Posted in [News from Mike], [Recent Posts]

 State Representative Mike Villarreal

Texas House of Representatives

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                

January 14, 2013

Contact: Peter Clark

Phone: 512-463-0532 (o), 512-417-9262 (c)

Email: peter.clark@house.state.tx.us

Austin - The first draft of the state budget for the 2014-2015 biennium maintains the harmful 2011 cuts to public education, prompting State Representative Mike Villarreal to urge the legislature to use the state's recently disclosed revenue increases to start undoing the cuts. According to House Appropriations Chairman Jim Pitts, the budget proposal will be $2.2 billion less in General Revenue than the 2012-13 budget, assuming the legislature passes a $6.8 billion supplemental budget bill later in the session.

"I'm disappointed the first draft of the budget continues the historic education cuts," said Rep. Villarreal. "I look forward to working with legislators in the coming months to use the state's increased revenue to start undoing the cuts. We must invest in our schoolchildren if we are committed to growing our economy."

Rep. Villarreal continued, "I appreciate that Chairman Pitts recognizes the bill as a starting point for the legislature to work on the budget. I also commend the Chairman for proposing that the supplemental budget bill undo the delayed payment to school districts, one of the accounting tricks employed by the last legislature."

The proposed budget totals $89 billion in General Revenue. The Comptroller recently reported that the legislature has $101 billion available for general-purpose spending, in addition to nearly $12 billion in the Economic Stabilization Fund.

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