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Stumping for governor, Greg Abbott said it should take two-thirds' votes of the Texas House and Senate for lawmakers to spend more than they're permitted to budget under a constitutional spending cap.
Under existing law, members may break the cap by majority votes.
As of May 2015, however, proposals to impose the two-thirds' margins had been offered in the Senate and House without clearing either body.
Senate Joint Resolution 2, a proposed constitutional amendment by Kelly Hancock, R-Richland Hills, cleared a Senate panel. However, Hancock announced he lacked the votes to get it through the full Senate; it takes two-thirds votes of the Senate and House to put proposed constitutional amendments before voters.
Meantime, the House version of the proposed constitutional tweak, House Joint Resolution 121, hadn't been scheduled for a hearing.
We rate this an Abbott Promise STALLED.
Document, "Bicentennial Blueprint, Greg Abbott's Working Texans Plan," Oct. 28, 2013
Legislation, Senate Joint Resolution 2 and its fiscal note, 2015 Legislature, Texas Legislative Council website (accessed April 29, 2015)
News story, "Short on Votes to Tighten Spending Cap, Senate Built a New One," Texas Tribune, April 13, 2015