AUSTIN – Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick issued this statement today following the passage of Senate Bill 2190, by Senator Joan Huffman, R-Houston:

“Senate Bill 2190 goes a long way in protecting the pensions of our first responders as well as the interests of Houston taxpayers. It addresses a problem that has been building for thirty years and will help put the City of Houston on sound-footing. This has been one of the most challenging pieces of legislation to pass in my ten years in public office because there are so many stakeholders. However, in the end, the vast majority of those stakeholders agreed this is the best way forward.  I commend the commitment, leadership and hard work of Sen. Huffman and all those who helped pass this historic legislation.”

“There is no doubt that Senate Bill 2190 represents meaningful progress towards establishing a fair and sustainable solution to the City of Houston’s pension problem,” said Sen. Joan Huffman. “It ensures that taxpayers will not have to absorb future pension costs while protecting the city from a spiral of debt and a full-scale financial crisis. I thank all my fellow senators for their support on this important bill.”

“Today, the Senate approved a locally developed and agreed-to solution that will place the City of Houston on a sustainable financial path,” said Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner. “I’d like to thank Sen. Joan Huffman, the bill’s author, Sen. Whitmire, and Lt. Governor Patrick for their work in moving this forward.”

“The concerns with Sen. Huffman’s bill regarding police pensions have all been addressed to our satisfaction,” said Ray Hunt, President of the Houston Police Officers Union. “We applaud Sen. Huffman and her colleagues who voted yes along with the lieutenant governor for staying the course to get this important legislation passed in the senate.”

In a letter to the lieutenant governor today, the Board of Directors of the Greater Houston Partnership wrote: “This plan, while not perfect, represents a level of agreement on positive reforms that sets us apart from any other city in the country and contains essential elements which are in keeping with some of the most successful reform plans across the country.”