Texas House budget day: $337 billion spending plan OK’d

Representatives approved the state budget and wrapped up consideration of amendments just after 3 a.m. Friday after several points of order stalled discussion and pushed the hearing into night.

Ultimately, 35 amendments were approved, with 53 considered and hundreds placed on suspension or moved to Article XI, where measures are often sent to die if they lack enough floor support. Many of the amendments later in the night were less controversial, including studies on desalination, a name change from the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America and a study into child abuse committed by religious leaders.

In final floor discussions, Rep. Mike Olcott, R-Fort Worth, spoke in opposition against the budget as a whole, claiming more of the $24 billion surplus should have been put toward property tax cuts, a concern echoed by Rep. Brian Harrison, R-Midlothian. The proposed budget currently provides a total of $51 billion for property tax relief.

“Other than the border, property tax comes up over and over and over again,” Olcott said. “I cannot go back to my district and say that with a $24 billion surplus, this is as much property tax relief that we can do.”

Harrison and Rep. Gina Hinojosa, D-Austin, both called the budget “liberal,” but for starkly different reasons: Harrison chastised the bill for alleging funding diversity, equity and inclusion policies, while Hinojosa called budgeting for school vouchers “a blank check” for private schools.

Amendments that would have altered Education Savings Accounts, also known as vouchers, were either suspended or placed in Article XI, killing any opportunity for discussion through the day and night.

Toward the end of the final floor discussion, Rep. Andy Hopper, R-Decatur, pressed House Appropriations Chair Rep. Greg Bonnen, R-Friendswood, on whether he supported the defunding of the Texas Lottery Commission and economic development and tourism in the governor’s office. The first amendment of the night struck all appropriations from both funds, a move from House Democrats to deny their Republican counterparts from directing those funds elsewhere. Bonnen said discussion with senators would be crucial in deciding whether those funds would be restored.

The supplemental budget, House Bill 500, was also passed, which appropriates funds for expenses in the current budget cycle that may occur. The main budget now moves to conference with the Senate before heading to the governor. — Ayden Runnels