By KERA News & Wire Services
Dallas, TX – Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst unveiled the Texas Senate's draft budget proposal on Monday, which called for 10.1 percent reduction in general revenue spending. The bill largely mirrors what was introduced by the state House last week.
Senate Bill 1 is the companion to the House budget proposal. Both chambers of the Texas legislature will debate and amend the baseline budget, then meet later in conference committee to pass a final budget.
The Senate bill calls for $73.8 billion in expenditures, exactly what the state comptroller says Texas will earn in revenues over the next two years. The total is $27 billion less than what experts say is needed to maintain current state services. The proposal does not increase state taxes, or tap into the state's $9.4 billion Rainy Day Fund.
Bill would require photo ID to vote in Texas
Texas Democrats are trying to delay a bill that would require voters to show photo identification before casting ballots.
Gov. Rick Perry, a Republican, declared the legislation an emergency priority last week and it is expected to pass the Senate this week. The Senate is expected to begin taking testimony on the bill on Tuesday.
Democrats say that doesn't give them enough time to bring opponents to the Capitol to testify against it.
Republicans are making stronger voter ID laws a top priority because they say it will prevent fraud. Democrats say it's a partisan bill designed to increase GOP margins at the ballot box.
Democrats blocked a similar bill in 2009, but it is expected to pass this year with Republicans holding commanding majorities in the Senate and House of Representatives.
House begins discussion of chamber rules
The Texas House has started consideration of rules that will guide the chamber's activity for the next two years.
The proposal being debated Monday could further minimize the ability of Democrats to influence legislation.
That's because a maneuver known as chubbing - extended talking to cause certain bills to miss deadlines and wither away - would be somewhat restricted under the proposal.
Democrats used chubbing in 2009 to kill a Republican plan to require voters to provide photo identification at polls. Democrats' influence this session is already limited after Republicans gained a 101-49 supermajority.
The proposal also would add two new committees to the House structure and would increase the use of electronic posting of information to decrease reliance on paper.