Texas Lawmakers Must Manage Budget Shortfall, COVID Rules

Governing: The pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus is setting the stage for one of the most unusual and high-stakes sessions of the Texas Legislature — ever.

The COVID-19 outbreak crippled the state’s high-flying economy, making for severe budget woes ahead.

A fight over what programs are cut when lawmakers convene in January will play out amid a bipartisan desire to maintain over the next two years the increased funding of public schools approved last year. Then, lawmakers enjoyed a big enough surplus and a sufficiently robust economy that they could boost schools' budget and pay to lower property taxes, at least temporarily, without raising state taxes.

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