Odessa Rep. clarifies statements regarding Permanent University Fund

LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - State Rep. Brooks Landgraf who represents Odessa, says he does not support expanding the Permanent University Fund (PUF) to Texas Tech.

This latest statement is following a report aired on Thursday, November 17 regarding comments Representative Landgraf made at a conference in Lubbock.

Landgraf was discussing the PUF with Lubbock Representative Dustin Burrows and Eagle Pass Representative Eddie Morales. The fund represents a portion of oil and gas revenue that goes toward the University of Texas and Texas A&M systems. Landgraf said it was unfair that UT Permian Basin gets only a sliver of the PUF investments from the UT system, even though it is mostly generated in that region.

“If that’s my view, I think there’s something also wrong about the Universities like TTU university system that are doing phenomenal work all throughout the state and have met a need for higher education in the western half of the state that wasn’t being met by anyone else for the longest time and that’s why it exists,” Landgraf said. “As a matter of fairness, there needs to be some appreciation shown and some investment made in higher ed. institutions regardless of what system they’re in.”

Rep. Landgraf, who graduated from Texas A&M, says some have misinterpreted those remarks as supporting changes to the PUF.

He says that is not the case, and he wants it to remain UT and Texas A&M systems only.

Rep. Landgraf says he was only talking about the portion of the PUF that the UT systems receives. He goes on to say, “I did not advocate for the PUF’s structure to be amended in any fashion. Furthermore, I will not do so in the future.”

Eagle Pass Representative Eddie Morales, a UT grad himself, said without hesitation he would support shifting money to Texas Tech.

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