Lt. Governor Dewhurst Applauds Texas Legislature for Successful 82nd Session

AUSTIN—Today, Lt. Governor David Dewhurst praised legislators for their distinguished service and thanked them for their hard work in shaping a historic legislative Session.

"I want to congratulate all of our Members, Speaker Straus and Governor Perry on one of the most conservative sessions in Texas history," said Lt. Governor Dewhurst. "I have enjoyed working together to make Texas an even better place to live, work and raise a family. When you consider the challenges we faced − particularly with the budget − it's remarkable that we were able to get so much done. We have proven once again there is no limit to what we can accomplish when we put Texans first."

Accomplishments during the 82nd Session of the Texas Legislature include:

• Balancing the budget without raising taxes
• Reducing current state spending by almost $15 billion
• Saving nearly $6.5 billion in our Rainy Day Fund
• Increasing state funding for public schools by almost $4 billion
• Passing a historic “Loser Pays” tort reform law to reduce frivolous lawsuits
• Passing landmark, free market initiatives to improve health care and reduce costs
• Enacting a strong Voter ID law to protect the integrity of our elections
• Providing pregnant women the opportunity to see a sonogram of their unborn child
• Protecting the Second Amendment rights of Texas gun owners
• Redrawing Texas House, Senate and Congressional Districts for the next decade
• Creating an Instructional Materials Allotment (IMA) for school districts
• Providing flexibility for school districts with their management and operation
• Reforming Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) to limit lawsuit abuse and protect coastal property owners