TX House Republicans Propose Reckless Sequester Plan

Texas House Republicans killed the State Water Plan - House Bill 11 - with their own reckless amendment, the GOP Sequester Plan.

House Bill 11 would have taken $2 billion from the state’s Rainy Day Fund (RDF) to be used for water-supply projects and infrastructure. While we support long-term water infrastructure, House Bill 11 didn't prioritize our states most important investment - education. HB 11 was a critical opportunity to also use RDF dollars to restore portions of the $5.4 billion cut from Texas' public schools in 2011.

The defeated GOP Sequester Plan would have cut $2 Billion - or about 2% - from the bi-annual state budget. It was written to trigger if HB 11 did not pass with the necessary 2/3s vote.

According to Eva DeLuna Castro of CPPP, the GOP Sequester Plan would have equated to:

• $630 million in cuts to HHS (and $900 million in federal funding)
• $807 million in cut sto public schools
• $270 million in cuts to higher education

Rep. Harold Dutton Jr. (D - Houston) called the proposal a travesty:

I don’t think most of you can stand robbing little children in Texas to pay for water problems in Texas. That would be a travesty, members.

Thankfully, the GOP Sequester Plan failed after a point of order raised by Rep. Sylvester Turner sent HB 11 back to committee. Below is a letter our Political Director, Phillip Martin, sent to Texas House Republican Caucus Chairman Brandon Creighton on the GOP Sequester Plan.