The ceremony marked a major moment for Gov. Greg Abbott, who threw his full political weight and millions of campaign dollars into a push for school choice.

Gov. Greg Abbott is set to sign the controversial school choice bill into law, allowing for taxpayer money to be used to help qualifying students pay for private school tuition. Texas lawmakers passed the legislation on April 24 with a vote of 19-12.

The controversial legislation creates Education Savings Accounts, which will allow Texas parents to use public funds toward private education costs.