All eyes in the Texas Capitol today will be on the floor of the Texas House, as the chamber considers the core appropriations bill (SB1) as well as the supplemental appropriation bill (HB2) and third reading for the significant follow-up bill to last session’s major education reform (HB1525, on which there are more than 20 prefiled amendments). The February 2021 University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll included a large array of questions on government spending and policy priorities. We’ve gathered them all in one place for reference as the House considers the bills and particularly the over 200 pre-filed amendments on SB1.  

The goal of the large battery on spending in our early session poll is to check in on Texans’ attitudes toward state spending in broad issue areas. It doesn’t assume the existence of specific spending proposals nor of well-informed or developed attitudes on the part of the respondents. Rather, these items provide something of a heat check on Texans’ dispositions toward areas of public policy that are contenders for finite resources in the process.

• Spending priorities
• Spending attitudes on specific issues
  • ​Healthcare coverage for the uninsured
  • K-12 education
  • Higher education
  • Environmental protection
  • Transportation
  • Prisons and penal system
• Recovery from the coronavirus pandemic
  • ​Who is it most important for Texas state government to help?
  • Helping individuals and families affected by the pandemic
  • Help small businesses recover from the pandemic
  • Help large businesses
  • Healthcare providers (doctors and hospitals)

 

Spending priorities, overall and by party, race 

Spending attitudes on specific policy areas
Healthcare coverage for the uninsured

K-12 education

Higher education

Environmental protection

Transportation

Prisons and penal system

 

Recovery from the coronavirus pandemic
Who is it most important for Texas state government to help?

Helping individuals and families affected by the pandemic

Help small businesses recover from the pandemic

Help large businesses

​Healthcare providers (doctors and hospitals)