DALLAS — Texas Gov.-elect Greg Abbott said he wants to invest as much as $4 billion per year on road and transportation projects "without raising taxes, fees or tolls."
In an Austin press conference on Dec. 8, Abbott also said he wants to promote a "new era of economic development in Texas" by reducing taxes for businesses and individuals and finding ways to "restrain the growth of government."
Texas is already expected to siphon up to $1.7 billion from the state's $8 billion rainy day fund for road projects in oil-producing regions after voter approval of Proposition 1 as a constitutional amendment Nov. 4.
While Abbott said he had a "detailed plan" to add $4 billion per year to transportation spending, he did not reveal any details in his press conference. He also said that he considers water projects part of the state's infrastructure needs.
"If we hope to continue building economic opportunity in this state, we must build the infrastructure that will help that economic development," Abbott said.
With the rainy day fund flush with oil and gas money from the boom of the past five years, some have urged additional spending for projects and programs in the state. Using the rainy day fund for additional transportation projects would avoid raising taxes.
Schools have also been clamoring for more money after $4 billion of cuts in 2011, followed by a restoration of about $3.4 billion in 2013. The cuts led to a court ruling that school funding in Texas violated the state constitution.
In his press conference, Abbott said he wanted to improve teaching standards in the state.
Abbott will be sworn in Jan. 20, succeeding Gov. Rick Perry, the state's longest serving chief executive after 14 years in office.
During his successful campaign for governor against State Sen. Wendy Davis, Abbott said he was opposed to adding more toll roads in the state. Perry was known for his strong support for privatized toll roads, including the Trans Texas Corridor, which was later abandoned by the Texas Department of Transportation.
Like Perry, Abbott has made defiance of President Obama one of his highest priorities, filing 31 lawsuits over federal actions such as passage of the Affordable Care Act.
One of Abbott's last official acts as attorney general was leading 17 states in a lawsuit seeking a declaration that Obama's enforcement of immigration law is unconstitutional.
Abbott did not say whether he would continue to keep National Guard troops on the border of Mexico at state expense.
However, he said he did discuss border security with Obama administration officials in a meeting at the White House Dec. 5.
"We expect the federal government to step up and fulfill its responsibilites to secure the border," Abbott said. "At the same time Texas is not going to stand idly by and wait for Washington. I have a detailed plan that will add the personnel and the resources and the tools we need to secure our borders."
In February, Abbott vowed to nearly double state spending to improve security along the U.S.-Mexico border, proposing a "continuous surge" with 1,000 new boots on the ground and millions of dollars' worth of high-tech equipment.
At a cost of more than $300 million over two years, the border security package he discussed in February would entail the hiring of 500 new Department of Public Safety officers over four years to help create what he called a "permanent border shield."
Texas lawmakers meeting in committee approved another $86 million payment to keep the state's National Guard troops on the border. The operation includes Department of Public Safety troopers.
In a dramatic announcement in July, Perry announced he was sending up to 1,000 National Guard troops to the Texas-Mexico border after a flood of children from Central America crossed the border and surrendered to the U.S. Border Patrol.
Democrats derided Perry's announcement as a public relations stunt designed to launch his 2016 presidential campaign.
While the immigration crisis has passed, Perry and Abbott have shown no indication that they will withdraw the troops.
Instead, Texas Republican lawmakers are planning to demand more than half a billion dollars from the federal government to pay for the state-initiated troop surge and other costs related to immigration.
In his press conference Dec. 8, Abbott called the $500 million figure "a conservative estimate" of how much Texas would demand from the federal government.
"This is a problem that was not caused by Texas," Abbott said. "This is a problem that was caused by the negligence of the federal government."
Without mentioning Abbott specifically, The New York Times reported in a story Dec. 7, attorneys general in at least a dozen states are working in a "secret alliance" with energy companies and other corporate interests, which in turn are providing them with record amounts of money for their political campaigns, including at least $16 million this year.
Abbott has not issued any official comment on the story.
In one of Abbott's lawsuits, he challenged federal requirements that states regulate greenhouse gases when permitting pollution new industrial facilities.
In a 2012 speech, Abbott joked, "What I really do for fun is I go into the office, [and] I sue the Obama administration."
Texas carries triple-A ratings from Standard & Poor's, Moody's Investors Service and Fitch Ratings.
