Supplemental Budget Bill Passes

HB 4586, the supplemental budget bill authored by Representatives Jim Pitts and Craig Eiland and sponsored by Senator Steve Ogden, has passed both chambers and now heads to the Governor for his signature.

The legislation carries important funding for Texas producers and rural communities. Of note is $20 million for the Texas Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation. The money will address critical set backs caused by Hurricanes Ike and Dolly. Texas is the number one cotton producing state in the nation and it's imperative we protect our cotton growers from pests such as the boll weevil.

The supplemental bill will also assist in attracting veterinarians to our rural communities. Right now, Texas is suffering from a major shortage of large animal vets. The Office of Rural Community Affairs has been allocated $500,000 for the Rural Veterinarian Large Animal Loan Repayment Program. The program will address large animal veterinarian needs in rural Texas. The program would require large animal vets to practice in a rural area as a condition for repayment of veterinary school loans.

Our state representatives and senators have put in long hours to come up with legislation that will make Texas a better place to live, work and raise a family. I want to thank them for their patience and continued commmitment to the Lone Star State.

General Appropriations Bill for State Budget on its way to Governor

With three days left in the legislative session, the House and Senate are feverishly working to complete their work. Senate Bill 1, the General Appropriations Act, the state’s operating budget, is now on its way to Governor Perry’s desk to be signed into law. The approved appropriations for the state’s 2010-11 budget totaled $182.3 billion.

Included in Senate Bill 1 is $882 million for TDA, which includes new or increased funding for TDA’s consumer protection responsibilities, the Certified Retirement Community Program, Organic Certification and Grain Warehouse Programs. SB 1 includes continued funding for several programs such as Boll Weevil Eradication, Food and Fibers Research Grant Program, child and adult nutrition programs, road station inspections, feral hog abatement and Zebra Chip research.

The SB 1 funding will enhance TDA’s consumer protection initiatives, as well as ensure Texas has the resources in place to help protect our agricultural producers and industry from inevitable disease and disaster they are forced to contend with each and every year. It will also assist in our continuing efforts to make sure Texas children understand the importance of the 3E's of Healthy Living: Education, Exercise and Eating Right.

The bill appropriates funding to other state agencies that will greatly benefit Texas agricultural producers. The Texas Animal Health Commission will receive funding for the Fever Tick Initiative to protect Texas cattle. Texas AgriLife Extension’s Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory has been appropriated additional funding, and the Texas Forest Service’s Wildfire Protection Plan was funded.

I want to extend my personal thanks to Senate Finance Committee Chairman Steve Ogden and House Appropriations Committee Chairman Jim Pitts for their hard work and leadership in crafting the budget for our state. My sincere appreciation also goes out to Lt. Governor David Dewhurst and Speaker Joe Straus for their dedication to making sure the priorities of the Texas Department of Agriculture and Texans were considered. These state leaders always had a listening ear when we worked with them and their dedicated staff to ensure Texas agriculture has the resouces it needs to tackle the next two years.