The+Texas+Budget+and+the+Budgeting+Process

Power Points

This section walks you through the budgeting process in Texas and gives you an idea about how revenue is collected in the state and where money is spent. It also gives you multiple links to sites that can help you dig further into the plentiful data that exist on the topic.

If you look through the material carefully, you should start to get a handle on the flow of money in the state.

Goals. After the reading the information here, you should be able to address the following:

- What is a budget? - What does the Texas Constitution say about a budget, or the budgeting process? How has the process changed over time? - What institutions exist to impact the budget? What does each do? - What role does a budget play in the governing process? In the grander scheme, what does a budget do for the state? - Be able to define unique aspects of the Texas budget, for example, that it is a two year budget. - How long is the budgeting process and what steps does the budget take on its way to and through the legislature? - What decisions has Governor Perry made about the budget recently? - What controversies have surrounded recent budgets - notably the one produced by the 82nd Legislature. - What influence does the Legislature have over the Budget? How about the governor? - What is the Economic Stabilization Fund? What controversies exist about it? - Be able to answer questions about revenues and outlays associated with Texas budgets.