Associated Press Writer

AUSTIN (AP) - The chambers of commerce for some of Texas' largest cities laid out a slew of legislative priorities Tuesday but did not say how to pay for one of the programs that would cost the most.

The Metro 8 Chambers of Commerce said it supports fully funding an $188 million annual program designed to improve air quality.

Without the funding, the Environmental Protection Agency will not approve plans to clean the air over the Dallas and Houston regions and the state will face losing hundreds of millions in federal highway money. Also, the EPA could come in and write its own plan on how to clean up the areas.

"Without clean air, Texans may expect outcomes that negatively affect a gambit of quality of life issues from health and wellness to clearly economic development," said Deborah Cannon, chairwoman of the Greater Houston Partnership.

She would not say how the plan could be funded.

Gov. Rick Perry and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst have said they are committed to coming up with the funding for the program but neither have detailed how they will pay for it.

Other legislative priorities for the Metro 8 Chambers of Commerce include funding for job training, transportation and education programs.

The Metro 8 is made up of the state's largest chambers from Arlington, Austin, Corpus Christi, Dallas, El Paso, Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio.

The group said it wants to allocate state dollars or redirect fees generated by transportation-related programs for transportation projects. Some of the fees the group identified include the motor vehicle inspection, driver license and driver record information fees for a total of $238 million.

Transportation and mobility is critical to Texas' economic growth, the group said, acknowledging the state's tight budget outlook. The state faces a nearly $10 billion budget shortfall.

"We are certainly not oblivious to the fact that the state is facing budget challenges," said Kenneth Wilson, chairman of the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce

Wilson noted that transportation has been a key issue as Toyota Motor Co. decides whether to build a new plant in San Antonio.

Dewhurst said he met with Metro 8 and talked to them about an increase in the gas tax.

"I explained to them that that proposal, right this second, is dead on arrival," Dewhurst said.

Metro 8 also said job training grants and economic development marketing programs should be funded by an additional job training and economic development assessment of 1/10th of 1 percent of the unemployment tax.

About $5 million would be used for marketing purposes and another $20 million would be reserved for the governor to use for specific "high impact" recruitment projects. The rest would be allocated to a new employer driven job-training program.

At the Texas Association of Business' legislative meeting, Rep. Arlene Wohlgemuth, R-Burleson, said lawmakers will push for a $250,000 cap on non-economic damages in medical malpractice lawsuits.

Supporters of the plan say frivolous lawsuits are driving up the cost of medical malpractice insurance and driving doctors out of Texas.

"We want to make the injured person whole," Wohlgemuth said. "What we are not looking for is to make that injured person a lottery winner."