Proposed Bills Would Protect Funding for Texas State Parks

Texas State Representative John Cyrier (R-Lockhart) pens an opinion piece for the Houston Chronicle calling for more funding for state parks.

Rather, Rep. Cyrier is asking for the state to stop stealing funds from state parks. After listing the many benefits and uses of state parks, Cyrier draws attention to the decades-long neglect of funding for Texas state parks.

"Since 1993, when the Legislature voted to fund state parks with the portion of sales tax revenues collected on the sale of sporting goods, only 47 percent of the nearly $2.8 billion collected has been appropriated to state parks," according to Cyrier.

Facing reported deferred maintenance costs of more than $800 million for state parks, Cyrier and other colleagues in the Texas State Legislature have proposed legislation that will ensure the sporting goods sales tax is allocated to parks.