Did Not Vote for the Largest Budget Ever: House of Good Cards

The 89th Texas Legislative session broke records on spending and growing government while the big spenders are lying about "$51 Billion in property tax relief." Their projected spending increase is $45 billion (and that was before Conference Committee Christmas tree ornaments were added). This doesn't even include their "off budget" spending spree.

Even worse, according to sage government spending analyst Bill Peacock, "...the combined surplus funds available for the Texas Legislature this session for spending or using for property tax relief range from $70 billion to $80 billion in state funds... Out of the $80 billion surplus, more than $71 billion, or 89.1%, is dedicated to new spending...Only $6.5 billion, or 8.2%, is being returned to taxpayers this session in the form of property tax relief."

Based on all the government-growing bills currently in the pipeline, Republican lawmakers plan to spend most of that and throw taxpayers a few crumbs, all while crowing about how conservative they are.

In the middle of the process of passing this massive budget, two votes in the House (RV #111 and #112) sidelined many good conservative amendments. That's unacceptable. It's not conservative by any definition of the word.

We need a government that stops seeing surplus as bonus money to spend. A surplus should always go back to you, the taxpayer.

Very few of our people voted against bigger government and against more spending, as you can see. Let's keep those who protect your wallet and replace those who don't.

RV#154: Yea 118 (R 68, D 50) - Nay 26 (R 19, D 7)
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Yea - Alders; Allen; Anchia; Ashby; Barry; Bell, C.; Bell, K.; Bernal; Bhojani; Bonnen; Bowers; Buckley; Bucy; Bumgarner; Burrows; Button; Campos; Capriglione; Collier; Cook; Cortez; Craddick; Cunningham; Curry; Darby; Davis, A.; Davis, Y.; Dean; DeAyala; Dorazio; Dutton; Dyson; Fairly; Flores; Frank; Gamez; Garcia Hernandez; Garcia, J.; Garcia, L.; Gates; Gerdes; Gervin-Hawkins; Gonzalez, J.; Gonzalez, M.; Guerra; Guillen; Harless; Harris; Harris Davila; Hefner; Hickland; Howard; Hull; Hunter; Isaac; Johnson; Jones, J.; Jones, V.; King; Kitzman; LaHood; Lalani; Lambert; Landgraf; Leach; Leo Wilson; Longoria; Lopez, J.; Louderback; Lujan; Manuel; Martinez; McLaughlin; McQueeney; Metcalf; Meyer; Moody; Morales, C.; Morales, E.; Munoz; Noble; Oliverson; Ordaz; Orr; Patterson; Paul; Perez, M.; Perez, V.; Phelan; Pierson; Plesa; Raymond; Romero; Rose; Rosenthal; Schofield; Shaheen; Shofner; Simmons; Slawson; Smithee; Spiller; Swanson; Talarico; Tepper; Thompson; Troxclair; Turner; VanDeaver; Vasut; Villalobos; Vo; Walle; Ward Johnson; Wharton; Wilson; Wu; Zweiner

Nay - Bryant; Cain; Goodwin; Harrison; Hayes; Hinojosa; Holt; Hopper; Kerwin; Little; Lowe; Lozano; Luther; Meza; Money; Morales Shaw; Morgan; Olcott; Reynolds; Richardson; Rodriguez Ramos; Schatzline; Schoolcraft; Tinderholt; Toth; Virdell

Absent - Canales; Cole; Geren; Hernandez; Lopez, R.; Martinez Fischer

Please note: the following statements by legislators do not affect the vote count that was recorded.

Charlie Geren: "When Record No. 154 was taken, I was excused because of important business. I would have voted yes." (view other statements of vote for this Rep)

Ray Lopez: "When Record No. 154 was taken, I was temporarily out of the house chamber. I would have voted yes." (view other statements of vote for this Rep)

Trey Martinez Fischer: "When Record No. 154 was taken, I was temporarily out of the house chamber. I would have voted yes." (view other statements of vote for this Rep)