Rep. Ernest Bailes received a $299,301.15 donation from HEB grocery tycoon Charles Butt’s Education PAC after voting against school choice.
Grocery store organization HEB’s heir Charles Butt has been reported to support LGBTQ+ movements and fund “family friendly drag shows.” In 2022, Texas Scorecard reported that HEB sponsored the pride parade in downtown Austin, including a story hour with drag queens and a “family-friendly” drag show.
They also reported Butt’s foundation, the Charles Butt Public Education Political Action Committee, as giving donations to over twenty political campaigns that actively opposed school choice.
Recent donations receipts show The Charles Butt Public Education PAC as giving over $1.3 million to Texas House Republicans, specifically those who voted against school choice and are running for reelection.
Elected in 2016, State Representative Ernest Bailes represents House District 18. Bailes, a lifelong rancher and agriculturalist, was raised on his family’s dairy and beef cattle operation in East Texas. He grew up in Shepherd and earned his B.S. from Texas A&M University in 2004. He currently serves on the House Committees on Culture, Recreation & Tourism, and Energy Resources. Ernest and his wife Courtney have two sons.
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Which representatives received funding from the Charles Butt Public Education PAC?
