Public Education
Yesterday, the Senate Public Education Finance Committee met again and went over another set of school district financial runs, this time a hybrid of across-the-board cuts and rolling back the hold harmless funding within the current system.
The parameters the committee discussed:
- Reduce the regular program allotment by applying a weight of .985 to the adjusted basic allotment
- Eliminate the $500/$250 salary allotment for staff
- Reduce the revenue target for additional state aid for tax reduction (ASATR) to 93.5% of current law level in 2011-12 and to 92.35% in 2012-13
Moak, Casey and Associates have run a model using the same parameters above and, they note, “in many cases our analysis showed less reduction than the material presented by the Legislative Budget Board (LBB) at the subcommittee meeting. We believe almost all of those differences are due to different data, predominantly in tax collection projections.”
More information can be found at Moak Casey.
Eminent Domain
Yesterday, SB 18, Estes, was heard in House Land and Resource Management. During committee amendments were discussed and it was noted the bill may be amended. Rep. Rene Oliveira, Chair, noted that any amendment request should be submitted to him or Rep. Charlie Geren and they will review. The bill was left pending in committee.
Appropriations –Article II
Yesterday, the House Appropriations Committee met and began taking up article II – and heard budget recommendations on:
- Department of Aging & Disability Services (DADS)
- Department of Assistive & Rehabilitative Services (DARS)
- Department of Family & Protective Services (DFPS)
- Department of State Health Services (DSHS)
The committee did not finish hearing subcommittee recommendations on DSHS and will pick up discussion on the DSHS riders, Tuesday morning March 8 at 7 a.m.
The committee heard some impacts the many cuts being suggested may have on the agency and to people in Texas. Other members asked for further information on how these reductions impact other areas of the budget and Texans. Chris Traylor with the Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS) stated that rate cuts to nursing homes, estimated at 37 percent under the base budget, would make it very difficult for some of them to stay in business.
Article II discussions will be concluded today picking up with discussion on DSHS riders. The committee is expected to vote on Article II and III at the same time, possibly later in the week.
Cities Ask Senate Finance to Save Parks
On Thursday, March 3, during the Senate Finance Committee several city officials asked lawmakers to keep funds in the budget for their parks. Grants from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for parks of local communities were argued to have contributed to population growth and bring tourism dollars into the community. Witnesses requested that parks be given the ability to make their own cuts to the budget.