Legislature Approves Substantial Increase in Parks Funding
But Nothing is Ever Easy or Simple
Whoever
said that “victory is sweet” apparently did not spend a lot of time around the Texas Legislature. It’s more like “sweet
and sour.”
The sweet part is that parks advocates won a substantial
increase in funding for state and local parks for the
coming 2008-2009 biennium: at least $180 million MORE
than for the current biennium as a result of the passage
of HB 1 (the state appropriations bill) and HB 12. See
Table of Additional Funding.
For that major accomplishment, appreciation goes to a host of organizations, people, and public officials but especially to George Bristol of the Texas Coalition for Conservation and HB 12 sponsor Rep. Harvey Hilderbran (R-Kerrville), both of whom have championed this cause for at least three legislative sessions.
A few “sour” notes, some of which may turn sweeter
later:
* The lifting of the cap on the allocation of sporting goods tax revenue for parks is not guaranteed for future legislative sessions and will depend in part on the outcome of an interim study of the sporting goods tax (not necessarily a bad idea).
* In addition to its provisions on the sporting goods tax,
HB 12 transfers 18 state historic sites from the state
park system to the Texas Historical Commission (THC) despite
the fact that no study has recommended such a transfer
and that it is likely to result in duplication of effort
and expenditures between THC and Texas Parks & Wildlife
Department.
* HB 1 and HB 12 also place certain requirements on Parks & Wildlife
to take actions in response to the recent state audit of
state park activities;
* Much of the money for major repairs for state parks is dependent upon the passage by the voters this coming November of a proposed constitutional amendment that would authorize up to $1 billion in bonds for various state repair projects and related costs (of which initially at least only a small part would be for major repairs at parks); and
* By being forthright with the public and public officials
about inadequate funding for state parks, Parks & Wildlife Department has been “rewarded” with having its scheduled sunset review pushed forward by four years – meaning
that the agency will have to spend time preparing a self-evaluation
on all of its programs and functions (not just parks) and
spend time explaining and justifying its activities to
the state Sunset Advisory Commission and staff while the
agency is also trying to get our state parks system back
in shape.
Let’s face reality though.
This is the Texas Legislature, where conservation
victories never come easily, and no major issue
is ever addressed simply. The most important
thing to get out of this session for parks was
a substantial increase in funding. That was
done, at least for the next two years. Everything
else presents new challenges but new opportunities
to achieve more victories for parks in the next
session.
