AUSTIN – Today, the Texas Public Policy Foundation released a paper by Center for Fiscal Policy Director Talmadge Heflin and Economist Dr. Vance Ginn on Articles IV and V, which include the judiciary, public safety, and criminal justice in Texas’ state budget. The paper,Texas Budget Trends in Articles IV and V, is the fourth of six in a series that examines trends in each article of the Texas budget.
“Order and safety are important for a peaceful society and well-functioning economy that support prosperity for Texas families,” said Heflin. “Articles IV and V of the state’s budget includes the judiciary, public safety, and criminal justice. The two articles combined account for $13.2 billion or 6 percent of the total budget, so changes in funding these with taxpayer dollars must be watched closely.”
“Since the 2004-05 budget, the total state budget is up 88 percent for the judiciary and up 51 percent for public safety and criminal justice compared with an estimated 55 percent increase in compounded population growth plus inflation,” said Ginn. “These trends indicate individual functions that increase by more than this key metric deserve scrutiny each session to manage growth in the total budget.”
To read the full report, visit: http://txpo.li/Texas-budget-trends-articles-iv-v
The Honorable Talmadge Heflin is Director of the Center for Fiscal Policy at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a non-profit, free-market research institute based in Austin. In the 78th Session, Heflin served as chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations and navigated a $10 billion state budget shortfall through targeted spending cuts that allowed Texans to avoid a tax increase.
Vance Ginn, Ph.D., is an Economist at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a non-profit, free-market research institute based in Austin.
The Texas Public Policy Foundation is a non-profit, free-market research institute based in Austin, Texas.