Stimulus leaves state on mountain of cash

From News 8 Austin, February 27, 2009...

About $17 billion of President Barack Obama's economic stimulus package is headed to Texas. It will help fill gaps that would have strained the two-year state budget and its Rainy Day Fund savings account.

Officials are still trying to figure out how and where to spend it, but fears of deep cuts and a looming future deficit have all but faded.

The stimulus money is prescribed for education, health and human services, transportation, labor, criminal justice, and housing and infrastructure. Education will get the largest share at more than $6 billion. Health and human services programs are expected to get more than $4 billion.

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