The Texas House passed a $337 billion two-year budget early Friday morning, advancing funding increases for public education, property tax relief, and border security, while once again rejecting Medicaid expansion.
The measure passed just after 3 a.m., allocating $75.6 billion for public schools, $51 billion for property tax relief, and $6.5 billion for border security.
"We are pouring money into public education. We are ensuring that our border is secure," said Rep. Ellen Troxclair, R-Lakeway.
Democrats pointed to wins in other areas, including women's health.
"We increased the funding for women's health, which is obviously, as the chair of the Women's Health Caucus, I pay a lot of attention to that," said Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin.
The budget also defunds the Texas Lottery Commission, though details on how its responsibilities will be handled remain unclear. Lawmakers again rejected a proposed amendment to expand Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act.
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