Texas lawmakers must deal with a $4.6 billion budget shortfall due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and economic lockdowns will be front and center in the next legislative session in January.
"The pandemic is front of mind – not just in our planning for how we operate the session but what we deliver during session," State Rep. Joe Moody (D-El Paso), who was named House speaker pro tem last year, told the Caller Times. "We have a crisis on two fronts, both an economic and a health care crisis."
Glenn Hegar, the Texas comptroller, projected a $4.6 billion shortfall in the summer as the stay-at-home orders and drop in demand for oil and gas hit the Texas economy hard.
Government agencies were instructed by state leaders earlier this year to cut back on spending until lawmakers meet to decide the state's two-year spending plan next year, reported the Caller Times.
Sen. Jane Nelson (R-Collin County), who leads the Senate Finance Committee, said nothing has changed since those instructions on spending cuts.
"With the projected shortfall, we will have to be especially prudent with our resources," Nelson told the Caller Times.
In addition, the Texas Constitution makes no provisions for meeting virtually so that matter could be addressed when lawmakers return, although State Rep. Todd Hunter (R-Corpus Christi) told the Caller Times rules may be written after the Jan. 12 hybrid session.
"I think the Capitol will probably have a lot of health protocols, probably temperature checks. I think you will see a lot of sanitizing and social distancing," he said.
Improving access to health care, especially for residents who have lost their jobs and health coverage due to the pandemic, is also an issue several lawmakers indicated to the Caller Times.
State Sen. Carol Alvarado (D-Houston) filed a measure to expand eligibility under the federal Medicaid program to cover additional low-income Texas and that would need an amendment to the state's Constitution, the Caller Times reported.
Rep. Matt Shaheen (R-Plano) also would expand the program, but in a different way. Shaheen filed legislation that would give property tax breaks to doctors who accept Medicaid patients as the reimbursement rates are low and often do not cover the cost of care, the Caller Times reported.
