Remember those Republicans that voted against protecting the Rainy Day Fund a week ago? You can now add Reps. Larry Gonzales (R-Round Rock) and Vicki Truitt (R-Southlake) to the list.
We reported last week that Rep. Phil King (R-Weatherford) attempted to strip an amendment by Donna Howard (D-Austin) that would commit to spending future Rainy Day Fund money. The vote earned a majority of support, but because the attempt occurred on 3rd reading, it failed due to a 2/3 requirement. For a list of those Republicans who voted to auto-spend the RDF, click here.
Now the House Journal has been updated showing statements from Reps. Larry Gonzales (R-Round Rock) and Vicki Truitt (R-Southlake) saying they actually intended to vote irresponsibly.
For Rep. Truitt, this shouldn’t come as any surprise. She’s hasn’t exactly been an advocate of the taxpayers during her tenure in the House, known for pushing for higher gas taxes and earning a failing grade on our Fiscal Responsibility Index during the 2009 and 2007 sessions.
It’s more disappointing to see this position from Rep. Larry Gonzales, a freshman elected during the Tea-Party “wave” last November. But given his eagerness to use the Rainy Day Fund so early in the session, maybe this shouldn’t come as a surprise either.
On a positive note, Rep. Rob Eissler (R-The Woodlands) and Rep. George Lavender (R-Texarkana) inserted statements into the House Journal declaring they did intend to vote correctly.
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Dustin Matocha is the Social Media Coordinator of Empower Texans / Texans for Fiscal Responsibility.
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