News

Texas Public Policy Foundation

As we progress through this legislative session and attempt to craft a fiscally responsible budget in the shadow of the looming shortfall we are facing, there have been many calls from outside groups to spend money that we don’t have. I would like to share with you an excellent video of former U.S. Senator Phil Gramm discussing these challenges facing the state. This video was released by the conservative think tank Texas Public Policy Foundation, and I encourage you to share it with everyone you know. Please click here to watch the video. It is an important message that needs to be shared. It is a pleasure to serve you in the Texas Legislature.

Wallbuilders LIVE!

Rick Green

Rep. King was recently a guest on the Wallbuilders LIVE! radio program with Rick Green. They discussed the Texas budget, the current budget proposal from the House of Representatives, and how important it is that as a state we don’t spend what we don’t have. You can listen to the interview by clicking here.

Weatherford Democrat

Crystal Brown

The state house-approved budget includes cuts that underfund schools by $800 per student based on current funding laws, but Rep. Phil King said public education was cut far less than other sections of the $164.5 billion budget.

The budget for the next biennium passed the Texas House of Representatives late Sunday night, 98-49, with $23 billion less than the current budget. The Senate continues to work on their version.

Pajamas Media

Bryan Preston

Facing a large budget shortfall, Texas Republicans came into the 82nd legislative session with total control and facing a few options. They could raise taxes and fees hope to overcome the shortfall that way, while also breaking their promises to Texas voters and risking more damage to an already weak economy. They could cut spending, knowing that the media and the left’s establishment will flame them. They could dip into the state’s rainy day fund, which is intended to be saved and only used in times of genuine crisis. Or they could implement some combination of all three.

The Texas House of Representatives passed its version of the budget late Sunday, after a very long session. And according to spending watchdog Empower Texans, it’s mostly good news.

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Yesterday State Representative Phil King (R-Weatherford) successfully passed amendments to House Bill 1 (the state budget bill for Fiscal Years 2012-2013), which freeze hiring by state agencies and prevents $100 million of new broad-based fees from being implemented by the state on taxpayers. The hiring freeze amendment would call for a freeze on non-essential state hiring effective September 1, and would apply until August 31, 2013, the last day of next budget cycle.

“As a state we are facing a large projected budget shortfall for next biennium,” King stated, “Families and businesses across Texas are doing what it takes to balance their checkbooks in a fiscally responsible manner, and it is critical that the state government conduct business in the same way. By implementing a hiring freeze and balancing our state budget without raising taxes or fees, we can save precious dollars during a time when every dollar counts. These funds can be directed to the critical services our state provides, such as educating our children.”

HB 1, which was passed by the House of Representatives late Sunday night, cuts $23 billion of spending out of state government. This represents a 12.3% reduction in spending from the previous biennium. HB 1 will next go to the Senate for approval.

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Last week State Representative Phil King (R- Weatherford), at the request of schoolteachers and superintendents, signed on as co-author to HB 2491. In an effort to support teachers in the classroom, HB 2491 implements a two year moratorium to suspend all state mandated testing and assessments for a period ending September 30, 2013. In addition, superintendents may apply funds or appropriations originally intended for this testing to support teacher jobs and the resources they need.

King stated, “In these tough economic times and with the projected budget shortfall Texas is facing, it is important that we keep in mind how hard our educators work and not add to their workload with new mandates, especially in light of possible budget cuts to school districts.”

The cost for testing, which can easily go well into the hundreds of thousands of dollars in a school district, can be staggering.

“We have to change the way we are asking schools to do business and help them lower their costs,” King said, “This legislation is a step in the right direction.”

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Today State Representative Phil King (R-Weatherford) filed three bills to consolidate four state governmental agencies in an effort to preserve money that can be better used in the classrooms of public schools and for other essential services provided by the state. HB 2664 will abolish the Texas Facilities Commission and provide an estimated savings of $4.2 million; HB 2665 will consolidate the Board of Plumbing Examiners and the Texas Funeral Commission into the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation and provide an estimated savings of $1 million; and HB 2879 will suspend the Texas Historical Commission and provide an estimated savings of $4.6 million.

“This legislation is a creative way to reduce the state budget by directing other agencies to take on the key functions of the agencies we’ve targeted,” King explained, “With the projected shortfall Texas is facing in the next biennium it is critical that we think outside of the box on how to save money and redirect it to the areas of our budget that are a real priority such as our classrooms, our teachers, and our elderly.”

The estimated cost savings from these bills comes from the elimination or suspension of the administration of each agency.

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817-381-8282

State Representative Phil King (R-Weatherford) today lauded the great strides made by the Texas Legislative Tea Party Caucus, which was only organized a few weeks ago. The caucus, third largest in the legislature with 57 members, held an orientation for Tea Party groups from all across Texas. Over 300 Tea Party organizers, representing hundreds of thousands of voters, came to Austin for the orientation two weekends ago.

“The idea was to have the first ever citizens’ orientation similar to what newly elected legislators receive before session,” King, who serves as Vice-Chair of the caucus, explained, “Our goal is to keep Texans informed of the process in order for them to help us understand how best to serve the state.”

In addition to the orientation, over the past month the caucus has met with many Tea Party organizers from around the state. The purpose was to listen to what they believe are the major issues they want the legislature to address this session. Topping the list was balancing the budget without raising taxes. As a result of these meetings, the caucus set an agenda for the session that reflects their support for these major issues.

Texas Legislative Tea Party Caucus Statement of Principle

It is the purpose and intent of the members of the Texas Legislative Tea Party Caucus to promote and secure:

• a balanced budget without increased taxation;

• a secure Texas border and an end to illegal immigration;

• the reassertion of the 10th Amendment and repeal of all federal laws in contradiction thereof;

• election integrity, including passage of voter identification legislation;

• advancement of Texans’ 2nd Amendment rights.

“The statement of principle is made up of the top five issues that Tea Party organizers across Texas brought to us,” King stated, “They represent the kind of limited government, conservative values that the Tea Party has come to stand for.”

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Dear Parents –

As you know, due to the projected reduction in tax revenues from the recent economic crisis, Texas must reduce the size of its $87 billion biennial budget by approximately $15 billion. Currently, 40% of Texas’ budget is dedicated to funding public and higher education, making it THE highest priority of the state and the largest budget item (the average of all other states’ spending on education is 30.9% of their entire budget) Examining Decades of Growth in K-12 Education, Texas Public Policy Foundation, pg. 12. It is impossible to balance the budget, given the size of the shortfall, without reducing education funding.

I firmly believe that government must take the same approach as families and businesses across Texas and reduce spending. As parents of school children, these cuts will affect you and your children more than anyone. I’m seeking your advice for where you believe these reductions should be made. Please help me understand how to cut the cost of doing business for schools without reducing the quality of the educational product. While thinking about this issue, please bear in mind a few facts:

• If the Texas public education system were a private company, it would be the fifth largest employer in the world. Blueprint for a Balanced Budget, Texas Conservative Coalition, pg. 15
• The current ratio of teaching to non-teaching positions in the Texas public education system is almost 1:1. See Blueprint for a Balanced Budget, pg. 34 (many districts in our area have a much better ratio. Paradise ISD, for example, has a 13:1 ratio)
• Even after adjusting for inflation, Texas increased its funding of education by 142% between 1987 and 2007

Other facts to consider:

• Many schools in our area are experiencing an extremely fast rate of growth in student enrollment
• Schools have to meet expensive state and federal mandates such as “No Child Left Behind”
• Schools have exceptional costs associated with educating children whose primary language is not English
• The current funding system for schools (much of which is established by court rulings), “Robin Hood”, takes away resources from some local schools and redistributes them to other areas of the state

No state governmental agency or function will go uncut in this painful budget process. The Texas House of Representatives voted two weeks ago to reduce our own office budgets by 10% immediately and by 14% effective in June – directly impacting my staff and their salaries. My daughter and son-in-law are both public school teachers and will also be directly impacted by any cuts to education. I realize the seriousness of these decisions and do not make them lightly. That’s why I’m asking for your help.

It is important that we use this difficult situation as an opportunity to prioritize education dollars down to the absolutely essential functions of our public education system. It is my hope that reductions made to education will focus on administrative functions instead of money for classrooms and school libraries that are precious resources for our children’s education.

As we make tough decisions, I welcome your ideas, observations, and specific cost-cutting suggestions to make sure our education dollars are used efficiently. Thank you for your assistance and serious consideration of this important matter. I look forward to hearing from you and working closely together to find a solution that will cause the least impact on the state’s most valuable resource – our children. I can be reached at [email protected].

Contact Information:
817-381-8282

Please come join State Representative Phil King, Senator Dan Patrick and other conservative Texas Legislative Tea Party Caucus members as they give a briefing on the legislative process to Tea Party members from across the state. This is a great opportunity for Tea Party members to come meet elected representatives from across Texas and learn about how to get engaged in the legislative process in order to be more effective advocates for the conservative movement.

The briefing will be held in the Texas Capitol Auditorium, Room E1.004 in the Capitol Extension this Saturday, February 12th from 1pm – 4pm. We hope to see you there!

Click HERE for a map of the Capitol Extension and click HERE for a map and information on visitor parking at the Capitol.