The Texas House Appropriations Committee yesterday adopted recommendations (pdf) from its subcommittee on Article V of the budget, which covers Public Safety and Criminal Justice. Obviously the Senate Finance Committee will have their say, too, and there's a long way to go before anything is final. But here are a few highlights from adopted committee recommendations on the House side that caught Grits' eye:
Texas probation department directors will be pleased to learn the committee adopted a recommendation to create a line item paying for probation officers' health insurance, allocating $17.6 million toward that end. They also tacked on an additional $30 million for diversion programs in addition to what was in the filed version of the budget, though basic supervision funds were reduced by $5.75 million to account for declining caseloads.
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice had requested an additional $102.4 million to pay for inmate health care after slashing the budget by a roughly like amount last session. TDCJ chief Brad Livingston had told the subcommittee such an increase would bring the agency's healthcare budget back up to levels during the 2010-11 biennium. The House Appropriations Committee, though, boosted spending for healthcare by only $47.4 million, which essentially makes up for the shortfall experienced this biennium by the system's providers at UTMB and Texas Tech. They declined additional money for raises for front-line health staff, new capital equipment, medical transportation vehicles, and funding to restore nurses and other front-line positions that were cut in the current biennium.
The parole division was given a $10 million boost to account for rising caseloads, and another $6 million was allocated to treat parolees suffering form mental illness. They also approved funds for seven new hearings officers, two new voting members of the parole board, and $300K for a consultant's study to evaluate parole eligibility guidelines. In addition, TDCJ had requested funding for 100 "reentry coordinators" to assist the 75,000 inmates per year leaving Texas prisons reintegrate into society - the committee gave them funding for 50. A request for $26.3 million to replace old vehicles (last session they were budgeted nothing for that purpose) was whittled down to just $4.2 million. A $7 million request to replace aging personal computers was also shot down.
The Department of Public Safety was given $10 million for new vehicles and $2.4 million to staff their gunboats patrolling the Rio Grande. A request for $52.9 million to expand Fusion Center operations was turned down. DPS would receive an additional $8.7 million for crime labs (representing 28.2 FTEs) and $10.9 million to outsource DNA testing and to upload data into the FBI's CODIS system.
Relatedly, Mike Ward at the Austin Statesman has a report on the Senate Finance Committee's recommendation to shutter two prison units and, oddly, to lease a unit in Jones County that was built on spec in hopes of housing TDCJ prisoners. Now they want the Lege to bail them out. Funding for the Jones County facility was not added to the budget by House Appropriations, so if its inclusion on the Senate side stands the issue would likely be resolved in the conference committee.
"The Texas Department of Criminal Justice had requested an additional $102.4 million to pay for inmate health care after slashing the budget by a roughly like amount last session. TDCJ chief Brad Livingston had told the subcommittee such an increase would bring the agency's healthcare budget back up to levels during the 2010-11 biennium. The House Appropriations Committee, though, boosted spending for healthcare by only $47.4 million, which essentially makes up for the shortfall experienced this biennium by the system's providers at UTMB and Texas Tech. They declined additional money for raises for front-line health staff, new capital equipment, medical transportation vehicles, and funding to restore nurses and other front-line positions that were cut in the current biennium."
ReplyDeleteThis is exactly as it should be. UTMB's record of wasteful spending over the years is abysmal. UTMB-CMC is a University playing at being a company. They need to be kept on a short leash.
Just as a note of clarification. Texas Tech did not have a budget shortfall. Texas was successful in operating within the budget alloted.
ReplyDeletesome one needs to write on how the Texas court system is screwing people over and making them take and N.G.R.I. plea. now fill free to E-mail me @ GThurby@yahoo.com about this matter and how the Texas state hospitals are a cash cow just to hold us year after year with out getting out hell if you would have went to prison at least you would have an out date any one want to help all of us that is stuck in here????????
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