By State Rep. Brooks Landgraf
Crafting policies and passing a state budget for the people of Texas during session meant months of hard work and many long days, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I gave you my word that I would be relentless in fighting for the interests of the Permian Basin and West Texas in the Texas Capitol and that’s exactly what I did.
As the Texas Legislature discussed the state budget, I made sure one thing was for certain: that the people of the Permian Basin would get our fair share and be prioritized the way we deserve.
The legislature approved a $302.6 billion state spending plan for the next two years which, among many other things, included $17.5 billion for property tax cuts, $4.6 billion on border security, $5 billion in new money for schools, $1.6 billion on school safety, and $3.5 billion for cost-of-living pension increases for retired teachers. Most importantly, the budget included huge victories achieved specifically for our community.
The State of Texas stepped up to invest in the Permian Basin, and did so without raising taxes on Texans.
Historically, access to healthcare has been a significant struggle for much of West Texas. That is why I advocated to improve access, whether that was through additional funding for the Permian Basin Behavioral Health Center, expanding broadband infrastructure to ensure rural Texans have access to telehealth services, or anything else in between.
In fact, I fought to successfully secure $86 million in additional funding for our behavioral health center, $10 million for the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center telehealth program, and $6 million for the UTPB healthcare workforce. I have no doubt these victories will go a long way to improve the quality of life and healthcare in the Permian Basin.
Improving West Texas Highways has always been a priority for me as your state representative. That is why though we’ve seen steady and significant increases in state spending on highways in the Permian Basin, I’ve continued to use my position on the House Transportation Committee to continue advocating for increased transportation funding in our region. And it’s worked.
Since I took office, we have seen transportation funding increase by more than 700% for highways in the Odessa TxDOT district, going from $50 million per year in the 4 years before I was elected to $430 million per year over the last 4 years. More than half of all of the transportation dollars spent in the Odessa TxDOT district since 1975 have been spent since 2015.
In fact, this year, TxDOT, led by Chairman Bruce Bugg, has invested well over $500 million for projects in the Odessa TxDOT district – the largest amount ever. This includes funding to continue the complete rebuild of I-20, build and improve intersections and overpasses on Loop 338, widen US 385, SH 302 and SH 115, and make safety improvements to SH 191 and FM 1882. I’m proud to fight for these investments in our community and region, but I’m not done yet!
I am grateful for the trust you have placed in me as your state representative. It is an honor to serve as your voice in the Texas House and I will continue to fight on your behalf at every opportunity.
God bless Texas!
