Due primarily to the economic slowdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Texas elected officials were bracing for a $4.6 billion budget deficit. However, the Texas economy performed better than expected, and Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar projects the state will face a budget that starts with a $1 billion deficit. Fortunately, Texas budget writers have several different opportunities to offset this deficit and leverage additional resources to meet our state’s current and future needs. These include the $1 billion in proposed Texas state agency budget reductions, billions in CARES Act federal funds, and the recently passed federal Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental ...