Acting Texas Comptroller Kelly Hancock is reminding families and businesses that they can save on the purchase of certain products during the state’s Water-Efficient Products and ENERGY STAR® sales tax holidays. Created by the Texas Legislature, both holidays take place Saturday, May 23, through Monday, May 25. The Texas Comptroller's office estimates shoppers will save $15.7 million in state and local sales tax during these holidays.
The Spokane case goes to trial this week, May 18, 2026, and what happens in that courtroom matters well beyond eastern Washington. Nine defendants, the so-called Spokane 9, were originally charged with conspiracy to impede or injure federal officers after the June 11, 2025 protest outside ICE's Spokane facility, where a crowd blocked transport vehicles carrying two legal asylum seekers to a Tacoma detention center. Six of the nine have since pleaded guilty. Three — chose trial.
"America is envied by millions, perhaps billions of people around the world... but it’s also true many countries don't share our values. They impose authoritarian rules on their citizens. We can't shrink from the principles of liberty and freedom by allowing certain individuals to advocate or embrace Sharia Law, nor can we allow advocates for Sharia to actively work to undermine our Constitution,” said Sen. Cornyn, calling for a bar on aliens who support Sharia Law from entering or remaining in the U.S.
Governor Greg Abbott today directed the TDEM to activate state emergency response resources as storm activity is forecast to trigger severe thunderstorms across vast portions of Texas, starting later today and persisting through the middle of the week. The National Weather Service warns a cold front moving through state is expected to create potentially hazardous conditions across large areas of North, Central, West, Northwest, Northeast, and South-Central Texas as the system shifts.
I’m proud to write legislation that fully funds veterans’ healthcare and benefits while investing in military housing, childcare centers, and infrastructure improvements that support our servicemembers and their families. This bill also prioritizes critical mental health resources and programs aimed at addressing veteran homelessness because taking care of those who have served our country is one of our nation’s most important responsibilities.
I was pleased to welcome Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to this week's Republican Study Committee (RSC) member meeting. The Department of Justice's newly formed Fraud Division is critical to rooting out waste and recovering taxpayer dollars, while the DOJ's enforcement on immigration and narcotics trafficking is protecting American communities.
Democrat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), aka AOC, the youngest woman ever elected to Congress, graduated from Boston University cum laude, and then returned to the Bronx and worked as a bartender and waitress to help her mother fight foreclosure of their home. Nothing wrong with that, but her life experience apparently has taught her little. In some recent comments, she claimed that the very wealthy became that way not from salaried work but from investments.
Trey’s Law prevents the use of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) to silence survivors of child sexual abuse and trafficking. The bill makes any NDA provision unenforceable if it prohibits or restricts someone from disclosing the sexual abuse of a minor or facts related to that abuse. Importantly, this protection applies regardless of when the NDA was signed, whether before a dispute arose or as part of a civil settlement agreement.
Governor Greg Abbott today announced nine (JET) grants totaling $2,524,300 have been awarded to nine schools in East Texas by then (TWC). The JET grants will support (CTE) training programs by helping the schools purchase and install equipment to initially train 700 students for high-demand occupations such as automotive service technicians, registered nurses, HVAC mechanics and installers, and more.
National Police Week is a time to honor the brave men and women who put on the badge every day knowing the dangers that come with the job. Across Texas and throughout our nation, law enforcement officers run toward danger so American families can live in safety and peace. Last week, we also remembered the officers who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. Their courage and service will never be forgotten, and we continue to lift up their families and loved ones in prayer.
From foreign adversaries to cartels, bad actors around the world are increasingly using drones to target infrastructure and harm innocent civilians. As the U.S. prepares to host millions of visitors for the FIFA World Cup and America250 celebrations, we must be prepared to neutralize this evolving threat. That's why I introduced the Guard the Skies Act, which would enable the National Guard to conduct counter-drone operations.
On Saturday, incumbent U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) finished in a distant third place in the Louisiana Republican primary with only 24 percent of the vote. He missed the runoff, likely ending his political career. It was a stinging defeat for the longtime politician and two-term U.S. Senator. Of course, a motivating factor for Republicans was his vote to convict President Donald Trump of impeachment charges following the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol protests.
Governor Greg Abbott today announced that a Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund (TSIF) grant of $13 million has been extended to Texas A&M University for an expansion of their Cyclotron Institute in College Station, which has provided high-energy heavy-ion particle testing for more than 30 years. The project will establish new beam lines and develop a state-of-the-art spectrometer, enabling cutting-edge research in nuclear science and semiconductor testing.
The Founders were great believers in capitalism and the free market. They were not fighting "the billionaires of their time" over their wealth. Many of the Founders were themselves quite wealthy, including banker Robert Morris Jr., who was known as the "Financier of the Revolution." They fought against the taking or occupation of property by the government. At the very top of their stated purpose for the American Revolution was "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
The United States relies heavily on imports for critical minerals, with limited domestic mining and processing capacity, creating a strategic vulnerability. The Red River Army Depot – located on over 15,000 acres within the lithium rich Smackover Formation – presents an opportunity to strengthen domestic supply. Each of the U.S. Army’s organic Industrial Base Sites has the potential to become mineral hubs for the military. Let's get after it.
Texas oil and gas regulator Wayne Christian today highlighted the critical role Texas’ energy industry and the Permian Basin have played in maintaining America’s position as the world’s largest oil and energy producer. Christian also pointed to new federal data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) showing continued U.S. production strength fueled by Texas energy.
So why and how did millions of Americans begin to express hatred for Israel – and the Jews who support it? There are four converging fronts in this perfect storm. In the Middle East, free speech is found only in Israel – where criticism of one's own country, gender equity, and tolerance of gays are guaranteed – in marked contrast to all its neighbors. Yet today, for a Democrat or liberal to challenge hatred of Israel – and by extension, the Jews – is a career-ending death wish.
The House and Senate are at loggerheads over the Senate passed housing bill and its controversial provisions that restrict building single-family homes for rental purposes. Whether that bill advances or not, there is another bill we like better: Senator John Cornyn's "More Homes on the Market Act," which would double the Capital Gains Tax Exemption for primary residences and index it for inflation moving forward. The current exemption has not been updated since 1997, and is not indexed for inflation.
