Studying state budget documents is usually a reliable way to promote a deep and restorative sleep. Unless you’re scanning the latest appropriations request from the Texas Department of Public Safety, which is more likely to produce night sweats.
The document outlines the agency’s proposed spending for the fiscal years 2018 and 2019, a period Director Steven McCraw warned could be particularly perilous for Texans. During that time, 900 “high risk criminals” would go unarrested by DPS. Troopers would let 98 potential traffic scofflaws pass unmolested — every day.
Building security provided by the agency would become more porous, placing government employees and elected officials at risk for their safety. Citizens seeking handgun licenses will suffer possibly dangerous delays.
The reason for the anticipated mayhem? Four months ago, state leaders instructed agencies to cut their budgets by 4 percent for 2018 and 2019. (Public education, border security and child protection were among a handful of services excluded from the mandate.)...
Read more at:
http://www.mystatesman.com/news/news/state-regional-govt-politics/asked-to-cut-their-budgets-texas-state-agencies-re/nsmS5/
