Austin senator wants public vote on budget trick (dedicated funds shifting)
Four years ago, state Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, was alone in the wilderness calling for the end of a little understood but high-dollar accounting maneuver that had helped Texas balance its budget for two decades.
Today, it is all the rage in the Texas Legislature to decry the diversion of public dollars that are collected for a specific purpose but not spent for that purpose. Over the years, nearly $5 billion have accumulated from fines, fees and dedicated taxes that were supposed to be used for trauma centers, vehicle emissions reduction, student loan repayments for doctors and other specific purposes.
Gov. Rick Perry has made ending the practice a central component of his Budget Compact and highlighted the issue in his State of the State address on Tuesday. Republican leaders in both chambers are developing plans to wean the state budget off the so-called dedicated funds.
Watson said he welcomes the bipartisan company on what was once a lonely crusade, but he wants a guarantee that the diversions will stop once and for all. On Thursday, he proposed a constitutional amendment that would put the state on a path to end the practice by 2020.
More at http://www.statesman.com/news/news/state-regional-govt-politics/austin-senator-wants-public-vote-on-budget-trick/nWCRq/ .
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