Tyler, TX (KETK) — Texas House of Representatives Speaker Joe Straus stopped in Marshall and Tyler Thursday, to sit down with local business and medical leaders, and field their questions about the state.

When it concerns Texas, speaker Straus says overall, he's pleased.

but people in the room today did have their own concerns. mainly when it comes to education.

Now Texas has had to make major cuts to education, but speaker Straus tells KETK that the state faced a 27-billion dollar shortfall, and quote, "We balance our budget in Texas."

But education is still the largest piece of the budget pie, and speaker Straus says it will stay that way.

And at Texas spine and joint hospital where Straus met leaders in stylers, there were questions concerning healthcare in general.

Speaker Straus is a state co-chairman for presidential candidate Mitt Romney's campaign, and he says the country can do something about that, when November comes around.

Speaker Straus also commended Texas for it's double digit sales tax increases, and being able to create 450-thousand jobs since the end of the recession.