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Headlines : Texas
House-Senate deal clears Texas budget logjam
A logjam on the budget broke swiftly late Wednesday as the House and Senate advanced water and school fund measures each was demanding of the other.
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Headlines
Rich States, Poor States, 6th Edition
This 6th edition of Rich States, Poor States contains invaluable insight into each of the 50 "laboratories of democracy." With solid empirical research and the latest data on state economies, the evidence is clear on which state tax and fiscal policies directly lead to more opportunities, more jobs, and more prosperity for all Americans.
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Headlines : Texas
Are lawmakers playing "chicken" with state budget?
Lawmakers still haven't been able to pass a state budget, even though they've already shaken hands on the deal. The hold up is with Senate Joint Resolution One which would ask voters to approve the creation of a state fund dedicated to water infrastructure projects.
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Headlines : Texas
Texas budget deal struck, but will Perry approve?
House and Senate negotiators settled Friday on a roughly $100 billion state budget. It would reverse most of the historic spending cuts that socked Texas classrooms in 2011, give state employees a modest raise and still afford Republicans the political cover of not busting a cap on state spending.
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Headlines : Texas
State budget negotiators meeting. Is there a deal?
Even though the GOP has a legislative majority, leaders need Democratic support to take money for water from the state's rainy day fund because it requires a two-thirds vote.
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Budget timeframe: Biennial
Fiscal Year begins: October 1
The current state budget can be found here.
Find the legislative session calendar here.
Find the current legislative leaders here.
Gov. Rick Perry
Office of Governor Rick Perry
P.O. Box 12428
Austin, TX 78711
Phone: (512) 463-2000
Fax: (512) 463-5571
http://www.governor.state.tx.us/
Governor's Office, Office of Budget and Planning
P.O. Box 12428
Austin, TX 78711
Phone (512) 463-1778
Fax (512) 463-1880
http://governor.state.tx.us/bpp/
Want a more robust, long-term look at your state's fiscal health, beyond the budget? There are two parts: Click here for the FY2011 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) compiled by the state government, and click here for information on the state's pension liabilities.
Texas is required to pass a "balanced budget." Article II, Section 49 of the 1876 Texas Constitution invalidates an appropriations bill which exceeds the money available in the fund. Article VIII, Section 22(c) states that in "no case shall appropriations exceed revenues." Additionally, the state comptroller is required to provide a report in advance of each regular session detailing the state of the treasury at the close of the last fiscal period, and an itemized list of revenue based on the laws then in effect. Texas law allows the carrying over of a deficit from one year to the next.
Texas caps the rate of appropriations growth. The current state constitution uses the growth of the state's economy, which is determined by the Legislative Budget Board (run by the Gov, Lt Gov, Speaker and Comptroller).
The general fund, highway fund and permanent school fund are reported as major governmental funds. The general fund and highway fund are budgeted. The CAFR does not make it clear how many of the non-major governmental funds are budgeted. Based on the significant difference between actual and budgeted figures from the State's data sheet, it is most likely that the State budgets only a few of their governmental funds. Budgetary information within the Budgetary Comparison Schedules is also not presented as efficiently as possible since there are around seven non-major funds each year with no "total" columns to accompany them.
The Texas governor has called for stricter state spending caps, the limiting of all state funds excluding property tax relief, the elimination of budget gimmicks including one-time adjustments, and measures to use funds for their originally-intended purpose. [from the Institute for Truth in Accounting]
Find the state's bond ratings here.
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Higher Education :
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HEADLINES
Ex-Penn State president tops highest paid list
Presidents of public universities are taking home bigger paychecks, and a growing number are raking in more than $1 million.
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HEADLINES: Texas
$93.5 Billion Texas State Budget Approved
The House plan boosts state spending across the board by 7 percent.
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State Debt :
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RESEARCH
Federal Aid to the States 2008-2011
It is well understood that the federal government must make spending cuts-these cuts will most likely drastically change the amount of federal dollars that are allocated to the states. Unfortunately for most states, dependence on federal funding has continually risen since 2008.
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HEADLINES
HHS Will Waive, Extend Deadline for Health Insurance Exchanges... Again
Not one, not two, but three extensions later, HHS basically tosses the "deadline" for state health insurance exchanges.
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Solutions: Texas
Texas poised to become national model for higher ed reform
Texas is well-placed to build on existing strengths relative to other states in the areas of tuition costs, student loan indebtedness and civic education requirements. Moreover, our legislators and universities have committed to increasing graduation rates, online learning opportunities and accountability in public higher education.
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Solutions:
How Reality-Based Budgeting Can Permanently Resolve State Budget Gaps
State Budget Solutions recommends that state legislators take action in 2013 to resolve the serious state financial crises by changing their focus from inputs to outcomes by redesigning budgets from the ground up based on priorities and performance.
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Solutions:
How to Prevent Future Pension Crises
The time for state and local governments to offer defined contribution retirement plans that protect both taxpayer dollars and public employee retirement security is now.
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Solutions:
State Lawmaker’s Guide to Evaluating Medicaid Expansion Projections
Supporters of Obamacare claim that expanding Medicaid will entail little to no cost to state governments, since the federal government will fund the vast majority of the additional costs. Indeed, some analyses project states achieving savings from adopting the expansion. However, state lawmakers should be wary of accepting such analyses at face value.
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Solutions:
Medicaid Is Broken—Let the States Fix It
Block-granting Medicaid is the best way to deliver better, cost-effective care to the most vulnerable Americans.
- View All Solutions
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State Pension Litigation Update, May 2013
In attempts to reign in the costs of pensions, state lawmakers legislate pension reform. Challengers to those reforms often bring suit, alleging violations of state law, contracts, and the Constitution.
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GAO finds growing state, local fiscal gap with Medicaid to blame
Closing the gap to achieve fiscal balance over 50 years will require "action to be taken today and maintained for each year equivalent to a 14.2 percent reduction in the state and local government sector's current expenditures."
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Texas
Legislature to consider teacher, state worker pension changes
Proposal to shore up funds would increase retirement age.
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In Congress, a Bill Seeks to Tie Municipal Borrowing Power to Public Pension Disclosure
Representatives from California and two other states introduced a bill in Congress on Thursday that would strip states and cities of their right to issue tax-exempt bonds unless they first disclosed the true cost of their pension plans and whether they could pay it.
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States move along different roads to tackle underfunding dilemma
More states are enacting measures to help improve the solvency of their public pension funds as funding ratios remain low.
- View All Pensions
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BLOG: Higher Education, Spending
Who is the highest paid state employee in your state?
Time to add a new diagram to the state budget and policy playbook--your state's highest paid employee is probably a football or basketball coach.
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BLOG: Medicaid
Medicaid expansion won't yield quality health care
The bombshell Oregon Medicaid study released this week should give all states pause as they consider plans to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. States must now ask what the point of Medicaid is in the first place.
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BLOG: Revenue, Budget Transparency
Some Direct Sunshine on Texas Budget and Fees
Bills filed in the Texas legislature show the importance of budget transparency in a very direct way.
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BLOG: Budget Transparency, Healthcare, Pensions, Spending
Sneaky, Texas Legislators
With benefits so great, who wouldn’t want to keep them a secret? Many Texas legislators certainly want to keep their health and pension benefits from the purview of the public.
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BLOG: Budget Gimmicks, Budget Processes and Systems, Measures to Balance Budgets, Spending, State Debt
Let's Put Privatizing Municipal Services Back on the Table
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