February 25, 2015      9:18 AM
Key Democrat: Nearly a conflict of interest to hold off on funding of corruption watchdog
"Even under the most conservative leadership, i.e. Tom Craddick (as Speaker), we funded the public integrity unit.”
A
key Texas
House Democrat on Wednesday said it is “almost a conflict of interest”
for lawmakers to make funding of the state’s corruption watchdog contingent on
a potential restructuring of the Public Integrity Unit housed in the Travis
County District Attorney’s Office.
The
House base budget proposal funds the PIU to the level
requested by Travis County prosecutors: about $6.6 million. But, as proposed,
the money cannot flow to the agency unless changes are made through legislation
to address the concerns of critics who say the office engages in “partisan
witch hunts.”
House Appropriations Vice Chair Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Houston, said during
a committee hearing that in his quarter century as a lawmaker, he’s never seen
an agency funded in this manner. Huge problems with the Juvenile Justice Department
did not keep its funding from being made available in the budget while lawmakers
eyed reforms, Turner noted.
By Scott Braddock
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