AUSTIN — Budget-writers are taking a hard look at economic incentive programs championed by Gov. Rick Perry, giving them no new money or zeroing out grants in starting-point spending plans.

“I think that the Legislature is tired of seeing some of these programs being used the way they've been used, or the appearance that they're being used for that,” said Rep. Jim Pitts, a Waxahachie Republican who's the House budget chief.

Reports have shown economic development awards going to projects or companies tied to Perry donors. His office has said the initiatives benefit the state.

The budget plan is similar to the focus lawmakers have put on the Perry-touted Cancer Prevention and Research Institute, allocating no new grant funding to it in the wake of controversy over awards it has made.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Tommy Williams said issues with CPRIT must be addressed before new funding is allocated, and that the economic development programs must be weighed against competing priorities.

“I felt like the Legislature ought to have a chance to evaluate that in the context of everything else that we're considering,” said Williams, R-The Woodlands.

The budget starting points aren't contrary to Perry's view in every case.

Perry has expressed concern over management decisions by CPRIT, which is being investigated on several fronts after problems were found in its process for awarding big money.

Perry's office didn't request additional funding for the Texas Enterprise Fund beyond the unspent balance in its coffers of $120 million, which is in the House and Senate budget proposals.

“We felt that the amount that was left over from last biennium was appropriate,” Perry spokeswoman Lucy Nashed said.

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Still, it's far less than the $295 million that was tapped from the state's rainy day fund in 2003 to start the program, and less than the $180 million unspent balance that lawmakers left in the fund two years.

Two other programs under Perry's office would get far less than sought in the starting-point proposals.

Film and music marketing looked for about $40 million over the two-year budget period, but got only about $4.3 million — enough to pay administrative expenses, but no money for new grants.

The Emerging Technology Fund — started with $200 million in 2005 and allowed to keep its unspent balance of $90.3 million two years ago — now has $7.2 million in its coffers. It could keep that but would get no more in starting-point proposals, compared to $139 million it sought.

House officials said lawmakers have questions about the value of the Emerging Technology Fund. Several companies receiving grants have gone bankrupt.

There also are concerns about the return to the state through film incentives, House officials say.

Nashed said the Texas Enterprise Fund has invested more than $487 million on projects generating more than 66,094 new jobs and more than $17.4 billion in capital investment. She said through Dec. 31, the Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program has “paid or encumbered” more than $94 million in grants for film, television, commercial or video game projects that spent more than $740 million on crew members and vendors and employed more than 88,000 cast and crew members.

Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, asked about the Emerging Technology Fund, said budget-writers want to ensure there is robust discussion.

“I think there's an appetite among our Texas lawmakers to continue to provide the adequate business incentives so that companies continue to locate here and that new technology is developed,” he said.

The funding of economic incentive programs puts some tea party interests on the same page as Democrats.

Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio, , said it's a question of priorities, since the starting-point budget also doesn't reverse deep education cutbacks.

“If there's extra money, first of all, it's enrollment growth. It's covering Medicaid ... It's education,” Van de Putte said. “They are all economic development tools.”

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