Issue Position: Oversee State Budget

Issue Position

Far too often conversations about the budget focus solely on whether we need to spend more or less. It's time for a broader discussion about how to spend responsibly which will allow Texas residents to voice their opinions on what services they want government to provide and how they want to pay for them.

Spending decisions must also include a review of ALL the options available for balancing the budget -- cuts, new revenue sources, Rainy Day funds, etc… -- in order to help identify and fund priorities. This will be especially critical when the 84th Legislature returns to a multi-billion dollar surplus. Underlying that surplus, however, is a budget that lacks transparency and is certainly not fully funded: about $1B is owed to Medicaid, $4.2B is being diverted from intended use to balance the budget, and only about $6B of the $14B needed to fulfill the 2006 property tax swap is available (which means we rely on $8B in surplus to fund that swap).

In short, we need a budgeting process that is open, transparent, and ensures the money we appropriate goes to its intended purpose, and a budget that reflects our economy and reflects the state's current financial status without sacrificing investments necessary for long term economic prosperity.

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