The disparities between the House and Senate versions of the state’s budget bill center on much more than what to spend money on. Members from each chamber are busy reconciling the differences.

In the video above, Tribune Executive Editor Ross Ramsey breaks down the ins and outs of the only bill lawmakers have to pass during the legislative session — the bill that decides how the state government will be funded for the next two years.

Read related Tribune coverage:

  • Both chambers have passed state budgets that spend around $218 billion but significant differences remain. With just a few weeks to go before the end of the session, here’s a look at the key sticking points.
  • The Texas Constitution requires the Legislature to balance its budget every year without borrowing against future receipts. That bars the government from deficit spending and forces lawmakers to constantly balance demands for programs and services against voters’ desire to limit taxes, fees and other costs of government.

Alana Rocha was the director of news partnerships for The Texas Tribune until June 2022. She was previously a multimedia reporter, after working in television and radio news for eight years. Alana covered...

Ross Ramsey co-founded The Texas Tribune in 2009 and served as its executive editor until his retirement in 2022. He wrote regular columns on politics, government and public policy. Before joining the...

Todd Wiseman was the senior editor for video and multimedia at The Texas Tribune, where he worked from 2010 to 2023. Todd previously worked at the Austin School of Film and Synthetic Pictures and interned...