Journal of the House of Representatives of the Regular Session of the Sixtieth Legislature of the State of Texas, Volume 1 Page: 235
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Febrary , 197 HOSE JURNA 2I
million. Of this total, one-fourth, or
$24.4 million, will constitutionally flow
to the Available School Fund where
it can be utilized to help meet the
cost of the supplemental teacher pay
increase, which I have proposed.
The remaining $73.2 million would
go into the State Highway Fund, of
which $24.4 million is dedicated by
law to farm-to-market roads. The
other $48.8 million will be available
for use at the discretion of the High-
way Commission.
Our farm-to-market road program
began in 1949 with the passage of the
Colson-Briscoe Act, which provided
for an automatic allocation of $15
million a year from general tax re-
sources to the construction of so-
called "land service" roads.
Later, a portion of the gasoline tax
also was dedicated to the farm-to-
market road program. Over the years
the gasoline tax has become the major
source of support of the farm-to-
market road program, and currently
provides in excess of $50 million a
year for this purpose.
Combined with the Colson-Briscoe
Act and federal funds, we are now
spending over $75 million a year on
these roads. We now have more than
35,000 miles of farm-to-market roads.
Therefore, I recommend the repeal
of the Colson-Briscoe Act and the
automatic allocation of $15 million a
year made under it. This will increase
the resources of our general revenue
fund by $30 million in the next bien-
nium. This will have no appreciable
affect on the farm-to-market road
program and at the discretion of the
Highway Commission need not affect
it at all.
In summary, my revenue recom-
mendations to this point will produce
an additional $129.2 million in general
revenue funds in the next biennium.
In addition, as a part of my total
spending program, but distinct from
general revenue needs I have pre-
viously outlined, I recommend in-
creased expenditures totaling approx-
imately $19 million for public assis-
tance and medical care.
In 1963, the people of Texas adopted
an amendment to the Constitutionauthorizing the expenditure of up to
$60 million per year for public assis-
tance. Appropriations for assistance
grants were increased by the 59th
Legislature but fell significantly be-
low the amount authorized by the
Constitutional Amendment.
I recommend that we increase our
expenditures for public assistance to
the needy aged, the blind, families
with dependent children, and the per-
manently and totally disabled to the
full amount authorized by the people
of this state. This recommendation re-
quires $15,302,122 in additional state
funds for the 1968-1969 biennium.
Further, I am recommending that
proper medical care be provided for
all recipients of public assistance un-
der Title 19 of the federal Social
Security Act. The provision of this
care will require additional state
spending of $3,756,050 during the
biennium.
In summary, the recommended in-
crease in welfare grants and imple-
mentation of Title 19 total $19 mil-
lion for the 1968-1969 biennium.
These additional welfare expendi-
tures, coupled with the general rev-
enue needs which I have outlined
for you, will bring the total of neces-
sary new revenue to some $144 mil-
lion-about $15 million more than the
$129.2 million in new revenue which
I have already outlined.
I think it should be apparent to you
that we have reached a place in time
where we must re-evaluate our posi-
tion as one of the leading, most pro-
gressive and fastest-growing states in
the nation. We have reached a time
when we must look toward broaden-
ing the economic base of Texas.
Talk of taxes is never pleasant,
but this procedure will be with us
from now on-demands for more state
services will continue to expand as
we continue to grow and keep pace
with the changing times. Texas is a
land of industrial expansion. Tourism
is on the move. Texas has come of
age.
Consequently, we must look to the
future and find even more new sour-
ces of revenue.
Therefore, in order to balance theHOUSE JOURNAL
235
February 2, 1967
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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/m1/239/: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.