Contrary to the massive budget deficits the federal government is able to accumulate, the Texas Constitution forces state legislators to be more frugal by adopting a balanced budget. Though legislators cannot spend more than expected revenue, they can issue debt through voter-approved bond proposals for items like transportation projects, cancer research grants, and other initiatives.

Since all debt must be repaid from either the general revenue (GR) fund or specific revenue sources, more state debt results in burdening Texans with higher taxes. While new debt for these initiatives may be deemed necessary, legislators should limit increasing debt and make the cost more transparent so that Texans understand the burden on current and future generations.