The Senate could vote on the proposal as soon as next week. Democrats on Tuesday criticized the bill saying it fails to prioritize the state’s neediest children.

The school voucher debate officially started today in the Texas Senate. The new proposal would set aside a billion dollars for so-called “education savings accounts,” essentially an incentive to pull kids from public school and put them in private school.

The Senate education committee will hear public testimony on Senate Bill 2, which would establish education savings accounts.