The Texas House gave final approval Thursday to an early education bill backed by Gov. Greg Abbott, sending it to the upper chamber on a vote of 128 to 17. 

House Bill 4 would reward school districts with roughly $130 million in extra funding if they implement certain improvements to their pre-kindergarten programs. The legislation — authored by Rep. Dan Huberty, R-Humble — is a priority for Abbott, who named early education an emergency item upon taking office in January.

The House passed the bill Wednesday after unsuccessful attempts by Tea Party-backed legislators to derail it. They questioned whether it would lead to an expansion of pre-K in Texas, an idea Huberty attributed to “misinformation.”

On Thursday, two members were present but did not vote on HB 4.

Patrick Svitek was the primary political correspondent for The Texas Tribune. Patrick covered elections, state leaders, the Legislature and political trends across the state from 2015 until 2024. He previously...