Two weeks after the conclusion of a rancorous legislative session, the State of Texas now officially has a budget. Gov. Greg Abbott signed the $217 billion document into law this week—but not before vetoing $120 million in funding to various state programs. As The Texas Tribune reports, areas receiving funding cuts include poor communities near the Mexican border and environmental groups. Abbott also slashed funding that would have improved air quality in Texas.
While that funding was vital to the groups it was intended for, it only amounted to one-tenth of one percent of the overall budget. Nevertheless, Abbott touted the move as an effort to slow the expansion of government and ease the burden on taxpayers’ wallets.
Cyrus Reed of the Sierra Club in Texas called the cuts “disappointing.”
