AUSTIN – Today, the Texas Senate approved the Senate’s budget for Texas. Upon signing the conference committee report, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick issued this statement:

“Texas becomes stronger and stronger each biennium because our conservative principles guide our approach to budgeting. These principles have kept our state on the right track and will continue to do so for years to come. The Senate’s All Funds budget for Texas was 1.2% larger than last biennium, well within our limit of population growth times inflation.

“This session, Senate Finance Chair Joan Huffman has done a masterful job, committing a record $51 billion for property tax relief and a record $8.5 billion for public education funding, all while keeping our budget conservative, with billions of dollars unspent and without touching the rainy day fund. Nearly one out of every four dollars in state funds has been devoted to property tax relief for Texans. Over the coming sessions, I remain committed to returning even more money to taxpayers to fight back against local government property taxes, while maintaining our steadfast commitment to public education, which accounts for almost half of Texas’ budget.

“Some highlights of our state budget include responsible investments in our electrical grid and water infrastructure, ensuring Texas remains on a path to sustainable growth. We continue our long-standing commitment to public safety, adding hundreds of Department of Public Safety (DPS) troopers to keep our state safe. The budget funds the creation of the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (DPRIT), which will bring the best Dementia researchers and care providers to our state. Also, with the legislature’s abolition of the Texas Lottery Commission, all funding for lottery operations will be transferred to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR).

“Like every budget passed since I became Lt. Governor, this budget fits within all constitutional spending limits and does not exceed population growth times inflation. Last fall, Chair Huffman, our teams, and I started building this budget from the ground up. The entire Senate Finance Committee worked diligently to make this budget a reality. The budget we are sending to Gov. Abbott will keep our state prosperous over the next biennium and beyond. I thank Senate Finance Chair Huffman for her continued leadership in ensuring our state’s financial future is secure.”

The All Funds budget for Texas is $338 billion, an increase of 1.2% from the last biennium. The All State Funds budget for Texas is $237.1 billion, an increase of 4.8% from the last biennium.