congress.

The GOP is the party of revenge porn.

[Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez @AOC]

What’s actually disturbing is the feature of the Roberts Court to accept lavish gifts from billionaires, hide that fact, & then rule in their favor.

It would be an insult to democracy to respect this conduct. Legitimacy is not a birthright - it is earned. They are destroying it

[Frank Conniff @FrankConniff]

I just couldn't bring myself to support Hillary Clinton in 2016. The loss of affirmative action and reproductive rights is a small price to pay when weighed against my status as an interesting person who says cool stuff like "I can only vote my conscience."

[Jim Boyle @JimGBoyle]

Texas ranks 51st of the 50 states and DC in health care access and affordability, according to the Commonwealth Fund. Gov Abbott likes to say you are not a Texan if you don’t aspire to be No. 1. What are we when we rank last, even behind Mississippi?

https://t.co/7BGXFl6LKL

[Ryan Edwards @RyanEdwards13]

@GregAbbott_TX Greg Abbott is a JOKE. A stain on our state

[Ryan Edwards @RyanEdwards13]

@WillHurd Yah he should probably be sharing our classified documents about the situation with anyone with a tape recorder. Man you’ve gone stupid

[Elizabeth Warren @ewarren]

Today would be a great day to pass my Judicial Ethics and Anti-Corruption Act.

[Ryan Edwards @RyanEdwards13]

@defNotChuck RTIC reminds me too much of people who say “pacific” instead of “specific” so I had to find an alternative

[Ryan Edwards @RyanEdwards13]

@defNotChuck Just bought a Kong and love it so far. Cool accessories too