Budget Goodies
May 26th, 2007 at 7:48 pm
We took a gander at some of the last earmarks that lawmakers slipped into the budget. Rumors have zipped around the Capitol all week that Speaker Tom Craddick was trying to buy support in a speaker’s race with about $160 million in last-minute funding for higher education in the budget.
This could constitute legislative bribery, which is against the law. (See Chapter 302 of the government code.) We should be clear that, while several House members have told us off the record that Craddick is buying votes, we have not confirmed this or uncovered any definitive proof. Craddick’s office has repeatedly denied the rumor.
But we found some interesting numbers in the budget. Lawmakers have added more than $176 million for public universities into the budget since May 17.
Among the biggest last-minute winners:
UT Southwestern in Dallas received $18 million for obesity and diabetes research, and another $1 million for Sickle Cell research. This is in Terri Hodge’s district.
Texas A&M’s Health Science Center received $29 million in various bills for a medical school expansion. This is Fred Brown’s district.
Texas State in San Marcos received $3 million for a school safety center. That’s Patrick Rose’s district.
Other winners include the UT Health Science Center in Houston, which got $10 million for various programs. And Prairie View A&M was given $4.1 million (Republican John Zerwas represents the school).
And in the speaker’s own district? UT Permian Basin received $9 million for instructional enhancement.
May 27th, 2007 at 2:02 pm
LOL - the ammo that Dunnam has for bribery is that Terri Hodge was given an appropriation? Anyone who knows anything about the House knows that Terri is a radical opponent of Tom Craddick and would never support his speakership. Thanks for the laughs. Next?