The Texas Legislature would adopt a budget of about $187 billion for the upcoming biennium, according to budget proposals released by the Texas Legislative Budget Board on Monday.

The Texas Legislative Budget Board, a permanent joint committee of the Texas Legislature charged with drafting budget and policy recommendations for legislative appropriations, released draft estimates of the House of Representatives and Senate budget proposals for the 2014-15 biennium Monday. Lawmakers are expected to file the proposals with the Legislature on Tuesday.

The House proposal allocates $15.6 billion to higher education, $13.5 billion of which comes from the state’s general revenue funds. While the Senate proposal allocates $15.8 billion to higher education, $13.6 billion of the Senate’s proposal comes from the state’s general revenue funds. The state allocated $10.2 billion from general revenue funds to higher education in 2011.

The House is proposing a $187.7 billion budget, which is a 1.2 percent decrease from the budget for fiscal years 2012 and 2013. The proposal appropriates $89.2 billion in general revenue spending, which constitutes a 2 percent increase from the current budget.

The Senate is proposing a $186.8 billion budget, a 1.6 percent drop from the current estimated budget of $189.9 billion, and general revenue spending of $89 billion, a 1.8 percent increase from the current budget.

Printed on Tuesday, January 15th, 2013 as: Legislature proposes lower biennial budget