Who's got the golden ticket?

The 84th legislative session has begun.  One of the key issues being discussed is that of school vouchers.  While not a new notion, this issue has gained a lot of steam with the new Lt. Governor, Dan Patrick, long having been a supporter of school vouchers.  As the Texas Observer points out, there are some fresh faces in the new push to pass a bill to allow state funding of private education. However, the fundamental premise remains largely unchanged.  Proponents of the proposed bill claim vouchers will save money while improving the overall quality of education available to all students.  Proponents also assert that there is a lot of research supporting these claims.  The author points out that this is not entirely true and, additionally, highlights that one of the masterminds behind the research is Art Laffer (of Reaganomics fame).  While overtly biased against the legislation, the article provides insight into one of the major issues we’ll see in this legislative session.