Rick Perry, David Dewhurst and Joe Straus agree to extend border ‘surge’
Gov. Rick Perry, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and House Speaker Joe Straus announced a funding agreement Tuesday to extend the state police and National Guard enforcement initiatives on the Mexican border through August.
The deal, signed by Perry, Dewhurst and Straus and subject to approval by the Legislative Budget Board at its Dec. 1 meeting, would transfer $86.1 million to pay for the continued presence of Texas Department of Public Safety officers, Texas Parks and Wildlife wardens and National Guard troops on the border.
The largest chunk of the diverted money would be $47.9 million from the Texas Department of Transportation’s general revenue bond debt service. Another $17.58 million would come from the Texas Public Finance Authority bond debt service, $13.7 million from disaster funding, and $7 million from Emerging Technology Fund revenues.
“Texas has proven beyond any doubt that this border can be secured, even if the federal government refuses to take the steps necessary to do so as required by the Constitution,” Perry said in announcing the agreement. “This agreement will ensure the hardworking men and women from DPS, the Texas National Guard and Texas Parks and Wildlife, who have been working with local and federal partners, have the resources they need to maintain a robust law enforcement presence along the border until the Legislature can act.”
Read more: http://www.statesman.com/news/news/state-regional-govt-politics/perry-dewhurst-and-straus-ink-deal-to-extend-borde/nh9g8/
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