The latest Rainy Day Fund news from The Texas Tribune.
Greg Abbott’s letter doesn’t have any new information in it, but the timing takes away what some — probably those further from the budget conversations than closer — saw as a possible solution for the Legislature’s financial logjam. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/c5c411ba8ed65ca27885b282b889b505/TT%20Event%20Will%2098%202013)
At Thursday's TribLive conversation, state Reps. Matt Krause, R-Fort Worth; Jonathan Stickland, R-Bedford; and Steve Toth, R-The Woodlands, explained their objection to dipping into the Rainy Day Fund to jump-start the state water plan. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/videos/TeaParty-2.jpg)
Spending from the state's Rainy Day Fund does, in fact, count against a constitutional limit on growth in the state budget, Attorney General Greg Abbott advised on Thursday. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2013/04/22/RainyDay-2.jpg)
The betting here is that state finance is the closing drama of the session and that in spite of the sharper debates here at the end, that everybody goes home singing Kumbaya. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2013/04/16/WaterTexasCapitol.jpg)
On the latest Agenda Texas, from KUT News and the Tribune: Water, transportation and education were priorities at the beginning of this year's legislative session, but how much progress has been made on each? Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/f708f21c1fd4dac27590b132ec3893c9/BD%20INC%20House%20Overall%20339%202013)
The legislative session is in its last month and most bills will die. But setbacks for the big stuff — water, transportation and the like — are usually temporary. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/TxTrib-FilingBills_Tamir.Kalifa003.jpg)
In the latest Newsreel: The House fights over whether and how to tap the Rainy Day Fund, lawmakers hold hearings on the explosion in West and Gov. Rick Perry says there is plenty of time left in this session to get things done. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/videos/050213_newsreel_art.jpg)
At Thursday's TribLive conversation, Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples explained his strong reluctance to use money from the Rainy Day Fund to jump-start the state water plan. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/videos/TxTribLive-ToddStaples02.JPG)
The best way to finance Texas' pressing water and transportation needs — and to supplement spending on public education — is to let voters decide whether to use the state's Rainy Day Fund. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/deaf8a2c8effdb386edfbb2b873a1639/BD%20INC%20Williams%204878%202013%20)
UPDATED: The morning after a major bill to authorize spending billions of dollars on state water projects faltered in the House, Speaker Joe Straus' office released a statement saying he wouldn't "let a technicality seal the debate." Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/0f1def8a1d43f88b22b0ffa3fc44d7ac/TT%20Event%20Straus%20218%202013)
Two years ago, lawmakers couldn't find the money they needed to run the government they had promised their voters. Now they have the money — and a completely different set of political problems. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/rainydaysafe.jpg)
With less than a month remaining in the legislative session, Gov. Rick Perry met with the Texas House GOP Caucus and talked to reporters about his support for a bill that would draw $2 billion from the Rainy Day Fund for water infrastructure needs. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/videos/Perry-Screencap.jpg)
A bill that would draw $2 billion for water projects from the Rainy Day Fund is set to hit the House floor Monday afternoon. The debate could turn to focus on what it means to be a fiscal conservative in the Tea Party era. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2013/04/03/Wet-Texas.jpg)
At our 4/26 Hot Seat conversation at Southwestern University in Georgetown, state Rep. Marsha Farney, R-Georgetown, and state Sen. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown, talked about public education, water, the budget and other issues in play in the 83rd session. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/videos/_MG_2386.jpg)
In this edition of the Newsreel: The conversation in West turns to regulation, the Senate wants to ask voters to use Rainy Day Fund money, the House undoes the state lottery and then puts it back together, and some Texas prosecutors are in hot water. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/videos/042613_Newsreel_ART.jpg)
As lawmakers debate how much money to leave in the state's Rainy Day Fund, Gov. Rick Perry is relying on a very specific figure: 7.5 percent. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2013/04/02/ExpandingBudget-MoneyBagInCapitol.jpg)
After spending most of the day locked away in negotiations, the Senate unanimously approved a measure pulling $5.7 billion from the Rainy Day Fund for water and road projects and public education. Full Story
On the latest Agenda Texas, from KUT News and the Tribune: Texas lawmakers are poised to spend billions out of the state's Rainy Day Fund, but some say tapping the fund will lower the state's bond rating. So what's the truth? Full Story
On the latest Agenda Texas, from KUT News and the Tribune: Lawmakers want to spend billions to repair the state's crumbling roads, but that's putting some Republican leaders in a bind. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/MoneyPavedRoad_1.jpg)
The Rainy Day Fund has been used for public education before and should be used for it now — to reverse drastic cuts made in education spending during the 2011 legislative session. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2013/04/11/MIles-Boris.jpg)