Governor Signs State Budget after Slashing
$289 Million from Two-Year Spending Plan
June 19, 2009
By Mike Hailey
Capitol Inside Editor
Perry Torpedoes 34 More Bills with Veto Pen while Letting Seven Become Law Without His Signature Perry Vetoes Governor Rick Perry revealed Friday night that he'd used his red pen to kill an additional 34 bills before the signing deadline two days from now while allowing seven other pieces of legislation to become law without his signature. Perry's announcement pushed to 35 the total number of bills that he's vetoed this year. The Republican governor ended up vetoing 2.4 bills out of every 100 that the Legislature approved during the regular session that ended earlier this month. Perry has vetoed a record 244 bills since he became governor more than eight years ago. But the number that he struck down with his veto pen in 2009 was the second lowest after five regular sessions as the state's chief executive officer. Perry's veto verdicts were accompanied by an unusual executive order stemming from an electronic textbooks measure that he signed despite protests from conservative activists who'd urged him to veto it. The conservatives who wanted the governor to reject House Bill 4294 had complained that it was an unconstitutional measure that would weaken the State Board of Education's textbook adoption authority. But Perry opted to sign the bill in question while expressing his support for the SBOE's part in the electronic textbook decision process in the executive order. Business and education groups that had encouraged Perry to sign the measure applauded his decision to do so. “This legislation will further propel Texas schools into the 21st century and ensure that our students have access to the most up-to-date information available in each subject,” Perry said. “For districts that are ready for the transition to technology, it will provide the flexibility to choose an alternative to traditional textbooks to effectively educate students, bringing technological advances to the classroom and enhancing our children’s learning environment.” Perry said he was proud of the Legislature's accomplishments and the "solid leadership" that its members provided during the session this year. “However, there was some legislation that, in its final form, would have done more harm than good to our citizens," the governor said. "After thoroughly and thoughtfully reviewing all legislation, I am confident that the final outcome of all bills passed will move Texas in the right direction, equipping our state to answer future challenges and providing better opportunities for all Texans.” Perry said that he'd vetoed a pre-kindergarten grant program that was contained in HB 130 because a similar program already exists. The pre-K measure had been sponsored by Republican State Rep. Diane Patrick of Arlington and Democratic State Senator Judith Zaffirini of Laredo. Perry encouraged the Texas Education Agency to take steps to make sure that $25 million that the Legislature had appropriated for the pre-K bill that he vetoed be channeled instead into the existing program. The governor also vetoed SB 1440 - a measure that legislators had adopted as a way to clarify uncertainties regarding the state's ability to take custody of children in the wake of a court case involving the Department of Protective and Regulatory Services. SB 1440 was sponsored by Democratic State Senator Kirk Watson of Austin and Republican State Rep. Jerry Madden of Plano. “This court-created uncertainty is real and must be addressed, however I’m concerned SB 1440 overreaches and may not give due consideration to the Fourth Amendment rights of a parent or guardian,” Perry said. “I am directing DFPS, to study the effect of the Gates decision on the ability of the department to appropriately enter a residence and, if necessary, to transport the child for interviews in a neutral location. I am also directing the department to develop and recommend statewide procedures to follow when seeking court orders without compromising the rights of parents and families.” |
Governor Rick Perry on Friday signed a $182 billion two-year state budget that the legislature approved this year after slashing $289 million from the spending plan through his line-item veto power. The Republican governor used his red pen to reduce general revenue spending that lawmakers had adopted by $97.2 million.
But the lion's share of money that Perry trimmed from the spending plan with line-item vetoes had been approved to fund legislation that failed to pass in the regular session that ended almost three weeks ago.
Perry has until Sunday at midnight to complete his review of 1,459 bills that the Legislature sent to his desk this year before deciding whether to sign them, veto them or allow them to become law without his signature.
Perry, however, revealed in his budget proclamation that he'd vetoed two particular bills including one measure that would have established a student loan repayment assistance for some correctional officers and speech-language pathologists and audiologists. Sponsored by Republican State Rep. Lois Kolkhorst of Brenham and Democratic State Senator Leticia Van de Putte of San Antonio, the loan repayment legislation contained in HB 518 had been approved unanimously by the Senate after the House passed in on a vote of 137-4.
A second bill that Perry killed with his red pen - HB 821 - would have created a television equipment recycling program. The television recycling measure, which was sponsored by Democratic State Rep. David Leibowitz of San Antonio and Democratic State Senator Kirk Watson of Austin, had also cleared the Senate on a unanimous vote after the House approved it 135-11.
All of the dissenting vote on HB 518 and HB 821 were cast by Republicans.
Perry praised legislators for crafting a new state budget that cuts general revenue by $1.6 billion - or 1.9 percent - and he said that it's only the second time since World War II that GR spending has actually been reduced.
"The Legislature has done a commendable job in reducing the general revenue appropriation to live within the Comptroller’s revenue estimate issued in January, cutting general revenue spending by $1.6 billion,” Perry said when announcing that he'd completed his examination of the budget for fiscal 2010 and 2011.
“It is particularly noteworthy lawmakers balanced the budget without using the state’s Rainy Day Fund and provided a tax cut to 40,000 small businesses,” Perry added.
The governor said that the new state spending plans provides sufficient funding in programs he's championed including higher education, water infrastructure, border security, highway construction and job creation through investments that it makes into the Texas Enterprise Fund and the Emerging Technology Fund.
While Perry said that the Legislature reduced some diversions of money from the state highway fund, he vowed to push to have diversions in other areas reduced or eliminated in future state budgets.
Perry said that he and Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst and House Speaker Joe Straus had entered the session with a "shared commitment" to see that the Legislature balanced the state's budget in the face of a revenue estimate that had been lower than the previous biennium.
"We worked collectively throughout the session to ensure our state's priorities were met while remembering that every dollar spent is that of a hard-working Texan," Perry said.
While their job was made easier by a subsequent infusion of about $12 billion in federal stimulus funds into the new spending plan, Perry warned state agencies to limit the use of stimulus money to one-time expenditures because it won't be available during the next biennium.