Liveblog: Texas Legislature Passes $15 Billion In Cuts
After final debates in the House and Senate, Texas lawmakers passed a two-year state budget on Saturday that cuts $15.2 billion from current spending — most of that in health and human services — but avoids increased taxes and leaves $6.5 billion untouched in the state's Rainy Day Fund.
The vote in the House was 97-53 and 20-11 in the Senate.
Our liveblog of the debate begins right after this description of what's in the budget approved by House and Senate negotiators. (Scroll down for updates.)
Still ahead is a Sunday vote on a critical piece of legislation ...
Comments (18)
Erin Cassity via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Dan Patrick for US Senate.
Mitchell Bosworth via Texas Tribune on Facebook
He's got my vote!
Leesa Monroe via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Wrong to leave all that money in rainy day fund when economy is thriving. Women, kids and seniors sure got screwed this session. Guess these guys will go gloat and smoke cigars or something manly like that.
Colin Strother via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Mentiroso
Mary Warren via Texas Tribune on Facebook
After reading the live-blogging notes, I'm sure Steve Ogden lives on a different planet than I do.
Janis Machado via Texas Tribune on Facebook
They should have to live under the sort of budget they have imposed on the poor and elderly. Not to mention education. Shame! Someone needs to kick these jerks out of office. Would that I had the power. I really hope this comes back to bite them in the nethers.
Dave Cortez via Texas Tribune on Facebook
To you who support Patrick and this budget: you stand in direct opposition to progress and the needs of struggling Texans. Please continue to blindly support your pandering power hungry politicians while they leverage your ignorance to give oil and natural gas corporations millions in tax breaks, allow our Gov. to pay $10,000/month in rent for temporary housing, and make our children and teachers "live within their means."
Y'all are just as accountable as the buffoons and thieves running this state.
Diwanna Zapalac via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Well...we know they could care less about education & humanity!!! Can't wait till God gives them what they try to give all of us & our children!!
Judy Burns via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Disgusting.
Camille Kimbro via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Is there a link where I can find exactly who voted for and against the budget?
Texas Tribune via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Every Democrat voted against it except for Craig Eiland in the House and Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa in the Senate. Every Republican voted for it except for Aaron Peña, Raul Torres, David Philip Simpson, Van Taylor and Will Hartnett in the House.
Kathy Kennemer Genet via Texas Tribune on Facebook
They balanced the budget on the backs of the vulnerable. And they are breaking education. Hope we have a long term plan to build prisons and poor houses.
Karen Cummings via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Balanced budget? Not hardly.
Stuart Greenfield
Ross, et al,
First, I greatly appreciate the format used for this blog, one scrolls down the page, not up. Your coverage of the state budget process was excellent and quite through. I'm glad to see that our legislators reduced public ed expenditures by $4 bil, as that will ensure that future Texans will have the same lack of quantitative understanding that these folks have. A simple look at the current (FY11) financial situation of the state would indicate that tax collections are running around $2 bil more than the estimate and all funds revenue is running over $5 bil more than estimate. While my quantitative "brillance" doesn't count, it would appear that not only will there be sufficient funds in GR to fund the reduction, but the rainy day fund, nee Economic Stabliziation Fund, will reach it limit during the next biennium. I would hope that once these math wizards realize additonal $'s will be available, they appropriate at least 10 percent of the additional funds for remedial quantitative education for all Texans.
David Spratt
I would say cautious optimism was used to formulate this budget. While we all hope the economy will improve and revenue will follow , who is to say? Not surprising to see " all the outrage " over cuts. I do not remember any group showing up and saying they would like to cut their budget. If anyone knows of one please tell me. Everyone wants a balanced budget, but when it comes down to it not one citizen or organization that receives funds from the state is willing to lose one single $. It is always raise taxes on those people, or cut funds from those people. I do not see anything " draconian" about the cuts. Pretty much across the board with the exception of border security which is one of the main issues that has caused major reductions in revenue to the state. I work in Construction and can tell everyone I spend very little on any taxable goods anymore. Mainly we buy food , fuel and pay the mortgage. My personal contributions to the state have dropped down to next to nothing outside of the property and use taxes I pay. I have four trailers and two trucks I did not register last year and will not do so this year. This alone is almost $1000. Just one example of lost revenue to the state. I would not mind paying more, if I made more. The drop in wages in construction caused by the inflow of illegal labor makes the construction industry as a whole non profitable for most who work in it. This is a very large segment of the Texas economy and affects everyone on the food chain. This coupled with the increased services demanded by this group ( Illegals and their offspring),really has a double negative effect. So when complaining about the cuts made to services you need , want and desire, remember the 2 million residents , who have the lowest incomes of any working class, which many defend, are eating from your pie. Read the report issued by FAIR May 2010 on Low Wage Earners and Poverty , you may come to an understanding why, to a large degree, revenues vs. expenditures are no longer favorable to the welfare of the Citizens of Texas.
Veronica Escobar via Texas Tribune on Facebook
This is a budget that doesn't deal with population growth in our schools, cuts health and human services in a way that the burden will fall on local property taxpayers (READ: local tax increases), and they didn't even fix the structural deficit (which the legislature created, which accounts for $20b of the shortfall this year, and which will mean the 2013 legislative session will begin with yet another $10b shortfall). Shameful. Really shameful. Texas is in a race to the bottom.
Phillip Sanders via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I've said this for the entire session. The middle class is set up to bare the burden in this budget. We as voters have to get these radical conservative TP representatives and senators out of office. I'm a moderate conservative and do not stand for the philosophy and direction the current conservative movement. They are out to destroy public education and instill vouchers which will cater to the elite. Texas, it time to make a stand next election.
Robi Polgar via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Thank god: No new taxes. I was SO afraid that increasing my outlay by ANY amount might help kids, women, indigent, needy, Republicans...wait, did I just write "needy" and "Republicans" in the same list of beneficiaries getting screwed by the Texas Lege? Oh, those bastards! I'm feeing SORRY for their cowardly, self-aggrandizing, myopic selves! Shame on me.