By KRWG News
Texas – The Texas House has approved a bare-bones state budget that makes massive cuts to public education and health care programs for the poor.
After more than 21 hours of debate since Friday, the House approved the budget by a vote of 98-49 late Sunday. Democrats opposed it.
In addition to schools and Medicaid, the proposal makes cuts to highways, prisons, state parks and dozens of other programs.
In all, the budget proposal spends $164.5 billion over the next two years in state and federal dollars. That's about $23 billion less than what is in the current budget. Republican leaders, in firm control of the Legislature, are vowing to balance the budget without raising new taxes.
The budget next goes to the Senate for consideration.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.