The Texas Public Policy Foundation applauded Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, Speaker Tom Craddick, and the members of the Legislative Budget Board for introducing a 2008-09 state budget that restrains spending increases well within population growth plus inflation.
“As we have said before, Texas state government is as big as it needs to be,” said TPPF chief economist Byron Schlomach, Ph.D. “Our position is that any growth in the state’s budget should be limited to inflation and population increases, and we are grateful for the leadership of Lt. Gov. Dewhurst and Speaker Craddick in delivering a budget that stays within those parameters.”
After factoring for the reversal of the accounting maneuvers used to balance the 2004-05 state budget, the introduced SB 1 would increase state spending by 4.3% over the next two years. Schlomach said that such a rate of growth was entirely appropriate, given the 18% spending increase over the last two years.
“This introduced budget is an excellent start,” Schlomach said, “and we appreciate Lt. Gov. Dewhurst and Speaker Craddick for putting the taxpayers first with this proposal.”
The Texas Public Policy Foundation is a non-profit, non-partisan research institute based in Austin, Texas. The Foundation’s work is available online at www.TexasPolicy.com.
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