Texas universities seek construction funds

Texas State's share of the revenue bonds would have gone toward construction of a $73.2 million engineering and science building at the university's campus in San Marcos and a $44.8 million medical education and research building at its campus in Round Rock.

The bill made it through the Senate and passed the House after a round of amendments that cut the total funding by 20 percent across the board. The bill was then sent back to the Senate, which hoped to form a conference committee to discuss the amendments and find middle ground before the session ended on May 27, but the House would not budge.

"They were at an impasse, so it crashed and burned there," Nance said.

On June 10, 69 lawmakers throughout the state asked Gov. Rick Perry to consider adding tuition revenue bonds to the special session. Historically low interest rates and extreme need at Texas' universities necessitate the passage of SB 16, they said.

Nance said the university is exploring options that would allow it to move ahead with construction plans for at least the engineering building. Officials may decide to pull money from the university's Higher Education Assistance Fund, which was originally intended to improve some of the university's aging buildings, he said.

"If there's no second called session in July, we would look at what our options are and we could—I'm not saying we would—but we could redirect those funds from the Higher Education Assistance Fund that were designed for building renovations to this engineering building," Nance said. "We might have to scale it back some."

The Texas Legislature has not passed a tuition revenue bond bill since 2006.

From the 83rd Texas Legislature

Several new laws were discussed in the 83rd Legislative Session that affect San Marcos, Buda and Kyle. Keep up with them over the next week, as we provide updates on a few of the bills that did and did not make it through the legislature.

June 17: Buda mayor praises new black hydrant law

June 19: SB 16 would provide $210 million for the Texas State University System.

June 21: HB 4 would change the structure of the Texas Water Development Board and create a multi-billion fund for water projects over the next two decades.

June 24: SB 1621 would allow the City of Kyle to compete with Monarch Utilities within the utility's service area.