Dewhurst names Hinojosa, others as park tax panelists

AUSTIN -- Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst named his Senate appointees Thursday to a panel that's examining the state's sporting goods sales tax for parks, meaning the task force can now get to work on the assignment it was given a year ago.

Sen. Kip Averitt, a Waco Republican and chairman of the Senate Natural Resources Committee, is the Senate leader of the House-Senate joint panel, Dewhurst announced. Other members of the panel are Republican Sens. Steve Ogden of Bryan and Tommy Williams of The Woodlands along with Democratic Sen. Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa of McAllen.

House Speaker Tom Craddick made his selections in September.

The panel has been waiting for months to begin its business because Dewhurst hadn't yet made his appointments. Republican Rep. Harvey Hilderban of Kerrville, the House leader of the task force, had said he wanted to make sure the group had time to finish its job as required by law by Dec. 15, before the next legislative session in January.

"Our state parks should be among the finest in the nation, showcasing Texas' unmatched natural beauty and diversity," Dewhurst said.

The joint legislative task force was created in 2007. It will review the definition of "sporting goods" in the state tax code and determine the amount of sales tax revenue needed from sporting goods to fund state and local parks, historic sites and related programs.

Currently, boats are not counted as sporting goods, but athletic shoes are.

The sporting goods tax generates more than $100 million per year, according to the comptroller's office, but not all of that money has been spent on parks. The tax fund for parks was created in 1993, but lawmakers limited what could be spent on parks and spent most of that money elsewhere.

Last year, the Legislature arranged for approximately $180 million over the two-year budget cycle for parks, though no long-term funding was guaranteed.