While it seems that Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, is never out of Chronic, it’s rare that high school sports get into the Legislature. However, this morning the two crossed, with the hearing in the Senate Education Committee of Senate Bill 1943, which would open up the University Interscholastic League to private schools around the state – private schools that have their own league, Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools, which public schools cannot enter. This is in spite of opposition from the UIL over the fact that the private schools wouldn’t necessarily have the “no pass, no play” rule. The committee even heard that it’s not uncommon for major-league teams to bring in international ringers through private schools.
But this isn’t about ringers. This is a civil rights issue, by golly. After he said that it was unfair that parents of private-school kids had to pay taxes but didn’t get to use the service, the Houston GOPer said this was just like the bad old days of racial segregation. Patrick even compared the plight of players at private schools to the story of the 1966 color-ban-busting Texas Western Miners, as portrayed in the movie Glory Road.
Yes, you read that right.
This article appears in April 20 • 2007.
