Texas House Goes Robin Hood on Business Incentive Fund, Gives Money to Child Welfare, Medicaid
In another swipe at Governor Greg Abbott, the Texas House voted Thursday to remove $43 million from a fund offering incentives to businesses controlled by his office and transfer the money to child welfare and Medicaid.
During the first few hours of the marathon House budget debate, an amendment by state Representative Sergio Muñoz, D-Palmview, called for defunding of the Texas Enterprise Fund. The $43 million was split in half, with $21.5 million redirected to hiring direly needed staff at Child Protective Services and Adult Protective Services, and the other $21.5 million diverted to reversing cuts to acute therapy services for kids.
Lawmakers in 2015 approved a $350 million cut to Medicaid payment for therapy services for disabled children — a move that endangered tens of thousands of kids who depend on the care, and caused an uproar among families and Medicaid advocates.
Muñoz’s amendment was a Robin Hood-esque move that left at least one lawmaker fuming. By completely gutting the Enterprise Fund, Muñoz’s amendment nullified all other potential amendments — 18 pages’ worth — that planned to pull cash from the program to fund other priorities.
Read more: https://www.texasobserver.org/texas-house-goes-robin-hood-business-incentive-fund-gives-money-child-welfare-medicaid/
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