Former Houston city councilwoman and State Representative – Elect Carol Alvarado will be sworn in under the State Capitol dome at noon on Tuesday.
Before she officially takes office, Alvarado is preparing Texans for some grim financial news.
As we’ve reported, State Comptroller Susan Combs has warned lawmakers that they will have about $9 Billion less in general spending compared to the last biennium.
Alvarado says, “This decrease may prompt the legislature to look at tapping into the rainy day fund to cover onetime expenditures, such as Hurricane Ike recovery and supplementing lost federal funding for Medicaid.
The good news is that Texas does have about $7 Billion in the Rainy Day Fund.
State Rep. Sylvester Turner told 2 on the Beat, ‘There are many states that would love to have a rainy day fund. We have a real one, and there’s money in it.”
Speaking of Turner, all eyes will be on him as the Texas House braces for a change in leadership.
Speaker Tom Craddick (R-Midland) is expected to be replaced by State Rep. Joe Straus of San Antonio, a more moderate Republican.
Since 2003, Turner has served as Speaker Pro-Tem, which made him one of the few Democrats who exerted power and influence in a GOP controlled House. He also sat on three powerful committees.
On Monday, Rep. Turner told 2 on the Beat that he is waiting to find out his committee assignments, and does not expect to continue serving in the second most powerful position in the Texas House of Representatives.
Mary Benton Media 