Substantial Tax Relief for Texans is Top Priority

Senate Finance Chair Nelson Files Budget Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas Senate Finance Committee Chairwoman Jane Nelson (R-Flower Mound) filed the Senate version of the budget today as Senate Bill 2. The Senate budget will include $3 billion dollars in funds allocated for property tax relief and $1 billion towards business tax relief for a substantial total of $4 billion. 

Lt. Governor Dan Patrick is following through on his campaign pledge to give tax relief to millions of people in the state of Texas said Senator Paul Bettencourt. Chairman Nelson has put together a strongly conservative and responsible budget that is an excellent start to the upcoming Senate Finance Committee Hearings.

This does not exceed the growth rate of population and inflation. In addition to the $4 billion set aside for tax relief the remaining $97 billion in the budget prioritizes education transportation and border security. The budget funds enrollment growth in public education with an additional $2.5 billion. It also ends the diversion in motor fuels taxes used to fund the Department of Public Safety which will allow an additional $1.6 billion to be spent on transportation something that Senator Bettencourt campaigned on as well. $850 million is budgeted for border security almost twice the amount that was budgeted last Session.

Not only is this a priority for the Lt. Governor and many members of the Texas Senate this provision is overwhelmingly popular with the public in my opinion Bettencourt added.

The budget also sets aside $60 million for Graduate Medical Education which will allow Texas to increase the number of residency slots to get a ratio of 1 medical school graduate to 1.1 residency slots. This is a major step forward in keeping Texas medical students in state to serve Texas growing population. Finance Committee Chair Nelson has started the budget process with a novel approach of zeroing out some budget items for public debate and possible inclusions in the final budget proof of a new day in Texas Bettencourt said.