Lawmakers to Discuss Future of CPRIT Funding
As accusations of cronyism and ongoing investigations sully the reputation of the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle are calling for reforms. On Thursday, the House Appropriations Committee will hear testimony from CPRIT officials and begin to discuss whether the state should fund the institute in the 2014-15 biennium.
The future of the cancer institute is uncertain; the Texas attorney general, Travis County district attorney and state auditor’s office are all investigating whether CPRIT officials broke the law in their distribution of grant funds to cancer research and commercialization projects. Gov. Rick Perry, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and House Speaker Joe Straus on Wednesday called for an immediate moratorium on new CPRIT grants. “It is important that we restore the confidence of the Texas taxpayers who approved this important initiative before new funds are dispersed,” they wrote in a letter to the CPRIT oversight committee.
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