Despite Surplus, House and Senate Offer Lean Budgets

by Aman Batheja
January 14, 2013
13 Comments

Republican leaders in both chambers of the Legislature on Monday offered spare first drafts of the state’s next two-year budget that continue $5.4 billion in cuts to public education made last session and freeze funding for an embattled state agency set up to find a cure for cancer.

Upending recent tradition, the Texas Senate is starting off with the leaner budget this session, one that’s about $1 billion smaller than the House budget but spends nearly the same amount in general revenue, the portion of the budget that lawmakers have the most control over. General revenue typically ...

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Comments (13)

January 14 @ 6:23 p.m.

Jim Batchelor via Texas Tribune on Facebook

As they should. PUt money up for bad times
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January 14 @ 6:29 p.m.

Luisa Inez Newton via Texas Tribune on Facebook

put money up for the pollution from fracking in the Carrizo Aquifer....
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January 14 @ 6:32 p.m.

Pun Nio via Texas Tribune on Facebook

shameful, hoarding taxpayers money while education goes down the drain in Texas
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January 14 @ 6:50 p.m.

Mac Mcclure via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Please explain how education is going down the drain? As soon as they put the money in the classroom rather than administration I will be happy and you will have plenty of money left over.
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January 14 @ 6:55 p.m.

Arthur M. Thomas IV via Texas Tribune on Facebook

They want to take their time funneling money to their self interests.
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January 14 @ 6:57 p.m.

Merryl Redding via Texas Tribune on Facebook

GOOD! The EPA is going to shut down oil production as soon as they can! don't spend anticipated income!
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January 14 @ 8:19 p.m.

Justin Coons via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Until unemployment drops back below 5%, I'd still classify this as "bad times."
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January 14 @ 8:31 p.m.

Travis Niemeyer via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Mac, do you have facts to support that the money is going to administration or just repeating Republican talking points? The fact is that much of the cuts have come at the expense of teachers (reduced healthcare contributions, layoffs, pay freezes, larger classrooms, etc). There is also less money for supplies, ancillary materials, etc. that go to the classrooms. The Republicans approach is shameful but hardly surprising.
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January 14 @ 11:37 p.m.

Bill Eaves via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Cut the spending
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January 15 @ 6:05 a.m.

hans5162@ix.netcom.com hans

Release the hounds!
January 15 @ 8:47 a.m.

Sidney Lambert III via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Study the T E A union from outset to present and see if you might agree cutting superintendents salaries back closer to $100thousand per year would put more funding to the students benefit. Do your homework.
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January 16 @ 3:20 p.m.

Jim Baxa

Spending way too much! Anybody with a brain could go through their budgets and find a couple of billion dollars to cut that nobody would feel the effect from. There is a lot more that could be cut after that with a little hard work.
January 16 @ 4:54 p.m.

gypsy314 ne

The rain day fund should not be touch and added to. Texans will have to cover there own short comings. I do not think the fires were every covered by fema. Unlike Washington over spend and never a balance budget. I'M happy to see Texas leaders can not over spend just because it is there.