House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, announced on May 14 plans to commit more gas tax dollars to TxDOT resulting in an additional $1.3 billion towards improved mobility over two years. “The Texas House will propose a budget next year that uses all of the money in the State Highway Fund for transportation instead of sending some of those dollars to other state agencies,” said Speaker Straus.
Various taxes and fees, such as the gas tax and fees on drivers’ licenses, go into the State Highway Fund to pay for transportation but some of that money has also helped fund agencies that are not directly related to transportation, such as the Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the Office of State Administrative Hearings.
Straus provided further detail in TribTalk by clarifying that this proposal will be funded by the continued strong performance of Texas’ private-sector economy and as a result would allow the House to fund affected agencies and, “would not affect the 25 percent of gas-tax revenue that the Texas Constitution dedicates for public education.”
