Texas Surplus Not Expected To Lessen Budget Fight

Forget the talk of budget shortfalls and sacrifice that defined the Texas legislative session of two years ago. When lawmakers return to the Capitol next week, they're expecting a surplus at their disposal.

But key Republican leaders and budget observers say that money won't last long or go far. That's despite a rosier economic picture in Texas than in 2011, when the country was still lurching out of recession and the state unemployment rate was above 8 percent.

Lawmakers slashed spending by $15 billion two years ago, including $5.4 billion gutted from public education. But a revived economy has created a revenue surplus that some estimate could exceed $8 billion.

Democrats are hopeful that money can restore the deepest cuts, while Republicans have vowed to hold the line on spending.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.