Governor Greg Abbott is prioritizing his legislative push for "parental empowerment" in school choice. Speaking Wednesday in Austin at the start of a three-day event by the conservative Texas Public Policy Foundation, Abbott emphasized his stance of allowing parents to decide where their children go to school. Republican lawmakers have long proposed the use of public school funds to subsidize private school tuition costs. The GOP has also criticized pandemic-related school closures, certain library books, and critical race theory.