October 23, 2014 5:45 PM

Straus says the business of the House won’t be limited by report cards

In speech to TTARA, Speaker talks about economic incentives and takes a broader view of fiscal discipline

To a standing ovation at the Sheraton near the Texas Capitol, House Speaker Joe Straus spoke briefly on Thursday about the need to take a comprehensive look at reforming the state’s controversial economic incentive programs and he took a not-so-subtle swipe at some of his loudest critics.

Straus told members of the Texas Taxpayers and Research Association, or TTARA, that they’re one of the groups that’s consistent without being ideological and he appreciates their respect for the process and The Legislature itself. The group is so even-handed, he joked, that it “doesn't really have any place in Texas politics.”

"I've been speaker in good economic times and not-so-good economic times,' Straus said, adding that the unpredictable nature of economic conditions is precisely why lawmakers must take a strategic and conservative approach to how taxpayer dollars are allocated. While Straus remains confident that the private sector here will continue to roar for quite some time, it would naive at best and irresponsible at worst to assume the state’s explosive growth will never slow down. Planning for that requires, among other things, “setting priorities that encourage private sector activity over the long term," Straus said.

Straus said even though the heat of the campaign season may have completely dominated much of the conversation surrounding the Legislature as of late, members of the House have been rolling up their sleeves and getting a lot of work done during the interim. He mentioned the fact that just this month, 21 hearings have already been held by various committees examining everything from the budget to workforce needs of employers and protection of children.

By Scott Braddock