AUSTIN – “I want to thank Senate Finance Chair Jane Nelson for meeting with the heads of state agencies and higher education to lead a discussion about zero-based budgeting today,” said Patrick. “Last month Sen. Nelson and I sent a letter to all Texas state agency leaders inviting them to the capitol to attend a presentation on the benefits of zero-based budgeting.”

“We need to move away from the assumption that an agency’s current budget is the starting point and that the Legislature will either maintain it or add to it,” said Sen. Nelson. “We need our agencies to help us identify opportunities to trim our costs, and the principles of zero-based budgeting can help with that effort.”

“I join Sen. Nelson and strongly encourage agencies to identify ways to reduce state spending and improve performance through zero-based budgeting,” concluded Patrick.