This paper highlights Texas budget trends in Articles VIII, IX, and X since the 2004-05 budget and notes the regulatory and the Legislature functions that increase faster than population growth plus inflation in the 2016-17 budget.
Article VIII includes the regulatory portion of the budget with major agencies such as the Public Utility Commission, Department of Insurance, and Texas Medical Board. Article IX includes appropriations to general provisions that apply to multiple articles and no amount is usually included in the final budget.