The latest budget news from The Texas Tribune.
At this morning's TribLive conversation, I interviewed three veteran lawmakers — state Rep. Myra Crownover, R-Lake Dallas, state Rep. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood, and state Sen. Tommy Williams, R-The Woodlands — about how they and their Republican colleagues fared this session. Full Story
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A proposal adopted by the Legislature's budget conference committee Thursday would provide funding for TEXAS Grants for about 33,100 incoming freshmen — far less than the number of eligible students but better than what the House originally proposed. Full Story
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As the Texas House and Senate haggle behind closed doors over a school finance plan we've updated our searchable database to include the latest proposals distributing the $4 billion in state funding cuts. Full Story
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At this morning's TribLive conversation, state Rep. Myra Crownover, R-Lake Dallas, and state Sen. Tommy Williams, R-The Woodlands, expressed confidence that the House and Senate will agree to a school finance deal before the end of the regular session. Full Story
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Budget negotiators adopted a report Thursday that cuts state spending by $15 billion. The measure is scheduled for a vote on the House and Senate floors as early as Saturday afternoon. Full Story
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Lawmakers made progress today on solving the current budget deficit but still haven't solved the major problem in the 2012-13 budget: school finance. Full Story
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Gov. Rick Perry has delivered his fiscal message loud and clear: Balance the cash-strapped state budget with cuts, not with the Rainy Day Fund or new taxes. Yet some of his most loyal advisers, past and future, are representing clients beating a very different drum. Full Story
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The Legislature has just a few days to get the state budget, the most important bill of the session, passed and to the governor's desk. Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune reports on the final items needed to send lawmakers home on time. Full Story
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One day after the education fiscal bill, SB 1581, died on the floor of the House, lawmakers are scrambling to reach a deal and keep the budget bill, HB 1, on track for approval by both chambers before the weekend deadline. The governor is among the optimists who think they'll finish their work without going into overtime. Full Story
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Budget negotiators will likely adopt the House's 2012-13 family planning budget, or something close to it. The House proposed $37 million for family planning funding, while the Senate proposed $99 million. Full Story
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The lead budget writers from the House and Senate answered questions about the budget they've agreed upon, admitting they don't have all of the details yet and saying they could vote on the final plan this coming weekend. Full Story
House lawmakers successfully tacked a statewide smoking ban onto a broad Senate fiscal matters bill last weekend. But whether it will stick in the upper chamber is another question entirely. Full Story
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House and Senate negotiators agreed on spending on education, state salaries and benefits this morning and hope to have the final vote on the 2012-13 budget sometime this weekend. Full Story
Voters still want lawmakers to cut the budget, but they still oppose the major cuts in education and health and human services that cutting the budget requires, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. Full Story
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Thousands of Texas students have been forced to put their college plans on hold as the Legislature, working on the state budget, determines what level of funding there will be for TEXAS Grants, the state's principal financial aid program for financially needy college students. Full Story
Where did the time go? Texas legislators are a mere nine days away from the end of the session and still have to finish work on several bills to finish up their budget for the two-year period that starts September 1. Full Story
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After days of debate, the House finally passed a key fiscal matters bill — Senate Bill 1811 — that raises necessary funds to balance the proposed budget. Full Story
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Want a quick recap of some of the happenings this week in the Texas Legislature? We've made it easier for you with our weekly video rundown of the action under the dome. Full Story
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Root and Galbraith on a Dallas billionaire's radioactive waste dump victory, Grissom on the passage of eyewitness ID reform, Hamilton on the old grudges bedeviling the debate over higher ed, Philpott on the status of congressional redistricting, Ramsey on Rick Perry's un-campaign for president, Ramshaw on why medical schools are the scorned children of the state's education budget, my session-wrap interview with three veteran Democrats, M. Smith on why Rob Eissler can't pass mandate relief for school districts and Stiles on who's giving what to which Texas candidates in 2011-12 congressional races: The best of our best content from May 16 to 20, 2011. Full Story
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The Texas House tentatively approved a statewide ban on smoking in public places tonight, adding the measure onto another bill that must pass in order to make the two-year state budget balance. Full Story