Although the Texas Legislature has yet to put the finishing touches on the budget for the next two years and forward it to Gov. Greg Abbott for his signature, it is important to take time and recognize the efforts of the West Texas delegation for yeoman advocacy on behalf of the Texas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine.

Some of the best news of the session, as far as West Texans are concerned, broke late more than a week ago with the announcement that the budget included a $17.4 million appropriation for the vet school for the 2020-2021 funding cycle. There had been some angst, albeit little appearing in public view, over the House originally appropriating $17.4 million and the Senate version including roughly $4 million.

A conference committee hammered out budget differences with the larger number prevailing in the final version that is expected to be sent to the governor for approval before the session ends Monday.

That the state needs a second vet school is a undeniable. The reasons have been articulated in this space several times since the session launched in January. The need is pronounced. The Texas Tech approach will be novel and effective.

Much of the credit for the original vision casting of a Tech vet school must go to former Texas Tech System Chancellor Robert Duncan, current Chancellor Tedd Mitchell and TTU President Lawrence Schovanec, and each would be quick to share credit with an array of elected, civic and effective leaders in Amarillo, Lubbock and certainly Austin.

To its credit, Texas Tech has never made pursuit of a vet school a competition with Texas A&M, home of the state’s only current vet school. Tech leaders have repeatedly praised A&M’s impressive track record of excellence – as they have repeatedly said there is room for a second school. The school’s sensible, restrained and logical approach to a statewide challenge has served it well.

Tech officials have simply laid out the facts and let the numbers do the talking. It should not be lost on people that the school’s desire to serve all of West Texas is an important piece of the vet school narrative. Just as the Texas Tech University HSC has an expansive footprint across the region, so also will the vet school serve an entire region while having impact upon an entire state.

It is fair to say the vet school has been the top priority of the region’s legislative delegation, and they have kept their eye on the ball throughout. A large contingent issued a joint statement after the budget allocation became public.

In a moment where someone might be tempted to claim outsized credit in a moment of political theater, the statement was attributed to State Sens. Charles Perry of Lubbock; Kel Seliger of Amarillo and Jose Rodriguez of Amarillo. Also part of the extensive communique were State Reps. Four Price and John Smithee of Amarillo, Dustin Burrows and John Frullo of Lubbock, Ken King of Canadian, Drew Springer of Muenster and Drew Darby of San Angelo.

“The Legislature has always recognized the value of robust and competitive university systems to meet the needs of a growing state that has an integral role in the success of our nation and global economy,” the statement began as it was reported in our story.

“The Texas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine will help address the shortage of large and mixed animal veterinarians in rural parts of the state. The addition of a second veterinary school will enhance the ability to meet the demand for a growing population and secure the food supply.”

In addition to the work of Duncan, Mitchell and Schovanec, lawmakers also recognized the efforts of former chancellor Kent Hance as well as “fellow legislators and thousands of others who supported the vet school,” according to our story.

Make no mistake, this was a historic moment for Texas Tech and for the entire state. According to statistics, there are only 180 large-animal veterinarians serving rural Texas counties – that’s 3 percent of the state’s registered veterinarians. From day one, Tech has emphasized focusing its program on this huge gap, using what it calls a distributive model as opposed to on-site education, meaning veterinarians will partner with the school in a variety of creative ways.

There are still steps ahead, but receiving this important legislative financial stamp of approval marks a milestone development in a dream that has been years in the making. A regular mantra over the past couple of months has been the lawmakers’ insistence that interested constituencies trust the process. That meant being confident in elected leaders not only doing their job in representing the region’s interests, but to also navigate political contours, challenges and outright opposition associated with efforts to bring a second vet school online.

We salute the local delegation for its leadership in this matter and for its ability to build consensus with colleagues in both chambers, making sure others saw the vet school not as some prized parochial possession, but instead as an incubator of innovation that would have transformational impact across the state.

The future of Texas Tech and the Lone Star State is brighter because of those efforts.