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That sentiment has translated into a spending cap that is confusing and complicated, as it only covers a portion of state spending. Unless they vote to spend beyond the cap, lawmakers are set to leave billions of dollars in revenue on the table. Breaking the cap requires a simple majority vote in the House and Senate.</p><p>Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has backed proposals this session to expand the spending cap to cover the entire budget, while at the same time exempting two specific kinds of spending — tax relief and paying off debt — from the cap. Republicans have also proposed changing the way the cap is calculated by basing it on the combined growth in population and inflation, which tends to be lower than the metric that the state uses now: the estimated growth in Texans’ personal income.</p><p> </p> <p class="update-time">Updated: May 7, 2015</p> <section class="related-legislation"> <header> <h5 class="sub-section-header">Relevant Legislation</h5> </header> <ul class="sans"> <li><a href="/web/20150508142412/http://txlege.texastribune.org/84/bills/SB9/">SB 9</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150508142412/http://txlege.texastribune.org/84/bills/SB15/">SB 15</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150508142412/http://txlege.texastribune.org/84/bills/SB16/">SB 16</a></li> </ul> </section> </section> <section class="related-content"> <header> <h5 class="sub-section-header">Story Timeline</h5> </header> <ul class="story-timeline"> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150508142412/http://www.texastribune.org/2015/04/13/short-votes-permanent-marker-senate-wrote-new-spen/">Short on Votes to Tighten Spending Cap, Senate Built a New One</a> <p class="pub-date">April 13, 2015</p> </li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150508142412/http://www.texastribune.org/2015/03/10/patrick-hancock-propose-spending-cap-changes/">Patrick, Hancock Propose Spending Cap Changes</a> <p class="pub-date">March 10, 2015</p> </li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150508142412/http://www.texastribune.org/2015/03/04/senate-leaders-aim-exempt-tax-cuts-paying-debt-spe/">Patrick: Exempt Tax Cuts, Debt Payments From Spending Cap</a> <p class="pub-date">March 4, 2015</p> </li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150508142412/http://www.texastribune.org/2014/12/05/tighter-spending-cap-could-keep-billions-out-budge/">Tighter Spending Cap May Keep Billions Out of Budget</a> <p class="pub-date">Dec. 5, 2014</p> </li> </ul> 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