Texas Legislature adjourns 3rd special session

The Texas Legislature has adjourned, ending the third special session of the year after passing a major transportation measure.

Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and House Speaker Joe Straus declared the session over late Monday after lawmakers approved a constitutional amendment that would boost transportation spending by about $1.2 billion per year. The money would come from oil and gas revenues diverted away from the state’s Rainy Day Fund.

Lawmakers agreed to a deal that would put the amendment in front of voters in 2014 and require the Legislature to set a minimum balance for the Rainy Day Fund every two years. Conservatives had hoped to set the minimum balance in the Texas Constitution.

The measure falls short of the $4 billion a year experts say the state needs for roads.