On the latest Agenda Texas, from KUT News and the Tribune: As another round of deadlines in the Capitol approaches, several legislative priorities are still unresolved.
Rainy Day Fund
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State Government
A Well-Timed Budget Note From the Attorney General
Greg Abbott’s letter doesn’t have any new information in it, but the timing takes away what some — probably those further from the budget conversations than closer — saw as a possible solution for the Legislature’s financial logjam.
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Energy
TribLive: Tea Party Freshmen on the Rainy Day Fund
At Thursday’s TribLive conversation, state Reps. Matt Krause, R-Fort Worth; Jonathan Stickland, R-Bedford; and Steve Toth, R-The Woodlands, explained their objection to dipping into the Rainy Day Fund to jump-start the state water plan.
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State Government
Abbott: Spending Limit Includes Rainy Day Fund
Spending from the state’s Rainy Day Fund does, in fact, count against a constitutional limit on growth in the state budget, Attorney General Greg Abbott advised on Thursday.
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State Government
Can They Put Humpty Together Again?
The betting here is that state finance is the closing drama of the session and that in spite of the sharper debates here at the end, that everybody goes home singing Kumbaya.
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Energy
Agenda Texas: What’s Left to Do?
On the latest Agenda Texas, from KUT News and the Tribune: Water, transportation and education were priorities at the beginning of this year’s legislative session, but how much progress has been made on each?
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State Government
If the Legislature’s in Town, Bills Aren’t Dead
The legislative session is in its last month and most bills will die. But setbacks for the big stuff — water, transportation and the like — are usually temporary.
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Energy
Texas Weekly Newsreel: Money, Explosions and Deadlines
In the latest Newsreel: The House fights over whether and how to tap the Rainy Day Fund, lawmakers hold hearings on the explosion in West and Gov. Rick Perry says there is plenty of time left in this session to get things done.
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Energy
TribLive: Staples on Paying for the Water Plan
At Thursday’s TribLive conversation, Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples explained his strong reluctance to use money from the Rainy Day Fund to jump-start the state water plan.
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Public Education
Guest Column: Let Voters Decide on Rainy Day Spending
The best way to finance Texas’ pressing water and transportation needs — and to supplement spending on public education — is to let voters decide whether to use the state’s Rainy Day Fund.
