House Appropriations Committee passes budget

On Monday, March 31, the House Appropriations Committee passed CSSB 1, the committee substitute for the Senate's version of the state budget. 

Monday's hearing was mostly procedural, as much of the work on the budget is done in subcommittees, but it was an opportunity for the chair of each subcommittee to broadly describe what each article of the budget contains. 

Article III Subcommittee Chair Rep. Stan Kitzman (R-Pattison) said the budget contains $10 billion in funding for K-12 and higher education, contingent on legislation passing, including $450 million for TRS ActiveCare to constrain the costs of health insurance premiums. He added that the Foundation School Program will be fully funded for the biennium. 

After each subcommittee reported, Chair Greg Bonnen (R-Friendswood) called for a vote on moving the budget to the full House for consideration. 

The bill passed out of the committee, 23-2, with two members absent. Rep. Brian Harrison (R-Midlothian) voted no, having earlier objected in a speech calling it "the most liberal budget in the history of Texas." The other dissenting vote, Rep. Vikki Goodwin (D-Austin), had previously expressed concerns with funding for Bluebonnet Learning materials and symbolically voted against the budget as well. 

The bill will move to the Calendars Committee to be scheduled for consideration by the full House, mostly likely late next week. [UPDATE: SB 1 has been scheduled for floor debate on Thursday, April 10.]