XPost: tx.politics, alt.politics.republicans, alt.fan.rush-limbaugh   
   XPost: sac.politics, talk.politics.guns   
   From: gong@radiognome.com   
      
   On 1/14/2025 2:51 AM, useapen wrote:   
   > AUSTIN — Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced Monday the state will end   
   > its current budget with a surplus of $23.8 billion.   
   >   
   > It's not as high as the record $32.7 billion the state had two years ago,   
   > but lawmakers will still have a lot to consider as they develop the next   
   > two-year budget. That's separate from what's called the state's rainy-day   
   > fund, which is projected to have $28.5 billion by the end of the next two-   
   > year budget in August 2027.   
   >   
   > In all, lawmakers will have nearly $195 billion dollars in state revenues   
   > to spend in the next two-year budget. Over the next 140 days, lawmakers   
   > will have to develop and approve their spending blueprint.   
   >   
   > We spoke with lawmakers about the surplus and how they believe the state   
   > should spend it. Incoming freshman Representative, Shelley Luther, R-   
   > Grayson County, said she is focused on property tax relief.   
   >   
   > "Our property taxes are crazy high in Texas and people are getting taxed   
   > out of their homes," said Luther. "You don't own your home in Texas ever.   
   > You can pay it off, but if you don't pay your taxes, you don't have a   
   > home. We have got to give them some property tax relief immediately,   
   > that's first and foremost."   
   >   
   > Representative Salman Bhojani, D-Euless, said he is looking at property   
   > tax relief but also making key investments in the state's infrastructure.   
   >   
   > "I think we need to think about long-term and short-term," Bhojani said.   
   > "The long-term water infrastructure is in real need of repair and fixing.   
   > I think that's going to cost $150 billion in the next 50 years. Our   
   > schools are not funded well. They want them fully funded. Our teachers are   
   > not getting enough salaries. We need to pay teachers a living wage. Then   
   > we may think about giving property tax relief like we did last session."   
   >   
   > There are thousands of bills that will be filed this legislative session,   
   > but there's only one bill that is required by the Texas Constitution to   
   > pass, and that's the two-year state budget.   
   >   
   > Watch Eye On Politics at 7:30 Sunday morning on air and streaming   
   >   
   > https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/texas-has-nearly-24-billion-surplus-   
   > and-more-than-28-billion-in-rainy-day-fund/?intcid=CNR-02-0623   
      
      $24 billion surplus   
   + $28 billion rainy day fund   
   ---------------   
   = $52 billion that taxpayers are overcharged. Give them their money back.   
      
   --- SoupGate-DOS v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)