It's tough to imagine Abbott's proposals enacted

AUSTIN — Attorney General Greg Abbott is talking up his first set of policy proposals, which should cause great rejoicing among those who think the race for governor should be about ideas. But Abbott's ideas, focused initially on government growth, are tough to imagine being enacted because so many of them would require amending the constitution in a way that would limit lawmakers' authority.

A constitutional amendment takes a two-thirds vote of lawmakers, plus voter approval on a state ballot (like the one Tuesday on issues including water). Clearing that first hurdle always is hard, and Abbott's proposals would be no piece of cake.

For example, lawmakers who labor to produce a state budget are unlikely to want to give the governor more power to dismember it, but that's one thing Abbott proposes.

Abbott wants to expand the governor's line-item veto power to allow the option of reducing an appropriation. Currently, a governor can only kill an item entirely, a much tougher decision. Among other ideas, Abbott wants to put a tighter limit on spending; bar balancing the budget with unspent, dedicated funds that were collected for a specific purpose; restrict use of the state's multibillion-dollar rainy day fund; and dedicate part of the motor vehicle sales tax to road construction and maintenance.

The proposed constitutional amendments would restrict the money that can be used for general spending.

Lawmakers who already struggle to meet competing needs are unlikely to want to box themselves in constitutionally — although there have been efforts, for example, to wean the state budget off a reliance on unspent, dedicated taxes. Texas faces a large uninsured population, infrastructure needs, a lawsuit over school funding and college aid that's outpaced by those looking for help.

Abbott has yet to unveil proposed policies in areas including education, so it's unclear how his spending proposals will jibe with plans for the public school system.

Texas State Teachers Association President Rita Haecker has criticized Abbott's plan to restrict rainy day fund spending. “Instead of putting billions of tax dollars off limits for Texas schools, our next governor should be working to find a reliable funding source to secure our children's future,” she said.

We don't yet have a detailed policy paper on spending from Sen. Wendy Davis, the Fort Worth Democrat who announced for governor after Abbott, the leading GOP contender. Davis spokeswoman Rebecca Acuña said generally that Davis would “invest in education for our children, opportunity for our veterans and jobs for all Texans.”

“It's time for state leaders to put Texas families ahead of politics,” Acuña said. “Failed leadership in Austin with the wrong priorities threatens the promise of Texas.”Abbott's campaign spokesman, Matt Hirsch, said restraining government growth is meant to help the job-creating private sector.

“Texas is beginning to see cracks in its economic foundation that could lead to serious damage for taxpayers if the right policy choices aren't made,” he said.

He brushed off the idea that constitutional amendments face a tough bar.

“Greg Abbott doesn't look at an objective and decline to act because it may be tough,” Hirsch said. “He will campaign on these issues across Texas over the next year, and if elected governor, he will go into office on Day One with a mandate from the voters to govern by these standards.”

You've been promised. Or warned.

pfikac@express-news.net