LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
February 23, 2001
TO: Honorable Royce West, Chair, Senate Committee on
Jurisprudence
FROM: John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE: SB719 by West, Royce (Relating to making a voter
information guide for judicial elections available to the
public.), As Introduced
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* Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for *
* SB719, As Introduced: negative impact of $(3,669,600) through the *
* biennium ending August 31, 2003. *
* *
* The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal *
* basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of *
* the bill. *
**************************************************************************
General Revenue-Related Funds, Five-Year Impact:
****************************************************
* Fiscal Year Probable Net Positive/(Negative) *
* Impact to General Revenue Related *
* Funds *
* 2002 $(2,134,000) *
* 2003 (1,535,600) *
* 2004 (2,134,000) *
* 2005 (1,535,600) *
* 2006 (2,134,000) *
****************************************************
All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
*****************************************************
* Fiscal Year Probable Savings/(Cost) from *
* General Revenue Fund *
* 0001 *
* 2002 $(2,134,000) *
* 2003 (1,535,600) *
* 2004 (2,134,000) *
* 2005 (1,535,600) *
* 2006 (2,134,000) *
*****************************************************
Fiscal Analysis
The bill would require the secretary of state to implement a voter
information service program for judicial elections in the form of a
voter information guide made available to the public. It would require
the Secretary of State to review candidate statements to determine if
they comply with applicable requirements. The Secretary of State may
contract for preparation of the voter information guide or prepare the
guide if the Secretary of State determines that the preparation costs
are less than or equal to the lowest bid submitted. The voter guide
would be available on the internet and in each daily newspaper of
general circulation in the state.
Methodology
According to the Secretary of State, the Texas Press Association
estimates the cost to disseminate a candidate's guide in each daily
newspaper of general circulation in the state as an insert to be
$374,000. This amount is calculated at 4.4 million subscribers of 539
newspapers at $85 per 1,000 subscribers. The Secretary of State
estimates the cost to print the insert to be $1,760,000. This is
calculated at a cost of $.40 per copy of a 163-page guide inserted to 4.4
million newspapers for the primary elections for state and county
officers. The number of pages is calculated at an average of 490
judicial candidates at 3 candidates per page.
The costs of publication for a general election for state and county
officers would be approximately one-third less than for a primary
election which would have a publication cost of $1,535,600, as a result
of fewer candidates running in a general election.
Local Government Impact
No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
Source Agencies: 307 Secretary of State
LBB Staff: JK, TB, SK