Progress Texas recently published a brief on the major issues concerning Texans and the 83rd Texas Legislature - clicking on the links take you straight to that issue:
- Budget and Taxes: Investing in Our Future
- Expanding Medicaid: 231,000 Jobs by 2016
- The Battle to Save Public Schools
- Family Planning Cuts Run Deep
- Water for a Rainy Day
- LGBT and the Fight for Equality
- The Voting Rights Act Still Matters
Gov. Rick Perry gives his 7th State of the State address.
Texas Democratic legislators respond to Gov. Perry's 7th State of the State address.
One House Democrat said the governor painted an unrealistic picture of the state. "Not sure what parallel universe Gov. Perry is living in, but it's not the same one as the people in my district," said Rep. Naomi Gonzalez, D-El Paso. "We need to restore money to education and health care."
Two years ago, Perry declared there would be "no sacred cows" immune to deep budget cuts as the state struggled with a $27 billion budget deficit amid an economy still feeling the effects of The Great Recession. Lawmakers responded by passing deep cuts across-the-board, including slashing $5.4 billion from public schools and billions more from state Health and Human Services programs. (Gov. Rick Perry's State of the State Speech - 2011)