Texas legislators are debating the state budget, deciding how YOUR taxpayer dollars will be spent for the next two years.
Fun fact: The state’s two-year budget is the ONLY bill that must pass every session.
The budget isn’t just about numbers - it’s a statement of our values. Texas legislators are poised to fund harmful policies while ignoring critical needs that impact our health, environment, and communities. Budget hearings start next week. We must act now!
We need YOU to raise up your voice and demand smart investments that put Texans, and our environment, first.
Tell the Senate Finance Committee to:
- Prioritize resilient, clean energy: Through the Texas Energy Fund, direct $1 billion to resilience projects and $1.8 billion for solar and battery storage for vulnerable communities (instead of handing over $5 billion in taxpayer subsidies to polluting gas and boondoggle nuclear plants).
- Invest in energy efficiency: Fund 18 additional staff for the State Energy Conservation Office to manage and distribute $700 million in federal funds for rebates and incentives to help Texans save energy and lower bills.
- Protect Texas lands & wildlife: Approve $6 million for Texas Parks & Wildlife fisheries and wildlife programs and $30 million to support farmers and ranchers in conserving their land and water.
- Strengthen environmental protection: Allocate an additional $5 million for air quality monitors to track methane, hydrogen sulfide, and other harmful pollutants. Fund 115 new staff members and provide salary increases to current staff for TCEQ to improve air and water quality enforcement.
- Fix our water systems: Put $142.9 million into our drinking water and wastewater treatment revolving funds to bring down $500 million in federal funds, and ensure the $2.5 billion Texas Water Fund prioritizes sustainable solutions - fixing leaking pipes, expanding drinking water projects, and water reuse - rather than expensive and harmful desalination plants or moving water around the state through expensive pipe projects.
- Hold the oil & gas industry accountable: Fund the plugging of leaking wells with a $100 million investment in programs through the Railroad Commission of Texas -using industry, not taxpayer, funds, create a $3 million inspection and enforcement tracker and develop an $8 million system to track fracking wastewater disposal, ensuring transparency and safety.
Texas needs a budget that works for its people.
Afterall, it’s OUR MONEY. Our tax dollars fund this budget.
As we push for strong legislation and work with legislators to get good bills filed this session, we must first secure the funding we need to turn our priorities into reality. Without a responsible budget that represents the needs of Texans, the priorities and programs outlined in our 2025 Legislative Agenda will not have necessary funding. This is where the fight begins. Tell the Senate Finance Committee to invest in the future Texas deserves - a future that puts Texans first.
