Dewhurst on Funding Water Plan: ‘There’s No Other Option’

At a Texas Tribune event this morning in Austin, Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst talked with Tribune Editor-in-Chief Evan Smith about a whole host of issues facing the state, such as public education. And of course, they also talked about water.

On Wednesday, State Senator Troy Fraser (R-Horseshoe Bay) announced his support of a plan to take $2 billion from the state’s Rainy Day Fund to start funding water projects. That’s a whole billion more than Dewhurst had proposed in November. Asked today which number he believes is right, Dewhurst said they’re looking into it, but what matters most is that new water projects get the funding they need. “There’s no other option,” Dewhurst said. “We’re going to provide the funds necessary.” Dewhurst also advocated for prioritizing which projects get funding first.

But, Smith asked, does Dewhurst have the votes to get the conservative Senate to withdraw money from the Rainy Day Fund? You can hear Dewhurst’s answer in the video above. And be sure to join StateImpact Texas in Austin Monday for a special panel, ‘The Texas Water Crisis: Finding and Funding a Solution.’ You’ll have the opportunity to hear from lawmakers firsthand and ask your own questions. We’ll have State Rep. Lyle Larson and others on hand to discuss the issues. We’ll be at the Cactus Cafe at UT Austin Monday, January 28th. Doors open at 5:30 pm and the event begins at 6 pm. You can RSVP on Facebook here.