The Texas Legislative Budget Board sent a letter to the Governor last week stating there is underfunding in specific areas of budgeting. The LBB stated that the need for funding constituted an emergency. The following areas having money allocated to them involve school safety, public health, and border operation. 

On the first item, the amount of $100,000,000 is being shifted from the Texas Department of State Health Services to the Texas Division of Emergency Management. This is to help fund the remaining COVID-19 response expenses. This will be done with funds from the American Rescue Plan Act. 

According to its website, the Texas Division of Emergency Management works with Texas and local governments to recover from and prepare for health emergencies and disasters and help local governments create plans and programs to better respond to public health emergencies and disasters works with Texas and local governments to recover from and prepare for health emergencies and disasters and help local governments create plans and programs to better respond to public health emergencies and disasters. They help promote public awareness of public health emergencies, disasters, and training for local authorities to better respond to them. 

On the second item, $415,000,000 will be shifted from the Texas Education Agency’s Foundation School Program Funding, and transferred for two different purposes. $400,000,000 is to “assist school districts in replacing or upgrading doors, windows, and fencing. communications, and other safety measures.” $15,000,000 is to “provide the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District with funds to plan and construct an elementary school.”

On the third item, $359,673,191 will be shifted from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice’s Correction Security Operations and split two ways. $339,673,191 will be transferred “to support the deployment of the National Guard” at the border, and $20,000,000 will be “to support border operations in other state agencies.”

The Texas prison system is having money taken from them and put towards the Texas border operation, Operation Lone Star. Operation Lone Star is Greg Abbott’s border response plan. 

Governor Greg Abbott last week approved the budget proposals.