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The Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) has been criticized by conservatives for years, and now the Texas Republican Party is accusing the organization of operating as a government-funded monopoly.
It turns out TASB controls nearly every aspect of the education sector—from staff training to insurance sales. Texas GOP Chairman Abraham George explained: “They tell school boards, ‘Buy insurance from us.’ And all of these school boards have to buy all kinds of insurance, so they’re a huge monopoly.”
He says the party has reached out to the Attorney General’s office and is asking it to investigate. “We’re asking the Attorney General’s office to look into this and determine whether or not they are practicing monopolistic business practices—like excluding competitors and forcing people out of business,” George said.
George also pointed to TASB as a key reason taxpayer-funded lobbying remains legal in Texas. He noted that during the 89th legislative session there was a strong push to ban the practice, but “while there were some conservatives who filed bills, TASB went to all of the legislators and said, ‘Don’t you dare push us out of this business.’”