Senator Dan Patrick (R-Houston) and Rep. Ken Paxton (R-McKinney) headlined a February 18 press conference for their bills to limit state spending growth to the rate of the State's population growth plus inflation. Sen. Patrick's bill is SB 928 and Rep. Paxton's bill is HB 994.

"When we look at our budget each year, [economists] come up with economic growth numbers. To me, it's 'pie in the sky' from the position of the economist and how he sees the economy." Sen. Patrick said. "What [this bill] will say is that the budget can not grow more than the total personal state income or the combined rate of population growth and inflation, which ever is less. I believe this will give us a more accurate number most years."

"In 1978 [the state] passed expenditure limitation and since then there has been a 500% increase in state spending." said Rep. Paxton. "At the same time, personal income went up about 400%, gross state product up 366%, and the population increased 297%. So you can see state government is growing faster than almost any other measure of what our people are growing at."

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