• Economy in Texas shows better stats

  • Economy in Texas shows better stats

  • Texas job creation and sales tax revenues may be inching in the right direction, experts said Monday, but state budget writers still face a massive shortfall expected to be swelled further by higher-than-projected Medicaid caseloads.

  • exas gained more than 30,000 jobs in January. It appears about two-thirds of those jobs were created in temporary-help firms, he said, adding that this is typical in a recovery.

  • a shortfall that Legislative Budget Board director John O’Brien told them will be at least $11 billion for the next two-year budget period.

  • Others have put the minimum shortfall at $12 billion.

  • The shortfall is fueled by pressures including the need to pay for a bigger share of public education after lawmakers capped local school property tax rates. In the current budget, lawmakers were able to use federal stimulus and squirreled-away state funds they won’t have next time.

  • news about shortfalls continues to roll in. Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Thomas Suehs said his agency shows a shortfall of about $1.5 billion in state money this budget period. Much is due to higher-than-projected Medicaid costs, including a bigger percentage of eligible people enrolling.

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