Calls for review of all legislative agencies

 AUSTIN – I am extremely disappointed that the Legislative Budget Board (LBB) Executive Director, Ursula Parks, sent a letter to the Comptroller expressing the view that Governor Abbott did not act appropriately in vetoing over $200 million from the budget. Our office staff met with the Governor’s staff recently to discuss this issue. After listening to the Governor’s position we made it very clear to the Director that as a Co-Chair of the LBB I would not join her in a letter challenging the Governor’s vetoes.

We support the Governor’s goal of saving taxpayers over $200 million. If there are process issues we can work through them during the interim between our offices. The Director persisted in writing a letter to the Comptroller. We then asked her office to send our staff the letter in advance. We wanted to be sure that it was clear the letter was from her, expressing her and her staff’s opinion, and not from me. She had a right to send a letter, but she knew we were not in support of her position.

I am sending a letter to Speaker Straus to recommend a joint special committee to examine how the LBB and all legislative agencies operate, what reforms are needed, what guidelines are needed and what changes need to be made.