budget

Classrooms A Priority

By Justin Dehn March 23, 2011

Republican senators say the state's budget shortfall will mean educations cuts, but they said schools should focus first on eliminating non-classroom expenses and keeping as many teachers as possible. Full Story
Infographic: The Politics of the Rainy Day Fund

By Thanh Tan and Ben Hasson March 23, 2011

Use our infographic to understand the intent of the Rainy Day Fund, what it takes to draw from that savings account, and the political arguments for and against using it. Full Story

Credit: Graphic by Ben Hasson
Marc Mauer: The TT Interview

By Brandi Grissom March 23, 2011

The national criminal justice expert on how other states have handled controversial prison closings and reduced criminal justice costs and how the Right On Crime Movement might give lawmakers the political freedom to be more than tough when it comes to crime. Full Story

Credit: Justin Dehn
Budget Constraints Pit Teaching Against Research

By Ben Philpott, KUT News March 23, 2011

College students will rally at the Capitol today for higher-education funding. But as Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune reports, some students think major changes are also needed on campus, where, they say, professors spend too much time researching and not enough time with undergraduates in the classroom. Full Story

Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman
Short of Funds, State Eyes School Reserves

By Ross Ramsey March 23, 2011

The state’s 1,030 school districts have — in total — $10.2 billion in reserves and another $2.1 billion in unspent federal stimulus money. Can they use that money to avoid draconian cutbacks? It's not that simple. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman
Who's Watching the Stimulus?

By Reeve Hamilton March 22, 2011

The House Select Committee on Federal Economic Stabilization Funding has expired, and its outspoken leader failed to get re-elected. So, amid all the state's fiscal concerns, who is keeping an eye on the stimulus? Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
Environmental Regulators Brace for Budget Cuts

By Kate Galbraith March 22, 2011

Texas' environmental regulators, already under fire from green groups for not doing enough to keep air and water pollution in check, are bracing for deep cuts as lawmakers hash out the budget. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman/Robert Hensley
Surging Growth of Neonatal ICUs Brings Increased Budget Scrutiny

By Emily Ramshaw March 20, 2011

State health officials, searching for solutions to Texas’ budget shortfall, are eying neonatal intensive care units, which they fear are being overbuilt and overused by hospitals eager to profit from the high-cost care. Full Story

Credit: Caleb Bryant Miller
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

By Ross Ramsey March 19, 2011

Grissom on threats to re-entry programs for criminals, Hamilton on the tempest over the direction of UT, E. Smith's interview with Joe Straus, Stiles and Chang's new lobbying app, M. Smith and Weber on where state officeholders send their children to school, Aaronson on allowing new nuclear power plants, Aguilar on how Hispanic Republicans are handling immigration issues, Ramshaw talks abortion with Planned Parennthood's Cecile Richards, Tan and Dehn on tapping the Rainy Day Fund and Galbraith on San Antonio and its water: The best of our best content from March 14 to 18, 2011. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Ben Hasson
Legislators and the Great Balancing Act of 2011

By Ross Ramsey March 18, 2011

Legislators have to choose between mobs — one under the Gadsden Flag with the snake and motto “Don’t Tread on Me”, the other a recent phenomenon under signs like, “If you can read this, thank a teacher.” Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
VIDEO: Will 90 Lawmakers Approve Tapping Rainy Day Fund?

By Justin Dehn and Thanh Tan March 17, 2011

Does tapping the Rainy Day Fund have 90 House votes to move on to the Senate — and how much will the process of getting there damage the even bigger task for lawmakers of setting the next biennium's budget? Full Story
The Weekly TribCast: Episode 71

By Reeve Hamilton March 16, 2011

This week on the TribCast, Ross, Reeve, Ben and special guest Jim Henson discuss the Rainy Day Fund, Hispanic Republicans, Tommy Lee Jones and a good deal more. Full Story
Guest Column: How About a "Pro-Life" Budget?

By Eddie Lucio Jr. March 15, 2011

I believe people should understand the gravity of their decision — which is why it's too bad there's no sonogram provision for the Texas budget process. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
Lacking Governor's OK, Pitts Adjourns Rainy Day Fund Hearing

By Thanh Tan March 14, 2011

House Appropriations Chairman Jim Pitts, R-Waxahachie, thought he had a deal with Gov. Rick Perry and his staff to tap the Rainy Day Fund to close the current biennium shortfall. But with no public support from the governor's office, Pitts adjourned his hearing. Full Story
Bills Would Consolidate State Agencies to Cut Cost

By Christopher Smith Gonzalez March 14, 2011

In an effort to cut administrative costs, state Rep. Phil King, R-Weatherford, filed a group of bills last week that would eliminate four state agencies. Full Story
TribLive: Joe Straus on Taxes

By Evan Smith March 14, 2011

At our TribLive conversation last Thursday, Speaker Joe Straus talked about whether the Texas House would consider raising taxes to pay down part of the budget shortfall. Full Story
Combs Raises Estimate of State Revenue

By Ross Ramsey March 14, 2011

The state's budget outlook is improving and lawmakers will have more money to spend than they thought, Comptroller Susan Combs said in a letter to legislative leaders today. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
Who Will Be Blamed for Big Cuts in School Funding?

By Ross Ramsey March 14, 2011

Who will be blamed for what are expected to be enormous cuts in public education funding? There will be blood. It’s undeniable, especially when the governor goes out of his way to say that he doesn’t have any on his hands. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
Thousands Protest Education Cuts at Texas Capitol

By Morgan Smith March 12, 2011

Want to get the attention of 11,000 Texans? Propose a $10 billion spending cut to public education. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

By Evan Smith March 12, 2011

Conversations about the coming Hispanic majority and the 82nd session from our New Day Rising symposium, M. Smith on the latest tort reform battle, Galbraith on greater scrutiny of the gas industry, Ramsey on whether lawmakers will cut their own pay and benefits, Ramshaw and Aguilar on what's holding up abortion sonogram legislation, Aguilar on the ag commissioner's controversial new website, Philpott on what $9.8 billion in public education cuts looks like, Hamilton on a snippy exchange of higher ed letters and Grissom on the latest court decision in the Hank Skinner case: The best of our best content from March 7 to 11, 2011. Full Story