Update, 7 a.m. Wednesday: Gov. Rick Perry didn't take long. An hour after the Legislature ended its second special session without a transportation deal, the governor called a third 30-day session. Both houses quickly started the session and then adjourned until Monday.
The Texas Tribune has details.
Our original post: The Texas House has called it quits without approving new transportation funding. It’s expected Governor Perry will now call a third special session and instruct the lawmakers to take care of it this next time.
The legislation that was rejected would have diverted half of the oil and gas tax money going into the Rainy Day Fund- a savings account. That money- about $840 million a year- would have been put in a fund used for building and maintaining Texas roads.
Texas voters would have had to approve the new transportation money in 2014
One of the sticking points for passing the bill was the absence of a commitment not to draw the Rainy Day Fund down below a certain level.
North Texas transportation planners say about a third of the new money would likely have been used in this part of the state.
