From the Capitol

DALLAS — Texas Gov. Rick Perry said Tuesday the Legislature should keep its hands off the state's Rainy Day Fund, but he declined to say whether he'd veto any move to use the money.

"The truth of the matter is, there's no guarantee we won't be in the same situation in two years," Perry told reporters at a Dallas machine shop, where he touted the virtues of small business. "If we tap the fund now, all we've done is kick the can down the road."

During these tough economic times, Texas employers are working harder than ever to move products to market, make payroll and create jobs. The last thing they need right now is government burdening them with higher taxes and expanded obligations.

That is exactly what the unemployment insurance stipulations in the new federal stimulus bill will do, ultimately increasing the burden borne by Texas employers and directly affecting the people they hire (and those they won't be able to hire as a result).

On Tuesday, I delivered my State of the State address to the 81st Legislature outlining priorities that will preserve our state's strength and security while helping Texans weather the effects of the global economic downturn.

Several of the goals mapped out in Texas Gov. Rick Perry's 2009 "State of the State" address make some local officials happy.

Despite a tightening budgetary outlook, Gov. Rick Perry said Tuesday that he wants to find a way to return some of the state's savings to taxpayers, perhaps in the form of additional school property tax cuts.

SARITA — Wind power, long a staple on the gusty plains of West Texas, officially made its mark on the Gulf Coast on Wednesday.

"This investment in Caterpillar will not only create high-paying jobs for Texans, but will strengthen our state's overall economic situation and further diversify our state's economic makeup," Perry said in a statement.