UT Threatens to Bail on Prison Health Contract

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) _ Top University of Texas System officials say pending state budget cuts could force the system to cancel its contract to provide prison inmate health care.

The Austin American-Statesman reports system officials told top legislative budget writers that a projected $82 million funding shortfall could force the cancellation.

Texas now spends more than $400 million per year on inmate health care.

State Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston and chairman of the Senate Criminal Justice Committee, says the UT System is “not going to get out of that contract.” But he says the state does “need to come to some sort of an arrangement with UT.”

A projected $18 billion funding shortfall could confront state lawmakers when they convene in January.

The American-Statesman reports about $1.7 billion in budget reductions are expected to be revealed Friday.

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