Since the start of the state legislative session Jan. 10, several Texas legislators have expressed support for school choice. In mid-January, state Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, filed Senate Bill 542, which would create a $100 million school choice tax credit scholarship pilot program to help alleviate educational costs so parents can choose the best academic option for their children in private and public schools. It is a companion bill to House Bill 1184, which was authored by state Rep. Dwayne Bohac, R-Houston. "Tax credit scholarships can help the neediest kids get the education they deserve in Texas," Bettencourt said. "SB 542 does exactly that, while allowing private donations to help fund both public and private school scholarships. This is true public and private school choice." State Rep. Mark Keough, R-The Woodlands, filed House Joint Resolution 62 on Jan. 26, which proposes a new state constitutional amendment to protect families who homeschool or send their children to private school from regulations associated with any state agencies or political subdivision agencies. Although HJR 62 is not directly related to school choice, Keough is in favor of school choice measures, as long as they are about honest choices and not gimmicks, he said. State Rep. Rick Miller, R-Sugar Land, agrees that parents should have the ability to make the best choice for their children when it comes to their education, he said. "The main thing, I think, that's going to be talked about this session in Austin is the Educational Savings Account being a personal fund tied to a child [and] managed by the parent," Miller said. Although several legislators are in favor of school choice, some local school districts are concerned about potential repercussions. Julie Hinaman, who leads the school choice subcommittee within Cy-Fair ISD's Community Leadership Committee, has two children in Cy-Fair schools, and she moved here specifically because of the school district. “I have friends who have kids in private school and friends that homeschool, and I completely support their choices to do that,” she said. “What I don’t support is taking taxpayer funds out of public schools.” Should vouchers be provided for students choosing to attend schools other than the public schools they are zoned to, accountability measured will need to be in place to ensure those funds make it to the designated school of choice.   Additional reporting by Emily Donaldson