Newspaper clipping headlined, "Governor's Report," June 10, 1982, by Governor William P. Clements, Jr., in the Childress Index, regarding the actions of the Texas Legislature in a special session, including legislation on ad valorem taxes, construction at state universities, and prison expansion.
The Texas Legislature deserves great credit for prompt action addressing major issues in a highly- productive special session. Within five days, lawmakers completed the emer- gency assignments for which I called them into session May 24. The way finally has been cleared for relieving Texas property owners of a potential billion dollar tax liability. Voters will have an opportunity November 2 to adopt a constitutional amendment submitted to them by an overwhelming vote of the Legislature to abolish the 10 cent state ad valorem levy. At the same time, $151.4 million was appropriated for construction at the 17 state universities outside The University of Texas and Texas A&M University sys- tems. Revenue from the state property tax went to the 17 schools for their building programs until three years ago when the Legislature sought to repeal it. Some of the schools filed suit challenging constitutionality of the legislative act. The suit is pending. Future building needs of these institutions will be considered in the regular session of the Legislature which convenes in just seven months. I am confident that a fair and equitable system will be developed for distributing available resources among these schools, some of which have been penalized by an outdated formula which fails to take into account recent enroll- ment growth. In addition to providing for tax relief, the Legislature has appropriated more than $50 million to ease over- crowding in our state corrections system and insure that our prisons remain open, meeting the strict criteria set down by federal court mandates while accommodating an unforeseen increase in the number of inmates. Bulk of the prison appropriation will go to accelerate building projects under way and adapt existing build- ings for inmate housing. Funds further were provided to hire an additional 657 guards and staff members in the prisons, to employ more parole commissioners and parole officers and for the Texas Adult Probation Com- mission to increase intensive supervision and to operate an additional residential treatment center. Overall problems of our Criminal Justice System will he studied in depth by a committee which I am naming. Recommendations of this committee to the Legislature next January will assure long term solutions to the challenges faced by the Department of Correc- tions and the Criminal Justice system. The special session also approved these constitutional amendment proposals for submission to the voters in November: —An exemption of farm and ranch tools and imple- ments from property taxes. —An increase in the maximum allowable interest rate on previously-authorized state general obligation water and student loan bonds from six to 12 per cent to make them marketable. Legislators also corrected ambiguities and technical deficiencies in another proposed constitutional amend- ment to increase the ceiling on welfare payments to de- pendent children and those who care for them, from the current $80 million a year to one per cent of the total state budget. I am proud of the work of the special session and of the speed with which it was accomplished. As we have seen, there were those who resisted the session's being called and questioned whether its modest cost was worthwhile. These critics will have a difficult time supporting their position that a billion dollars in tax relief, major aid to our universities and prisons and the other matters given prompt attention during the last full week of May, 1982, were not suitable and justified subjects for a special session. 0A,Achne% 1 - c• ..), ttv.at), Cly Si/Yu:6A, &L,0 litEt,Cr:),T,(Lpee5
