Texas House Approves $337 Billion Budget After Lengthy Debate
The Texas House conducted an extended session, lasting over 14 hours to debate amendments related to its biennial budget, ultimately passing it with a significant majority. The budget, totaling $337 billion, was approved early Friday morning with a vote of 118-26.
Key Budget Highlights
- Property Tax Relief: A substantial allocation of $51 billion is designated to address the rising costs associated with property tax relief initiatives.
- Public Education Funding: The budget includes $75.6 billion for public education, reflecting an increase in the per-student allotment and allocating $1 billion for school vouchers.
- Border Security: The budget maintains robust funding for Governor Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star, designating $6.5 billion for ongoing border security efforts.
Voting Dynamics and Political Reactions
The approval saw dissent from 19 Republicans from the hard-right faction, who argued that the budget supported excessive government spending with insufficient property tax reductions. Meanwhile, seven Democrats opposed it primarily due to the inclusion of funding for private school vouchers.
Despite some minor discrepancies, the House’s version of the budget closely aligns with a previous proposal passed unanimously by the Senate on March 25. The next step involves a conference committee to reconcile these differences.
Amendments Process and Political Maneuvering
Chairman Greg Bonnen kick-started the proceedings by filing a motion to consolidate nearly 200 amendments into Article XI, effectively a repository for budget amendments that would not be considered. This move was aimed at expediting the process but led to the rejection of several conservative proposals, particularly those put forth by Representative Brian Harrison.
The session’s dynamic oscillated between periods of intense debate on specific issues and lengthy procedural negotiations, lasting into the early morning hours. Only 33 amendments received votes during the session, of which 25 were adopted.
Notable Amendment Discussions
One of the first amendments passed was introduced by Representative Mary González, aimed at eliminating funding for the Texas Lottery Commission and the Economic Development and Tourism Fund, successfully curtailing conservative amendments aimed at reallocating those funds.
Another prominent amendment, proposed by Representative Ana-María Rodríguez Ramos, sought to reallocate $5 million from border security funds to establish an economic instability dashboard. This amendment faced opposition from GOP members who stressed the importance of maintaining funding for border security initiatives.
Contentious discussions also emerged around a Republican amendment from Representative Tom Oliverson, which intended to divert $70 million from Medicaid to support anti-abortion pregnancy centers. Critics, including Representative Barbara Gervin-Hawkins, challenged Oliverson to provide specifics about the funding’s use, which he was unable to do. Despite concerns, this amendment was eventually passed.
Medicaid Expansion and Other Legislative Moves
Democrats attempted to spur discussion on expanding Medicaid in Texas but faced opposition from Republicans citing concerns about fraud within the program. The proposal was ultimately defeated with a vote of 65-83.
In a further demonstration of the ideological divide, an amendment by Representative Andy Hopper aimed at completely cutting state funding for UT-Austin due to its LGBTQ+ and “DEI” programs faced significant pushback and was ultimately ruled against after deliberation. A similar proposal introduced later was promptly withdrawn after the speaker reiterated their stance against “woke ideology.”
Conclusion
The lengthy debate in the Texas House illustrates the complex interplay of political ideologies and budgetary priorities that characterize the state’s legislative process. With discussions now moving to the conference committee, the final budget details will continue to evolve.