ery in sales tax revenues, it will certainly mean a lot less money to budget with. Though most everyone acknowledges there are clouds on the horizon, it is still too early to draw any firm conclusions as to the specific effects it will have on the state. Even amongst the experts there are
wide differences of opinion. While the credit rating agency Moodys has warned that Texas’ balance sheet might soon be seeing red, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts Glenn Hegar has called their report an “oversimplification” and stated that “the current budget works even with oil prices at recent lows.”
Why Does This Matter? Carved on the side of the National
Archives Building in Washington DC (with a nod to Shakespeare) are the words “What Is Past Is Prologue”. In today’s vernacular: history sets the context for the present. As the partisan composition and the leader- ship of the Texas Legislature is unlikely to change much in the next session, how they deal with the issues facing our state will probably seem familiar as well. While no
IN THE SPAN OF JUST FIVE YEARS, TEXAS WENT FROM
PAINFULLY CUTTING $15 BILLION TO BALANCE THE BUDGET IN 2011, TO THE LUXURY OF AN ENORMOUS UNSPENT
SURPLUS IN 2015, TO THE POSSIBILITY OF USING THAT ENTIRE SURPLUS BY THE END OF THIS YEAR.
one has yet predicted a situation anything like the last budget crises, one only has to look back at 2011 for a map of how the Legislature is likely to respond to any shortfall in 2017.
Looking Forward This time next year, we will have
completed the 85th Legislative Session. In preparation, the Legislature is ramping up its schedule for interim hearings. These hearings are studying a number of issues as directed by Lieutenant Governor Dan
Patrick and House Speaker Joe Straus and will form the basis of recommendations by the committees for future legislation. We are closely monitoring participa-
tion in these committees for any recom- mendations that impact business in general and the transportation industry in particu- lar, as well as maintaining our ongoing relationships with legislators, staff and the state agencies that regulate our industry. R
Mark Boskey is TXTA's lobbyist.
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Texas! Summer 2016 41
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