From the Texas Tribune: $209.8 Billion Budget Plan Headed to House Floor
The House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday endorsed a $209.8 billion budget that would spend $7.7 billion more than the current two-year budget and would leave $8.4 billion on the table, along with billions more in the state’s savings account.
The committee voted 24-0 to move House Bill 1 forward after more than a month of hearings. The budget will be debated and voted on by the full 150-member House next Tuesday, March 31, according to House Appropriations Chairman John Otto, R-Dayton.
“This is a good budget, but it is not yet complete,” Otto said. “Over the next two months, we will continue to work on this budget, first on the floor and then in cooperation with the Senate in conference.”
As the Appropriations Committee voted out its main budget bills Tuesday morning, the Senate Finance Committee was working next door on its own version of the budget, Senate Bill 2. That committee is expected to put the finishing touches on the bill later this week.
HB 1 includes $104.6 billion in general revenue spending, the closely watched portion of the budget that lawmakers have the most control over. That’s up $9.4 billion, or nearly 10 percent from the current budget, which spends $95.2 billion in general revenue.
The House also approved supplemental funds to make up for deficiencies in the last budget.
House budget writers intend to add $433 million to the current two-year budget with a supplemental bill laid out Thursday, though a plan to repurpose millions in leftover funds from various health care programs drew sharp questions from Democrats.
Since the Texas Legislature meets every two years, lawmakers usually have to pass a supplemental budget bill to pay for unexpected costs and IOUs for the current budget. The Legislature is now crafting the 2016-17 budget, and the supplemental budget bill would augment the 2014-15 budget lawmakers approved two years ago.
At Thursday's House Appropriations Committee hearing, Chairman John Otto, R-Dayton, and members of the Legislative Budget Board explained details of House Bill 2 for the first time. The supplemental budget bill includes $254.7 million in general revenue, the portion of the budget lawmakers have the most control over, and $177 million in federal funds. Otto is the bill's author.
