OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Issue Position: State Budget

Issue Position

Date: Jan. 1, 2016
Issues: Government Budget and Spending

The Texas Legislature passed a balanced budget well beneath the constitutional spending cap while keeping new spending below population growth and inflation. House Bill 1 has an increase of 3.6% in all funds and only 5.8% in state only funds. This was below the 6.5% benchmark set by the Texas Conservative Budget Coalition . The Teacher Retirement System's health care fund, which covers over 230,000 individuals, had a $768 million shortfall and was fully funded. $150.7 million over last biennium was added to mental health programs primarily targeting at risk children likely to become wards of the state. An 8% salary increase for the state's correctional officers was added while the controversial Emerging Technologies Fund was eliminated. The Rainy Day Fund projected to be $11 billion was kept completely intact. There is an additional $6 billion that will remain in the treasury un-appropriated.


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