Colleagues,
As we’ve reached the end of the 88th Texas Legislative Session, I thank everyone for their steadfast commitment to our land grant mission and our core values! Below is an overview of the added funding we expect to see over the next biennium from the Texas Legislature. Overall, this has been an enormously beneficial session for higher education, The Texas A&M University System and Texas A&M AgriLife, and we wholeheartedly appreciate our state government leaders’ support.
A&M System Agencies
- The Legislature included our agencies in a 5% pay raise for current state agency employees (budgeted 50% effort or more) for each of the next two years. We will soon share more information on how this will impact our AgriLife agency employees.
- The “Keeping Texas Prepared” initiative also received support, with $96.7 million in total provided to five Texas A&M University System agencies for state’s emergency response and recovery needs. The Legislature provided the following amounts to AgriLife agencies:
- Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service received $24.2 million for the Extension agent network.
- Texas A&M Forest Service received $34.7 million for emergency response capacity and local firefighting capacity.
- Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory received $3.7 million for rapid detection of animal and human disease threats.
New Funding Initiatives
New initiatives that positively impact AgriLife agencies include:
- Texas A&M AgriLife Research:
- $25 million for research capability.
- $15 million to repair tornado damage at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Vernon and at the Texas A&M AgriLife Foundation Seed facility.
- Texas A&M Forest Service:
- $2.5 million for aviation support costs, including fire retardant.
- $146.1 million for reimbursement for response to natural disasters.
- $2.1 million for vehicles.
- Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service:
- $1 million for the Bee Pollinator Program.
I thank Chancellor John Sharp for his many efforts on behalf of Texas A&M AgriLife. His vision for The A&M System remains a trailblazing path for our state. I would also like to thank Vice Chancellor for Government Relations Jenny Jones, AgriLife Associate Vice Chancellor for State Government Relations and External Affairs Joe Cox and AgriLife Program Coordinator Julia Crane for their continued efforts on behalf of Texas A&M AgriLife.
I also thank our agency directors — Dr. Rick Avery, Mr. Al Davis, Dr. Cliff Lamb and Dr. Amy Swinford — who have spent much time and energy helping show the value of our agencies to our state leaders and championing our mission.
I appreciate all our employees who work tirelessly every day to improve, protect and prepare our state. We look forward to seeing what more we can accomplish for the people we serve. I remain incredibly humbled by the confidence our state leaders have shown us and am so thankful for their support. I am invigorated by what lies ahead.
Thank you all,
Jeffrey W. Savell
Vice Chancellor and Dean, Agriculture and Life Sciences