Gov. Rick Perry says he won't sign a new state budget that does not include a tax cut.
Perry spoke to reporters Monday after meeting with Republican members of the Texas House of Representatives.
The governor has proposed a $1.6 billion tax cut after the Texas economy bounced back from recession. He said taxpayers deserve some of the state's surplus revenue. But lawmakers have so far not included a tax cut in their budget plans. Legislators have instead opted to boost spending for public schools.
Perry also asked lawmakers to tap the state's Rainy Day Fund to use $2 billion to set up a water infrastructure fund. He said spending regular state revenue was a bad choice, even as conservative activists called on Republican lawmakers to choose that route.