By J. Lyn Carl, GalleryWatch.com
Austin, TX –
"Lean but caring" is the way Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst today described the committee substitute for SB 1 that was passed out of the Senate Finance Committee earlier in the day.
Dewhurst described the Senate's version of the General Appropriations bill as funding protective services, putting more money into higher education, and taking care of the state's most vulnerable populations - children and the elderly.
He said it is a budget "that's good, that doesn't raise taxes, but that's caring" regarding the needs of the people of Texas.
Noting that the state faced tough times two years ago when it had to construct a budget as the state faced an $11 billion budget shortfall, Dewhurst said that "by focusing on fundamentals," the state added 167,000 new jobs in Texas in 2004 and that the state's economy is growing 10 percent faster than that of the national economy. The lieutenant governor said the budget has grown at approximately the same rate as inflation and population growth in the state.
Dewhurst said the committee focused on the most important functions of government - education, health care and public safety.
He said CSSB 1 will cover essential programs for Texans, meet the enrollment growth of 85,000 new students each year in the public education system, meet the needs of 250,000 new children eligible for Medicaid and meet the needs of a growing prison population.
The lieutenant governor said this budget includes $1.8 billion more money to go into public education, and that the committee substitutes for HB 2 and HB 3 will add almost $5 billion in additional funds for public education, and $6.7 billion in new funding. The Senate versions of the bills also will ensure better results among students while increasing transparency and accountability in the schools.
Higher education funding under CSSB 1 will be $836 million more than the previous biennium, said Dewhurst. He said the goal is to ensure the best universities possible while also ensuring tuition is affordable. "Access and affordability for all" is key, he said.
The budget bill also includes $235 million in additional funding for Child Protective Services (CPS) and Adult Protective Services (APS), said the lieutenant governor. He acknowledged the problems in the two agencies and said the state is intent on solving those problems.
Another highlight of the budget bill, said the lieutenant governor, is the restoration of dental, vision and mental health benefits for Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) recipients. He said overall spending for health and human services in CSSB 1 is up $2.7 billion, with additional funding for protective services.
Dewhurst also noted that the bill includes a 4.5 percent pay raise for state employees for the next two years. At the same time, he said, there will be a reduction of 9 percent in the FTE cap. The result, he said, will be a "leaner, but efficient, well-paid" workforce of state employees who are "rewarded for producing more."
Other highlights of the bill, according to the lieutenant governor, are a $2.8 billion increase in transportation funding, funding for a new counter-terrorism unit for the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), pay raises for DPS officers and a fully funded Veterans Commission and Texas Natural Guard.
Sen. Steve Ogden (R-Bryan), who chairs the Finance Committee, said he is very proud of the budget bill. The bill was voted out of the committee with 12 ayes and one present and not voting, he said, noting he expects similar bipartisan support when the bill comes to the Senate floor.
Ogden said the budget bill represents a 10 percent increase in spending in GR and all funds, and praised the work of the Finance workgroups for being able to allocate funding where it was needed.
Several members of the committee spoke regarding their workgroups and how they, as Sen. Judith Zaffirini (D-Laredo) said, "rationally allocated a limited amount of money to critical areas."