Speaker of the House Dade Phelan, R-Orange, presides as the House prepares to debate voting bill SB1 on Aug. 26, 2021, in Austin, Texas.Texas being flush with cash could make for some long nights for House Speaker Dade Phelan next spring.
When Texas has deficits, he said, people come before lawmakers and quickly make their case but don’t stick around much to talk about their work. The longer they are in the hot seat in front of appropriators, the longer they need to defend themselves. "Their roads are atrocious," he said."We may have to do something beyond this $85 billion to help them out."Increase in the state’s economic outlook, essentially what it will collect in taxes for the two-year budget period, which governs what lawmakers have to spend. Phelan said the increase could be $30 billion by the time the legislature convenes and Comptroller Glenn Hegar revises his economic calculations.
Oh look. The only issue on the Republican agenda — tax cuts for the wealthy — will be his main focus. I’m shocked.