After months of wrangling, the state’s budget is nearly complete.
According to the Austin American-Statesman, Texas’ two-year $172 billion budget was just voted out of conference committee and is headed to the House and Senate floors on Saturday for a final vote. If approved by both chambers, the state’s total budget for 2012-13 would come in at $15 billion less than what was spent for the current biennium, representing an 8.1 percent decrease in spending.
Based on summary information from the Legislative Budget Board, the winners in this session’s budget include: Business and Economic Development ($1.17 billion increase in spending) and Public Education ($125.2 million increase). Areas facing the biggest cuts include: Health and Human Services ($11.27 billion cut); Higher Education ($969.1 million cut); and Public Safety and Criminal Justice ($643.2 million cut)- it should be noted, however, that since these totals are based on All Funds, which includes state and federal monies, the expiration of stimulus funds has distorted some of these cuts to appear bigger than what they would be under ordinary circumstances.
Source: Legislative Budget Board
In terms of state dollars, i.e. General Revenue Funds, the winners in this session’s budget are: Public Education ($3 billion increase); Health and Human Services ($700 million increase); and Business and Economic Development ($93.3 million increase). Areas facing the biggest cuts include: Higher Education ($1.2 billion decrease); General Government ($459.9 million decrease); and Public Safety and Criminal Justice ($436.4 million decrease).
Source: Legislative Budget Board
-James Quintero