Posted on 05/29/2005 2:08:22 PM PDT by Cat loving Texan
$139 billion spending plan headed to governor
05/29/2005
By BRANDI GRISSOM / Associated Press
A $139 billion two-year budget plan is on its way to Republican Gov. Rick Perry's desk after the House passed it Sunday.
With a vote of 104-40, lawmakers approved a proposal that would increase state spending by about 10 percent. The Senate approved the same plan Saturday with a vote of 30-1.
Perry has the authority to veto specific items both in the budget plan and the supplemental budget plan expected to receive a vote later Sunday.
"He's going to go through the budget very carefully, and he's going to get out his red pen and make appropriate and fiscally responsible decisions on that budget," Perry spokeswoman Kathy Walt said.
Perry also could veto the budget plan, but Walt said it is too early to speculate on whether that would happen, essentially necessitating a special session. Passing a balanced budget is the only task legislators are constitutionally required to accomplish during their 140-day session that ends Monday.
House and Senate budget writers have called the spending plan a lean budget, but others worry that it does not provide enough for Texas' neediest citizens.
"It appears that we have a lot of tricks that are being done," said Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston, who voted against the budget plan.
The total budget proposal represents a 19-percent increase over the $117 billion budget approved in 2003, counting state and federal money. The plan calls for spending about $65 billion in state funds, about 10 percent more than the $59 billion in state funds in the 2003-04 budget.
"This is a balanced budget, and we tried to take needs of the state of Texas into consideration when we worked on this budget," said Rep. Jim Pitts, R-Waxahachie, chairman of the House budget-writing committee.
This legislative session budget writers had a little more wiggle room than in 2003, when lawmakers faced a $10 billion shortfall. The Texas comptroller told lawmakers this year they had a $400 million surplus. Public education makes up the largest part of the budget, accounting for nearly $37 billion, a more than 6-percent increase over the 2004-05 budget. The funding would not pay for education reforms that have been proposed throughout the legislative session.
Other bills set for debate in both the House and Senate later Sunday would provide some of the education money lawmakers have promised.
The budget compromise approved by a 10-member committee of House and Senate lawmakers includes nearly $250 million for reforms of the troubled Child Protective Services agency. It would go toward reducing caseloads for CPS workers from 75 per month to about 45.
State employees, except in higher education, would get a raise over the next two years. That takes up about $380 million in the budget. They would receive a 4-percent raise starting this September, and an additional 3-percent raise in September 2006. Department of Public Safety troopers also are slated for a raise.
Higher education spending would increase about 6 percent to almost $18 billion.
The budget also would restore some cuts made during 2003 to Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program.
Even if the governor signs off on the full budget, lawmakers aren't out of woods for a special session to take care of the state's financial needs. Later Sunday, both chambers planned to take up a supplemental budget that covers expenses not provided for in the 2004-05 budget.
That bill spends another $2.8 billion and provides for Medicaid, public education and other costs needed to keep the state afloat until the end of the fiscal period Aug. 31. The bill needs votes from 100 House members and 21 Senators.
"If we don't pass (the supplemental budget), theoretically the government might run out of money this summer," said Sen. Steve Ogden, R-Bryan, who led Senate budget-writing efforts.
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The budget is SB1.
The supplemental budget is HB10.
The two other spending bills are HB3540 and SB1863.
Either we start pouring that tea in the Perdenales river or quit complaining. We're screwed any way we vote!
11 House Republicans voted no, Harper-Brown, Hartnett, Hildebran, Hughes, B. Keffer, Kuempel, Laubenberg, Paxton, Phillips, Seaman, and Talton.
"I heard that that with the Republicans in charge of Texas it would only be second to the Second Coming."
It is the Second Coming...Second coming of the tax man. Be prepared for the 3rd coming and the 4th coming also.
Can someone please tell me who the Lone Senator was that voted against this budget??
I didn't see a recorded vote after that, but you can search around the Texas Legislature Online. website.
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