State Senator Worried About State Budget Crisis’s Impact On El Paso

It’s shaping up to be a grueling session for the Texas legislature. Lawmakers are dealing with a projected 27 billion dollar state deficit, several painful budget cut proposals and no easy fixes.

Saturday morning State Senator Jose Rodriguez held a District Advisory Committee meeting at the Ysleta Independent School District’s central office. It was open to the public. “I want to hear what the community’s concerns are,” Rodriguez told ABC-7.

The most pressing concern at the meeting was the 2012-2013 budget and how it will impact El Paso’s future.

“Right now the proposed cuts would have a tremendous impact on El Paso,” said Rodriguez.

The Senate’s proposal calls for a 10.1% cut to public education and a 5.3% cut to higher education. Teacher Ruben Estrada attended Saturday’s meeting to voice his concerns. He told ABC-7 his colleagues are already anxious about the proposed cuts.

“We’re walking on eggshells,” said Estrada. “We don’t know if we’re going to get the pink slip tomorrow, if we’re gonna get the pink slip next week, or even if we’re going to be able to meet our mortgage payments.”

Republican lawmakers have pledged not to raise state taxes. Rodriguez said that means local school districts and governments will have to scramble to make ends meet.

“Let me give you an example. When they say they’re going to cut the state’s contribution to the teacher’s pension fund and to health care programs for teachers… the school districts are going to have to pick up that cost. How do they pick up the cost? By increasing the property tax,” said Rodriguez.

Another big budget cut concern: health services. According to a presentation during Saturday’s meeting, El Paso stands to lose $473.8 million dollars in state health care funds.

Foster School of Medicine Dean Dr. Jose Manuel De La Rosa said those cuts would be devastating. “We’d have to look very closely at laying off 33 faculty and 99 staff. That’s a tremendous cut in our education program. If the proposal stays the way it is, we’re going to have problems,” said Dr. De La Rosa.

Rodriguez said options remain to curb some of those budget cuts, like tapping into the state’s $9.4 billion dollar rainy day fund.

The Texas House of Representatives drafted its own budget proposal. Theirs contains more cuts than the senate’s version.