Paying for Next Year This Year
Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst has a lot riding on a budget deal between the Texas House and Senate. Photo by Chris Kosho for KUT News.Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
The course of true love, they say, doth never run smooth. The same can be said for crafting the Texas budget this year. While the budget ball is squarely in the state senate’s court, coming up with a spending plan that will pass that body and be remotely palatable to House Republicans is not an easy thing. And it may be especially trying for the President of the Texas Senate, Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst.
Political insiders figure the lieutenant governor will make a run for retiring U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison’s seat next year. So how he navigates the political landmines on the budget path could have an impact on Dewhurst’s prospects in a GOP senate primary next March.
KUT’s Ian Crawford and Jason Embry of the Austin American-Statesman discuss how this year’s budget deal could affect next year’s political prospects in this week’s “Texas Political Parlor.”
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