Legislation would end cancer agency's bond funding
A state senator filed legislation Tuesday that would end guaranteed funding for the state cancer agency.
Sen. Kevin Eltife, R-Tyler, filed a proposed constitutional amendment to discontinue issuing bonds for cancer research. The amendment would not abolish the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, but would require it to compete for funding.
"I believe this agency will be held much more accountable if they have to compete for general revenue dollars like other agencies rather than operating on borrowed tax revenue," Eltife said. "We cannot continue to put this state further into debt and we must prioritize our spending."
Although he was not a supporter of the constitutional amendment that created the cancer agency, passed by voters in 2007, Eltife said he was not prompted to take legislative action until reports of improper grant-giving by the agency emerged in recent months.
More at http://www.chron.com/news/politics/article/Legislation-would-end-cancer-agency-s-bond-funding-4213972.php .