Dan Patrick At a Loss Over House’s Proposed State Budget

This week in Texas politics with the Texas Tribune.

By Rhonda FanningJanuary 27, 2017 2:12 pm,

The Standard checks in with the week that was in Texas politics with Texas Tribune reporter Patrick Svitek.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick criticized the Texas House’s budget proposal in a radio interview Thursday, saying he couldn’t explain it. “The House budgets money they don’t have,” Patrick said. “They don’t have it.”

The House’s initial spending plan exceeds the state comptroller’s projected biennial state general revenue, which is the amount of money lawmakers have to work with.

“I think it was the opening salvo in the Senate and House budget battles,” says Svitek. “You have Dan Patrick, who presides over the Senate, coming out and having some pretty critical words for the House budget, especially this early on in the process.”

What you’ll hear in this segment:

– Whether Texas will get wrapped up in the national conversation about voter fraud

– What Texas lawmakers have said in response to President Donald Trump’s proposed tariff on Mexican imports

Written by Molly Smith.