Texas In Good Shape

As other states confront deficits with plans to trim government health care to children, disabled and the elderly, lawmakers in Texas so far expect to have enough money when they convene in January to write a state budget without such cuts.

The amount of money projected to be available for the next budget was estimated with the assumption that an economic slowdown would be in play. Still budget officials expect the state to have money to spare while writing the 2010-2011 state spending plan.

A healthy oil industry in Texas means stout employment rates. It also helps the state because proceeds from oil and gas production taxes are divvied up among public education and the state's so-called Rainy Day Fund. Several billion dollars are expected to be sitting in the fund by the time lawmakers meet next January.

Further padding the next two-year budget, lawmakers expect to have more than $8 billion left over from the last spending cycle.