State budget pact calls for 19% increase

DallasNews.com | News for Dallas, Texas | Latest News: "As lawmakers late Thursday put finishing touches on a budget agreement that approaches $140 billion, some of the conservative activists who dominate Texas GOP politics angrily began calling for some fiscal handcuffs.

The reason: The two-year budget has been spread across two bills that call for spending 19.1 percent more than the lean budget the Legislature passed last session."