Using the Rainy Day Fund now will help address the state’s water needs and keep general state spending on water down for decades to come.
Rainy Day Fund
Posted in
Public Education
Guest Column: Use the Rainy Day Fund for Education
The Rainy Day Fund has been used for public education before and should be used for it now — to reverse drastic cuts made in education spending during the 2011 legislative session.
Posted inState Government
Guest Column: We Don’t Need the Rainy Day Money Yet
It’s proper to use the state’s Rainy Day Fund for a $2 billion water plan, but it isn’t necessary until 2015, and using it now would force lawmakers to bust the constitutional cap on budget growth.
Posted inState Government
Guest Column: Texas Should Leave the Rainy Day Fund Alone
The state’s Rainy Day Fund should be kept as insurance against real financial downturns. If the state needs money for water programs, it should get that money by cutting other programs that are less important.
Posted in
State Government
Perry Backs Dedicated Car Sales Taxes for Highway Fund
Gov. Rick Perry on Friday said he likes the idea of dedicating a portion of future car sales taxes to road projects and also said he’s open to spending up to $6 billion of the Rainy Day Fund on infrastructure projects.
Posted in
Economy
Roadblocks Emerge for Transportation Funding
With less than two months left in the legislative session, some lawmakers are lowering expectations on what can get done related to funding for roads.
Posted in
State Government
LBB Right on Rainy Day Fund, Lawmakers Admit
House and Senate leaders have come to the same painful conclusion: spending from the Rainy Day Fund is subject to the constitutional spending limit. They disagree on what to do now.
Posted in
State Government
TribLive: Straus on the Budget
At Wednesday’s TribLive conversation, House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, talked about the likelihood of withdrawals from the Rainy Day Fund and whether the state can meet its obligations under the spending cap.
Posted in
Economy
Good Times or Bad, the Budget Remains Tight
When money was tight two years ago, the state’s top budget writers employed cutbacks and accounting tricks to balance the budget. Money is flowing again, but the budget folks are still finding it easy to say no.
Posted in
Economy
Perry’s Call for Tax Relief is Subject of Confusion
The $1.8 billion in tax relief that Gov. Rick Perry called for this week was short on details, but the few that are out there are already sparking questions.
