AUSTIN-The Texas House of Representatives gave final approval today to the State of Texas 2010-2011 budget, including important investments in health care and education and $ 4 million for a new mechanical engineering program at Texas A&M University--Corpus Christi.
"This budget does a good job of funding the essential services that Texans need in these tough economic times," Ortiz said. "I commend House Appropriations Chairman Jim Pitts, Sen. Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa, and the other budget conferees for their hard work addressing the priorities of the State of Texas."
The budget includes:
• a 1.9 % reduction in General Revenue spending
• a tax cut for small businesses
• 4 % across-the-board increase in funding for higher education
• $4 million for a new mechanical engineering program at TAMUCC
• $1 million for a small business incubator at TAMUCC
• $141 million each year to fund educator salary increases for public school teachers
• $264 million increase in higher education financial aid
• $8 million each year to go towards Texas reading, math, and science initiatives
• $500 one-time payment to be distributed to retired teachers and state employees
• $10 million to fund seat belts on school buses
• $12.6 million each year to fight coastal erosion
• $464 million to increase home and community-bases services for persons with developmental disabilities
• $12 billion in Federal Stimulus Funding.
• $450 million in bonds approved for the cancer prevention & research
"This is a balanced, fiscally responsible budget," Ortiz said. "With the assistance of federal stimulus funding, we controlled spending, made important investments in education, health care, and transportation, and achieved a big victory for Corpus Christi with the new engineering program at TAMUCC.
For more information on the budget, visit http://www.lbb.state.tx.us/ or contact Rep. Ortiz's office.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment