You may have already heard from me about two of the proposed constitutional amendments that will be on the ballot this November. In addition to these two amendments that would provide badly needed funds for public schools and college student loans, there are eight other proposed amendments on this year’s ballot. I encourage you to vote FOR all ten of these amendments.
Early voting ends on Friday, October 24, and your last chance to vote is election day, Tuesday, November 8.
2011 Proposed Constitutional Amendments … (Read More PDF)

The budget for the 2012-13 biennium falls $18 billion short of what is needed to maintain current service levels for a growing population.
The budget was only balanced through payment deferrals and accounting tricks. Combined with the $10 billion structural deficit that was left
unaddressed, the budget defers $7 billion in payments. As a result, the next Legislature will start in a $17 billion hole… Read More (PDF)

82nd Session ReCap: Bad Budget = “F” For Fixing Schools; Texans’ health care, retirement, and other benefits will likely be cut… Read More (PDF)

Budget
The budget for the 2012-13 biennium falls $18 billion short of what is needed to maintain current service levels for a growing population.
House Bill 1 eliminates financial aid for 29,000 low-income college students and cuts funding to nursing homes by $1.6 billion.
The budget was only balanced through payment deferrals and accounting tricks. Combined with the $10 billion structural deficit that was left
unaddressed, the budget defers $7 billion in payments. As a result, the next Legislature will start in a $17 billion hole… Read More (PDF)

Highlights of Burnam legislation moving through the process
HB 468 Cesar Chávez Memorial Freeway (Relating to naming a portion of IH-35 as the Cesar Chavez Memorial Frwy.) Passed out of the House & received by the Texas Senate.
HB 3272 LIRAP Revisions (Relating to the low-income vehicle assistance program.) Received by the Texas Senate… Read More (PDF)

Spanish Version (PDF)

As has been widely reported in the news, we face a challenging legislative session in Austin.
Finally, people are admitting that there is a structural deficit. With a $27 billion shortfall that is being balanced on the backs of our seniors in nursing homes, college students, and kids in pre-K, Texans deserve leaders that are committed to budget transparency and solutions that will put us on the path to fiscal stability — not band-aids that only put off the budget crisis for two more years… Read More: (PDF)