May 29, 2015 3:09 PM

Updated: Texas Senate signs off on budget on a vote of 30 to 1

Sen. Eltife says he’s proud of this session because leadership has finally admitted the state has serious problems that need to be addressed; Sen. Sylvia Garcia was the lone "no."

After impassioned speeches hailing new the state’s new leaders as willing to address some of Texas’ critical needs, the Texas Senate on Friday signed off on a two-year spending plan. The vote on final passage was 30 to 1.

Before moving to adopt the conference committee report on HB 1, Senate Finance Committee Chair Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, said she was particularly proud because the budget stays well below the state’s constitutional spending constraints.

Nelson became teary-eyed as she thanked her staff and said “I loved being the chair of Finance.” Acknowledging that “we weren’t going to all agree,” the first-ever female chair of the Senate’s most powerful committee said “it was my goal to listen to everybody.”

"This budget meets the needs of our growing state and makes smart investments in our future, including increased funding for education, transportation and border security,” Nelson said. “It also invests in our economy with over $4 billion in tax relief that will provide a much-needed break for homeowners and help Texas businesses grow.”

Sen. Kevin Eltife, R-Tyler, was the most fired up about the fact that there has, in his estimation, been a substantive shift in the Capitol conversation about addressing the state’s challenges.

By Scott Braddock