Texas to sell $ 100 million to border protection this summer under Governor Greg Abbott | Texas Politics



[ad_1]

In recent weeks, more than 730 US Customs and Border Protection officers have been rebadigned from international bridges to help deal with the flow of migrants, mainly from Central America. This has slowed the border crossing, hindering trade, said Nixon.

President Donald Trump, saying that there was a national security crisis, has transferred defense funds to fund the construction of new border gates. Last month, more than 100,000 migrants crossed the border and many voluntarily turned to the authorities to seek asylum. This was the biggest total of monthly apprehensions since 2007.

For some, a tight budget

Back in Austin, eight Republican legislators and two Democrats sitting on the House-Senate Budget Committee – and on SB 500, a slightly different group of seven GOP members and three Democrats – have completed their work.

Over three budget years, the rest of it and the next full cycle, both bills would spend close to $ 261 billion, including federal funds and investment income. SB 500 would spend $ 6.1 billion in rainy day funds, primarily for a $ 2 billion debt recognition in the current cycle and for the costs badociated with Hurricane Harvey. Comptroller Glenn Hegar had estimated that before legislators' spending decisions, there would be more than $ 15 billion in the rainy day fund by August 31, 2021.

In total, the two bills would spend close to $ 123 billion in general government revenue.

While some groups of tax hawks have complained of excessive spending, other critics call the budget tight.

It would provide financial badistance to only 70% of eligible low and modest income students under the TEXAS Scholarship program, the primary badistance effort provided by the State Colleges.

The lowest-paid attendants who help seniors, the disabled and those with intellectual disabilities to stay at home rather than being forced to enter institutions would see their "minimum wage" of $ 8. Hour increase by only 11 cents. Abbott had been looking for a 50 cents an hour boost.

And there would be no widespread wage increase for the 145,000 people working in state agencies, tens of thousands of whom earn less than $ 30,000 a year.

Judy Lugo, president of the Texas State Employees Union, has complained Saturday in an open letter to lawmakers that many workers have not yet seen their salary increase since 2014.

"State employees and retirees have been left behind, session after session, over the years of surpluses and deficits," she wrote. "This negligence on the part of legislators has led to the current crisis of state agencies."

Local articles

For Dallas, the budget has had mixed results. Some of the big "demands" of local leaders have been rejected, while others have at least partially succeeded.

While the budget would allow the Texas Health and Social Services Board to continue rebuilding public psychiatric hospitals in San Antonio and Austin – and legislators have spent tens of millions on public psychiatric hospitals in the area. Houston in recent years – Dallas has been denied winning $ 16.5 million to plan what health officials consider a new inpatient mental health facility that is screaming in North Texas.

[ad_2]
Source link