AUSTIN, Texas (AP) _ Texas House leaders and Democrats are looking to the Senate to ease the budget pain caused by massive cuts.
The House adopted a bleak state budget Sunday that catered to the conservative supermajority with staggering cuts and no new revenue.
The Senate isn’t wracked by the political pressures that commanded the austere House version. Lawmakers in the upper chamber have vowed to find billions more for public schools, nursing homes and other social services.
Even then, House and Senate negotiators still must come together to hammer out differences for a compromise that can be approved by both chambers and sent to the governor.
Battle lines have already been drawn, setting up a showdown that will certainly stretch into the final days of the legislative session, if not a special session.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)