(This legislative update is produced by the UH System Office of Governmental Relations and the UH Division of University Advancement as a service to the UH System community, our alumni, and our friends.)
At the opening of the 78th Texas Legislature, State Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn's budget projections tempered much of the usual first week enthusiasm. She predicts--and the Legislature has to operate within this budget constraint--that the state will end the current fiscal year, ending August 31, 2003, $1.8 billion in the red if measures are not taken to reduce or cut spending. She further anticipates that--presuming flat enrollment and no increases in other services--the state budget will have to be reduced by an additional $7.2 billion in the next biennium.
The Legislative Budget Board later released a base budget that included such things as increased enrollment in public schools, universities and human services. It indicated that the deficit would effectively be more than $10.5 billion for the next biennium.
The Legislature did get down to business very quickly. Both houses passed their rules on Thursday, January 16. In the House, seniority will no longer be used for appointment of members to the Appropriations Committee. They will follow a system used for several years under former House Speaker Gib Lewis. They also increased the number of members who will serve on Appropriations to 29 and added several new committees, including Government Reform, which will handle the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's sunset legislation. The Senate added a similar committee when they adopted new rules.
Lt. Governor David Dewhurst announced committee assignments late Thursday, including the following chairpersons:
Finance--Teel Bivins (R-Amarillo)
Nominations--Jon Lindsay (R-Houston)
Education--Florence Shapiro (R-Plano)
Government Reform--Rodney Ellis (D-Houston)
Criminal Justice--John Whitmire (D-Houston)
State Affairs--Bill Ratliff (R-Mount Pleasant)
Administration--Chris Harris (R-Arlington)
Business & Commerce--Troy Fraser (R-Marble Falls)
Health & Human Services--Jane Nelson (R-Flower Mound)
Infrastructure Development & Security--Steve Ogden (R-College Station)
Intergovernmental Relations--Frank Madla (D-San Antonio)
International Relations & Trade--Eddie Lucio (D-Brownsville)
Natural Resources--Ken Armbrister (D-Victoria)
Veterans Affairs--Leticia Van de Putte (D-San Antonio)
Sens. John Whitmire, Kyle Janek, and Tommy Williams also represent Harris County on the Finance Committee. Sens. Janek and Williams are also on Education. Sen. Royce West (D-Dallas) and a graduate of the UH Law Center is chair of the standing Higher Education subcommittee. Sen. Janek serves on that subcommittee as well.
House Speaker Tom Craddick, who was elected with only one dissenting vote, is expected to announce House committees within the next 14 days.
Comptroller Strayhorn and the Legislative Conservative Coalition both recently released reports for cutting state expenditures, including significant reductions in higher education budgets.
The week of January 20 will be a light one for the Legislature. They did not meet on Monday in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and Tuesday was devoted to inaugural activities.