Burnt Orange Report

Strayhorn Tries Again

By Byron LaMasters

I'm actually starting to like Comptroller Carol Keeyton Strayhorn this year. She's really been about the only Republican in a statewide office to recognize the need to increase revenue to balance the budget, and to advocate very needed spending especially on health care. She went at it again last week:

Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn urged lawmakers Friday to spend $702.6 million she says is available to ease health-care cuts they approved in the regular session that ended last month.

"We can be leaner, not meaner," Mrs. Strayhorn said at a health-care symposium sponsored by the Vinson & Elkins law firm.

"And we can cut out some of that anxiety," she said, referring to low-income and sick recipients of state health care who soon will be notified they'll lose some or all of their current benefits on Sept. 1.

Mrs. Strayhorn called for lawmakers in their special session to pass legislation to boost Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program and other health services, using newly available federal funds and state money freed up by a transportation bill and Gov. Rick Perry's recent vetoes.

Last month, the comptroller thought for a time that the two-year budget was $185.9 million short, until she and Mr. Perry agreed to cut money she had sought but said was no longer needed.

In calling for swift action, the comptroller resumed a running battle over budget issues.

As she has before, Mrs. Strayhorn questioned budget provisions that allow Mr. Perry and a 10-member legislative panel to decide how to spend savings from the governor's vetoes or other new funds when the Legislature is not in session.

She said Mr. Perry and the Legislative Budget Board – which Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst heads, with House Speaker Tom Craddick as its vice chairman – could legally spend $372.3 million left from the state-relief part of President Bush's latest tax-cut bill. The budget provides for receipt of new federal money, she said.

But Mrs. Strayhorn described as "new dollars" $98.6 million saved by Mr. Perry's vetoes and $231.7 million from driver's license and car inspection fees.

"Appropriating new dollars is the business of the Legislature, and the Legislature is here in town," she said.

However, Mr. Perry and top GOP lawmakers appear in no hurry to heed Mrs. Strayhorn's advice.

"There are no plans to open the call to that issue," Kathy Walt, Mr. Perry's spokeswoman.

"That is why there is budget execution authority, a practice that has been in place for many, many years," Ms. Walt said, referring to the power of the governor and the Legislative Budget Board to move money around within the budget when lawmakers aren't in session.

Sen. Teel Bivins, R-Amarillo, the Senate's chief budget writer, said a budget rider allows Mr. Perry and the board to redistribute money saved by vetoes; another suggests cuts in health and education spending that might be reversed, Mr. Bivins said.

"The full Legislature has already developed a methodology to handle any additional revenue," the senator said.

A Democratic lawmaker applauded Mrs. Strayhorn.

"It's about time we have a leader who understands the true needs of Texans," said Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston. "The Legislature has the power of the purse; it's our responsibility."

Well, I'm glad that she's trying, but its pretty hopeless.

Posted by Byron LaMasters at July 13, 2003 01:22 PM | TrackBack