House Democratic leaders decried House Bill 1, the state's budget, for failing to address the critical priorities facing Texas families. The state began the regular session with a record $14.3 billion surplus, yet HB 1 still failed to find enough money to adequately address school finance issues, to lower tuition and utility rates, or to improve access to health care for too many Texas families.

 

However nearly $11 billion of the $14.3 billion surplus was spent to pay for future property tax cuts, including $3 billion set aside for property tax cuts in 2010-2011.

 

Rep. Jim Dunnam, Rep. Garnet Coleman, and Rep Pete. Gallego issued the following statements regarding the failures of House Bill 1.

 

Rep. Jim Dunnam:

 

"If this is the best budget the legislature can pass in the best of times, Texans should pray that we never see the worst of times again. I'm appalled that we couldn't use a $14.3 billion surplus to at least restore cuts that resulted from a $10 billion shortfall. This session has seen a TYC cover up and a House reduced to chaos, but more Texans will be harmed by spending $152 billion tax dollars in a budget that fails a majority of Texas families."

 

Rep. Garnet Coleman:

 

"The budget flat-out fails to invest in the future of Texas. In the budget, there are still 100,000 fewer children that would receive CHIP coverage than in 2003. In the budget, 7,000 fewer students will receive Texas GRANT dollars than in 2003. How can we invest in the future when we can't even catch up with the past?"

 

Rep. Pete Gallego:

 

"Passing the biggest budget in history at $152 billion -- and yet failing to meet our core values  -- is the wrong thing to do for Texas. Taxpayer dollars should provide for our core needs. Yet, public education is not well provided for. Teachers and children are still undervalued. In higher education, this budget does nothing to curb the skyrocketing cost of college. In fact, in 2008, 7,000 fewer kids will receive a Texas Grant than were receiving grants in 2003. Texas cannot survive, much less succeed, if we fail to educate our children."