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Governor Perry's State of the State 2013 
State Priorities

Governor’s Office Homepage - www.governor.state.tx.us

You can also follow on twitter at @texgov using the hashtag #TxSOTS

Policy Priorities

BUDGET

·      True up the budget and move away from budget gimmicks. The budget needs to pay now what is due now.

·      Stronger constitutional limit on spending - ensuring spending does not grow more than the combined rate of inflation and population growth.

·      We should continue to scrub the budget for any waste and redundancies, streamlining wherever possible.

·      End the practice of using dedicated funds and specific fees for anything other than the purpose for which they were intended. If the money is no longer needed for that purpose, we should stop collecting it.

·      Maintain a strong Rainy Day Fund and do not tap the fund to meet ongoing expenses.

TAXES

·       Provide significant tax relief. OOG will have web site to gather input over next 6 weeks. Tax relief website: www.governor.state.tx.us/texastaxrelief

·      Put a mechanism in place so that when the state brings in more than it needs, tax money can be returned directly to the people who paid it. Currently, our constitution does not have such a provision.

·      We need to make the franchise tax exemption for small businesses permanent.

INFRASTRUCTURE

·      Significant one-time capitalization of Infrastructure projects.

·      State Highway Fund appropriations should go only toward transportation. Ending other uses will provide $1.3 billion of ongoing biennial funding for road construction and maintenance.

PUBLIC EDUCATION

·       Create more public charter schools to offer parents a tuition-free alternative to their neighborhood school.

·       Introduce scholarship programs that give students a choice over which school to attend, especially those who are locked into low-performing schools.

·       Provide choice for students and their parents giving them more flexibility within their high school career to prepare them for different post-secondary options.

HIGHER EDUCATION

·      Colleges and universities should continue pursuing $10,000 degree options. Thirteen schools have answered the challenge to date.

·       Implement a four-year tuition freeze for incoming freshmen that will lock tuition at the rate students pay their first semester for four years.

·      Tie a minimum of 10 percent of college and universities' state funding to the number of degrees and certificates awarded.

·      Pass legislation to encourage and incentivize more fast track programs that enable students to earn technical certifications faster, more affordably, and targeted to specific skills in demand by industries.

·      A proposal to substantially increase investment in South Texas.