Pearland Republican Jeff Barry has long been skeptical of school vouchers, but on Thursday morning he voted to create what could become the largest voucher program in the nation. Barry, a freshman House lawmaker,

Anti-voucher Republicans said they voted for the bill so they could fight to improve it, and also to fend off political retribution.

The legislation approved $10,000 annual funding for Texas families to allocate toward private education while homeschoolers could access up to $2,000.