The Center for Public Policy Priorities has released a Policy Page on House Bill 1/Senate Bill 1 introduced in the special session to fund the state budget for 2012-13. The bills are scheduled for hearing in Senate Finance and House Appropriations tomorrow. 

According to CPPP report, "These bills create the appearance of an additional $7.55 billion in General Revenue. In reality, almost all of this 'revenue' comes from a permanent reduction in state support for public education by $4 billion, deferral into the next biennium of a $2.3 billion payment to school districts and other transfers, and acceleration of certain tax payments. In addition, the bills would actually reduce state revenue by $171 million by extending the small business exemption from the franchise tax and creating new exemptions for certain other businesses."  

Visit Texas Legislature Online for information on hearings and for a live stream of proceedings.

Map by Austin American Statesman

 Residents in Central Austin may find themselves in the same Congressional district as voters in Houston while their across-the-street neighbors are voting with neighborhoods in Fort Worth, San Antonio, or Bryan/College Station.  The Austin American Statesman reports that the redistricting map proposed yesterday by House and Senate redistricting committees would split Travis County between five U.S. Congressional districts. Visit statesman.com for the article and maps. 

Fair market rent for one and two-bedroom apartments in Austin are the highest of all Texas metropolitan areas according to a Community Impact Report by Travis County Health and Human Services.  According to the report, renters in Travis County are much more likely than homeowners to be housing cost burdened. Almost half of all renters in Travis County pay more than 30% of their total income for housing and half of those renters pay 50% or more of their income for housing. 

A new report by Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies discusses how falling renter income and rising housing and utilities costs has led to a decline in the supply of affordable rental housing nation-wide.  The report, America's Rental Housing: Meeting Challenges, Building on Opportunities, provides policy recommendations to address the situation.

Nearly 8 million permanent residents are currently eligible to apply for citizenship and most reside in California, New York, Texas and Florida. U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services has launched a public education initiative about the importance of naturalization and resources for those who wish to apply for citizenship. 

The multi-language public awareness campaign will promote awareness of the rights, responsibilities, and importance of United States citizenship, and the free resources available to permanent residents and immigrant-serving organizations. Immigrants will be invited to learn more about citizenship and directed to the USCIS Citizenship Resource Center, a one-stop web portal offering free educational tools to support immigrants and immigrant-serving organizations at www.uscis.gov/citizenship.