Grayson Times

Rep. Reginald Smith received a $33,375.00 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.

Smith received his B.S. in Political Science from Austin College in Sherman, Texas and was a member of the Pi Gamma Mu Honor Society. In 1994 he earned his law degree from South Texas College of Law in Houston and was admitted to the State Bar of Texas

Which representatives received funding from the Charles Butt Public Education PAC?

Representative	Amount received
Steve Allison	$340,608.82
Ernest Bailes	$299,301.15
Gary VanDeaver	$245,608.82
John Kuempel	$138,208.82
Gregory Bell	$70,608.82
Jay Dean	$55,608.82
Justin Holland	$50,000.00
Reginald Smith	$33,375.00
DeWayne Burns	$31,750.00
Stan Lambert	$20,000.00
Jeffrey Barry	$25,000.00