The base budget is basically the current law budget, useful for answering the question, what would happen if we funded only those programs we are currently funding?

When the base budget is less than the revenue estimate, the state has a surplus.

The Legislative Budget Board prepares the base budget by requesting a Legislative Appropriations Request for each state agency. For the big agencies, this request will include an estimate of caseload growth for key programs.

In particular, watch for the Health and Human Services Commission’s Combined Legislative Appropriations Request, which includes the budget requests for all Texas health and human services agencies. It is usually released in the mid-to-late fall.

Another key Legislative Appropriations Request is the Texas Education Agency’s request, which includes the cost of running the Foundation School Program (state funding for public schools). It’s one of the key cost-drivers in state government.

For 2009, the TEA budget request could be especially important, as it will contain an estimate of costs to keep the base school maintenance property tax rate at $1.00 per $100 of valuation.

There’s no scientific way to answer an inherently political question. Nonetheless, state agencies place exceptional items — i.e., the agencies want more money for them — at the end of their appropriations requests. By looking over these items, one can often tell some of the key additional spending that will be debated in the fall.

With the Internet, more information is public about government than ever before. Legislative Appropriations Requests are now online at the Legislative Budget Board’s website. Most of the smaller agencies have already submitted theirs.

The big-ticket agencies — Health and Human Services Commission, Department of Public Safety, Texas Education Agency, the universities — are still working on theirs.

The Legislative Budget Board holds hearings on appropriations requests. Once the Legislature convenes, both houses also hold budget hearings for each agency.

Sen. Dan Patrick (R-Houston) praised the LBB for putting appropriations requests online and called on Texans to involve themselves in the budget process. "Legislative appropriations requests are not light reading," said Patrick, "but I encourage everyone to focus on Section 1, the Administrator’s Statement and Section 2.E, the Summary of Exceptional Items Request. These sections will give readers a brief outline of what funds the agency is requesting and how the agency intends to spend them.

"The Texas budget has doubled since 1998 and has consistently outpaced population and inflation growth. I invite all the taxpayers of Texas to review each appropriation request and contact their legislators with budget cut recommendations."

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