HOUSTON – Nearly 24 hours after KPRC's 'Making Houston Stronger: A Town Hall' special, we continue to ask questions raised during our discussion with Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and Harris County Judge Ed Emmett.
One of the big topics we tackled was whether a special session should be called to help with storm recovery.
Turner said he would support such a measure.
What is a special session?
A special session is when lawmakers convene outside of the normal legislative session. The governor has the authority to call a 30-day special session.
As Texas cities and counties wait for the federal government to release more disaster relief money, does the state have money it could use right now to cover Harvey-related expenses?
Yes, through the state’s $10 billion Rainy Day Fund. The Rainy Day fund is the state’s savings account.
Do we need a special session to authorize money from the Rainy Day Fund to be spent on storm recovery?
State Sen. Paul Bettencourt says no. The state’s legislative budget board can spend money right now on Harvey-related expenses. The legislative budget board has the authority to spend money in the interim between sessions.
What is the legislative budget board?
It’s a five-person board, co-chaired by the lieutenant governor of Texas and the speaker of the Texas House of Representatives.
File: Statement from Sen. Borris Miles on Rainy Day Fund
Rep. Gene Green had the following to say about the discussions:
“I agree with Mayor Turner and believe that Gov. Abbott and the Texas State Legislature should act and utilize the rainy day fund to help Harvey victims and rebuild Houston and Harris County. There is over $10 billion available in the fund for emergencies. There can be no question that the destruction caused by Harvey and the immediate needs of tens of thousands of Texans are an emergency and are the reason why our state has been investing in a rainy day fund in the first place.”
Rep. Ted Poe had the following to say about the discussions:
“I urge the governor and the Texas Legislature to tap into the rainy-day fund to help supplement disaster recovery. In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, Texas should use this fund for exactly what it was named for -- a rainy day. On the federal level, Congress passed two funding bills to help with Harvey relief efforts, and the House of Representatives passed a third disaster funding bill – an additional $81 billion – in December to help with additional relief and mitigation efforts. This funding bill still awaits a vote in the U.S. Senate.”
Sen. Kathy Whitmire said she absolutely agrees on the need for a special session to access the Rainy Day Fund for Harvey recovery.