And Protecting Austin Energy Customers
By State Rep. Paul Workman
AUSTIN Texas (Texas Insider Report) Next week the House will take up and consider House Bill 1 the proposed Texas State Budget. The $209.8 billion budget would
keep overall growth at 4 or about 2 per year. The
budget would leave $8.4 billion on the table (
for tax cuts-reform consideration) and is $2 billion under the states constitutional spending limit.
When the budget hits the House floor we can expect serious debate to last well into the evening. Texans expect the Legislature to produce a conservative budget that wisely spends taxpayers money
your money.
Please know that I will vote to hold the line on spending just I have in sessions past.
House to Tackle School Finance
Quality education is at the foundation of everything that makes the Lone Star State stand above the rest. To that end there has been a lot of discussion in recent years about the way Texas funds its public
schools.
Earlier this week House Public Education Committee Chairman Jimmie Don Aycock (R-Killeen) announced that the House will tackle school finance reform this session. Chairman Aycock announced a plan to add $800 million to the $2.2 billion the House has already included in the budget for education.
Texas Unemployment Rate Falls
The Texas Workforce Commission announced that Texas unemployment rate dropped to 4.3 after 7100 new jobs were created in February.
Five of 11 major industries added jobs in February. The Leisure and Hospitality industry added an estimated 9700 positions in February and grew by 55500 positions over the year for an annual growth rate of 4.8.
Texas employers also added jobs in Construction Other Services and Financial Activities which increased by a combined total of 2800 jobs.
Protecting Austin Energy Customers
A bill I filed earlier this session
HB 3958 will cap the amount of revenue Austin Energy is able to transfer to the City of Austins general fund at 12. Any amount above that cap could be spent only on paying the direct costs of operating the utility.
Currently Austin Energy is transferring about $105 million annually to the Citys general fund.
I believe that if the City of Austin wishes to continue this annual transfer there should be some reasonable restrictions put in place to make sure Austin Energys customers are protected and know how their money is being spent.
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