Texas Senate approves $182 billion state budget; money for border security reduced
May 28, 2009
"The Texas Senate approved a $182 billion two-year state budget on Thursday that includes significantly less money for border security operations than Gov. Rick Perry asked for."
Written by Brandi Grissom, El Paso Times
Senator Steve Ogden, R-Bryan
AUSTIN - The Texas Senate approved a $182 billion two-year state budget on Thursday that includes significantly less money for border security operations than Gov. Rick Perry asked for. "Given the constraints we were under, that's the best that we could do," said state Sen. Steve Ogden, R-Bryan, the Senate's lead budget writer. The budget passed the Senate with a vote of 31-0 with no debate, although state Sen. Eliot Shapleigh, D-El Paso, said later he voted against the bill. The House must still approve the budget before it is sent to Gov. Rick Perry for his signature. Completing the state budget is the only task lawmakers are constitutionally require to accomplish during the 140-day biennial legislative session. The budget includes about $87 million for border security operations. The amount is far less than the $134 million Perry had asked for and is less than the nearly $110 million lawmakers approved for border security operations in the 2008-2009 budget. But state Sen. Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa, D-McAllen, said with past investment in border operations, additional resources weren't necessary this year. "It gave us a foundation to move on," he said. The budget also has funding for the medical school in El Paso, dollars to allow universities begin competing for tier one status and money to allow more families to enroll in the Children's Health Insurance Program.
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