Texas Senate Passes State Budget

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) _ The Texas Senate has adopted the $182.2 billion state budget for 2010-2011.

The Senate voted 26-5 Wednesday to adopt the two-year budget, the most important bill lawmakers will consider during the five-month legislative session.

It uses about $11 billion in federal stimulus money, which helped address a shortfall between available state revenue and spending needs.

The federal money also makes it possible for lawmakers to leave a projected $9 billion balance in the state’s Rainy Day Fund.

Democratic critics of the budget expressed concern about measures in health and human services spending, including a provision that Ogden said was intended to prohibit state money from being spent on research that destroys human embryos.

The focus now turns to the House, which is working on a separate version of the budget.

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