Budget Deal Finally Reached

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After yesterday’s budget mess, it looks like a deal has been reached.

On Thursday the Observer reported that the budget negotiations stalled after pressure from Gov. Rick Perry. The guv wanted to limit new funding for public education to $3.2 billion to avoid a vote in the Legislature on increasing the state’s spending cap.

Late Friday afternoon, the Associated Press reported that Texas House Democratic leader Rep. Yvonne Davis declared lawmakers reached a deal which would fund water infrastructure at $2 billion, restore $3.4 billion to state public education and would have public schools contribute $530 million toward Texas’ Teacher Retirement System.

“We have a tentative commitment that we have a deal,” Davis told the Associated Press. “I think people are pleased. They’ve been working very hard to forge relationships and do some good for Texas.”

The agreement capped contentious on-again-off-again negotiations between Democrats, who wanted the Legislature to go further toward restoring $5.4 billion in cuts to public schools made last session, and Republicans, who didn’t want to take a vote on the spending cap.