AUSTIN, Texas — Texas is scrambling to come up with nearly a half-billion dollars to pay the growing tab for its decision to post National Guard soldiers at the southern border.
As foreshadowed by a top aide to Gov. Greg Abbott earlier this month, Texas will free up general-purpose state revenue that lawmakers previously budgeted for salaries of state workers by tapping federal coronavirus relief money.
That will allow GOP state leaders to rush $465.3 million to the Texas Military Department, whose top leader has said he’ll run out of money at the end of this month for the 10,000 troops who are supporting Abbott’s Operation Lone Star. Other state agencies involved with the border effort will share in the transfer of another $30 million.
