A R M A N D O L. W A L L E STATE R EPRESENTATIVE H OUSE DISTRICT 140

For Immediate Release February 8, 2011

Contact: Neesha Davé (512) 463-0924

Rep. Walle Responds to Gov. Perry's State of the State Speech AUSTIN -- Today State Representative Armando Walle (D-Houston) released the following statement in response to Gov. Rick Perry's State of the State speech: "Gov. Rick Perry laid out his agenda for our state in his State of the State speech today, and it appears that the Governor is living in a different state than the rest of us. Gov. Perry continues to claim that we don't have a budget crisis, but the fact is that Texas is facing a $28 billion budget deficit created by failed Republican policies. The proposed state budgets aim to gut funding for public education, higher education and our most vital state services. These budgets will force school districts to fire thousands of teachers and result in the closure of countless schools and nursing homes. I am glad that Gov. Perry has finally realized that tuition at our public colleges and universities is too high -- yet he now expects these institutions to freeze or lower the cost of tuition while he slashes their budgets by $2 billion. Gov. Perry often rails against unfunded federal mandates, but he seems to have no problem with unfunded state mandates when they come from his own office. Gov. Perry also can't seem to make up his mind on government's role in health care. He continued to rail against the federal health care reform bill today saying that the federal government has no place dictating our medical decisions. However, just a few moments earlier, he advocated for state government to intrude on a personal medical decision with a mandatory ultrasound before an abortion. Gov. Perry must stop grandstanding and repeating the same disingenuous lines, over and over. Texas was spared the multi-billion dollar budget deficit in 2009 when the federal stimulus bill bailed out our state government, but this year we must address the failed Republican policies that have landed us in this mess." ### Rep. Armando Walle is serving his second term in the Texas House of Representatives. He represents House District 140, which includes northern portions of unincorporated Harris County and the City of Houston. Rep. Walle has served on the House Committees on Human Services, Urban Affairs and Rules & Resolutions.

P.O. BOX 2910 • A USTIN, TEXAS 78768 • PHONE (512) 463-0924 • A RMANDO.W ALLE@HOUSE .STATE.T X.US