Journal of the House of Representatives of the Regular Session of the Sixtieth Legislature of the State of Texas, Volume 1 Page: 121
1946 p. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this legislative document.
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January 18, 1967
HOUSE JOURNAL
STATE EMPLOYEES' SALARIES
Texas state government has made
significant progress in assuming its
responsibilities to the people of Tex-
as. We can say with pride that our
progress has been made while utiliz-
ing less jobs per capita than all but
two of the fifty states. Presently,
there are about 40,000 classified jobs
in the state service. This represents
74 employees for every ten thousand
citizens.
However, we are now in grave dan-
ger of failing to continue our pro-
gress and to carry out our respon-
sibilities because we cannot attract
and hold the manpower and talent
which we must have. During the 1966
fiscal year, turnover in state emp'oy-
ment reached an all time high of 31
percent, and was as high as 75 per-
cent in one state facility.
In order to meet the manpower
requirements, in quantity and quality,
I strongly recommend that you adopt
an entirely new compensation plan
that will correct these deficiencies and
provide a substantial increase in state
employees' salaries. I have recom-
mended such a plan in my budget and
the manner in which it would be im-
plemented is clearly reflected in the
recommended appropriation bill which
will be furnished to each of you this
week.
TEACHER SALARIES
The study now underway by the
Committee on Public School Educa-
tion currently is exploring all facets
of our public school program. Pend-
ing its completion, I propose that you
provide a five percent increase for
all school teachers and other profes-
sional personnel in our public schools
for the 1968-1969 biennium. This
would provide an average annual in-
crease of $278. This is the same per-
centage increase contained in my bud-
get recommendations for faculty sal-
aries in our state-supported colleges
and universities. Including added
teacher retirement costs, this would
require additional state funds total-
ling approximately $50 million for the
next two years.
EMERGENCY APPROPRIATIONS
INSTITUTE OF TEXAN CUL-
TURE I recommend as an emergen-
cy matter that you appropriate $5.5million immediately to complete and
equip the permanent state facility-
the Institute of Texan Culture-by
the time HemisFair opens less than
15 months from now. This will finish,
staff and operate the project we be-
gan with the $4.5 million appropriat-
ed last session.
I view this facility as serving a
vital need. It will enrich and improve
our cultural and educational endeav-
ors and provide a unique and per-
manent asset for all Texans. Even if
Texas were not the host to the na-
tion in 1968 at HemisFair, I would
still recommend that we provide this
type of facility in San Antonio. Its
location-close to the Alamo-is ex-
tremely appropriate at a time when
that historic city is observing its
250th anniversary, and will provide a
panorama of Texan culture to mil-
lions of visitors in 1968.
Complete details of the purpose of
the Institute, its design, and the pro-
gram both during HemisFair 1968
and its subsequent continuing use will
be available to each of you and to
the committees to which this recom-
mended appropriation will be refer-
red.
WATER PLAN So as to provide
for an orderly completion of the Tex-
as Water Plan, I submit as an emerg-
ency matter a recommended approp-
riation of $625,000. Funds authorized
for this emergency appropriation will
be used to make a complete analysis
of alternatives raised during the
course of the water hearings held
this past summer on the preliminary
Texas Water plan.
COORDINATING BOARD The
Texas Opportunity Plan which was
adopted by the last Legislature to pro-
vide loans to students attending our
higher education institutions has been
highly successful. There have been 5,-
247 loans made totalling over $3,550,-
000 since the program was launched
last fall. The Coordinating Board has
faced some extreme difficulties in pro-
cessing the loans because of short-
age of personnel and operating ex-
penses. In addition, the Higher Edu-
cation Act of 1965 has bestowed a
number of additional responsibilities
upon the Board and its staff which
were not anticipated at the time the
last appropriation act was enacted. As
an emergency matter I propose that121
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Texas. Legislature. House of Representatives. Journal of the House of Representatives of the Regular Session of the Sixtieth Legislature of the State of Texas, Volume 1, legislative document, 1967; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth193874/m1/125/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.