82nd Texas Legislature
The 82nd Texas Legislature faced such a massive, unprecedented budget deficit this session – some $27 billion out of a total $180 billion budget – that making cuts and passing a balanced budget took much of its energy. The 170 days of the regular and special sessions of the Legislature concluded on June 30 with a bushel-basket of accomplishments and a handful of disappointments.
The good news for TARA members is there were no new taxes or any increases in current state taxes passed this session. The Legislature was able to enacted a budget that reduced spending by $15 billion and avoided any tax increases. Understanding how business fared this legislative session begins and ends with the state budget. So much attention was focused on the budget that legislators had little inclination or time to pass legislation harmful to business. Business dodged most of the harmful bills thrown its way.
In addition, lawmakers reformed health care delivery, passed "loser pays" tort reform, completed their redistricting chores (passing House, Senate, congressional, and Board of Education maps), reformed windstorm insurance, reauthorized transportation and youth commission programs, required photo identification of voters, and required sonograms for women seeking abortion services.
The Legislature did not enact major immigration, border security or sanctuary cities legislation; neither did it criminalize federal airport security practices. While a wide variety of public and higher education reforms were enacted, most lawmakers and advocates found the results barely acceptable, instead focusing on the large budget cuts these programs suffered.
In the end, its main accomplishment was forging a budgetary consensus that met nearly all the Republican leadership’s goals. But, while it preserved the Rainy Day Fund on paper, the state's security cash is likely to be depleted by supplemental appropriations shortly after the November 2012 general election.
Legal challenges to the new districts and some of the education measures are next on the docket, with results that are impossible to predict. And now, the political focus in Austin has moved quickly past the Legislature’s adjournment to Governor Perry’s candidacy for President of the United States.
Legislation Filed
In the 2011 session, lawmakers filed fewer bills than in previous sessions. All told, 6,303 bills and proposed constitutional amendments were filed. Compare that to 7,609 bills in 2009, and it’s a decrease of more than 20 percent. Even with that decrease, the volume of bills remains very high.
In 2009, lawmakers passed 19.3 percent of bills filed; this year, 22.4 percent made the cut. Fewer bills were filed, but – percentage-wise – more bills passed.
