Grover Norquist, President of Americans for Tax Reform, sent a letter to members of the Texas House of Represen today, urging them to either oppose Senate Joint Resolution 1.The bill would create the mechanism through which the Legislature may spend billions from the state’s “savings account.” The letter reads as follows:

May 22, 2013

Texas Legislature

Texas State Capitol

1100 Congress Ave.

Austin, Texas 78701

 

Dear Members of the Texas Legislature:

When considering Senate Joint Resolution 1 this afternoon, please keep taxpayers mind and reject an unnecessary raid on the rainy day fund. While SJR 1 does not appropriate any money from the Economic Stabilization Fund (ESF) directly, the bill creates the mechanism through which the Legislature may spend billions from the state’s “savings account.” As Americans for Tax Reform (ATR) and over a dozen other state and national groups noted in a coalition letter sent to Texas legislators earlier this month, it’s imperative for the state’s financial health that lawmakers “reject calls to raid the ESF [for ongoing expenses and new programs], and stand firm against ‘busting the cap.’”

Given that Texas is the economic envy of the nation, employers, investors, lawmakers, and government officials across the country pay attention to what happens in Austin. By providing tax relief and taking the fiscally responsible course of not tapping the ESF, Texas legislators can send a clear message to employers and investors across the country that Texas will remain the best place in the U.S. to do business and the Lone Star State will remain the nation’s job-creating capital for the foreseeable future.

With state revenues far above what was expected before the session began, it doesn’t take a policy wonk to realize that it makes no sense drain reserve funds. On behalf of Americans for Tax Reform and our members across Texas, I urge you to do the fiscally responsible thing by rejecting calls to unnecessarily tap the ESF to fund ongoing and new spending. ATR will be following this issue closely and will be educating constituents on how their representatives in the legislature vote on this important matter. If you have any questions, please contact Patrick Gleason, ATR’s director of state affairs, at 202-785-0266, or [email protected]

Onward,

Grover Norquist

President, Americans for Tax Reform

 For PDF version, click here.