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Press Release

March 15, 2011

Contact: Peter Clark, Peter.Clark@house.state.tx.us, (512) 463-0532 (o), (512) 417-9262

State Representative Mike Villarreal

Texas House of Representatives

Republican Legislators Accept Governor's Rotten Deal

Governor Uses Rainy Day Fund to Avoid Embarrassment But Not to Help Kids

Austin - Today the House Appropriations Committee approved HB 275, legislation to use the Rainy Day Fund to cover the shortfall in the 2010-2011 budget, and HB 4, a "supplemental" budget bill to make cuts and new appropriations for the current budget. Rep. Villarreal voted for HB 275 and against HB 4. The vote was delayed until the Governor released a statement accepting use of the Rainy Day Fund for the current budget but vowing not to sign the 2012-2013 budget if it uses the Rainy Day Fund.

Rep. Villarreal released the following statement following the vote:

"Today the Governor told Republican legislators he won't let them use a dime of the Rainy Day Fund to protect schools or nursing homes for the next two years, and they accepted his rotten deal.  The Governor doesn't mind using the Fund to avoid the embarrassment of not paying our bills for the next five months, but he refuses to use a single dime from the Fund to limit the damage to our children's schools. The Governor believes the Rainy Day Fund is designed to save his political career but not save our schools."

"Today Republican leaders locked in a plan to force up local taxes, make college more expensive, crowd more kids into classrooms, fire teachers, close nursing homes, and cut basic health services for children and the disabled. Texans have already paid taxes into the Rainy Day Fund, but the Governor would rather sit on the people's money than use it to save our schools."