Governor Greg Abbott today announced a series of agency directives to strengthen workforce development and help more Texans access high-demand, high-paying jobs in the trades and other critical industries. State agencies will take immediate action to strengthen Texas’ workforce development system and ensure Texans are prepared to fill the state’s growing number of jobs in these high-demand fields.
Given the confirmed cases of New World Screwworm in Texas, I have also provided an updated list of resources and the new educational course launched by Governor Abbott this week. I am continuing to address the confirmed cases of the New World Screwworm (NWS) across Texas. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the State of Texas have taken immediate action to eradicate this threat to livestock and the American food supply.
Last week, my bill, the Protect College Sports Act, passed out of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation with overwhelming bipartisan support, sending the legislation to the Senate for full consideration. College athletes should be compensated fairly for their name, image, and likeness. But college sports need basic rules. We can protect NIL, stop the chaos, and make sure student-athletes are actually getting an education.
Texas Land Commissioner and Veterans Land Board (VLB) Chairwoman Dawn Buckingham, M.D., is pleased to announce the VLB's license to teach continuing education courses to REALTORS has been renewed. This renewal allows the Agency to continue offering Texas Real Estate Commission-approved (TREC) courses for the next two years. Learn more about VLB's TREC Continuing Education Courses from Travis Willis, the Central Texas Marketing and Outreach Coordinator for VLB.
Why are Democrats and their teachers’ union masters trying to shoot down parental choice in education even when we now have so many examples of these programs working? Choice and competition are two of the hallmarks of the American economy. When stores compete, customers win. Turns out this is also true for schools. Democrats, acting as if school choice is the bubonic plague, are trying to shoot it down across the country.
The new website serves as a central resource where Texans can access actionable and reliable multimedia information about NWS, including fact sheets, videos, and educational materials. Texans can access numerous resources and tools through the web portal, such as background information, how to spot NWS, sample collection procedures, Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) NWS zone maps, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) case dashboard, links to best practices for livestock and wildlife.
When seven countries in a single region swing politically to the right in the space of 18 months, we'd call that a Trump Trend. The latest conservative victories came this month when Peru (population 35 million) and Colombia (population 54 million) replaced left-wing presidents with conservative ones. In Peru, Keiko Fujimori, a 51-year-old conservative who campaigned on developing her nation's mineral rights and opening up the economy, has just won a narrow runoff victory by 41,000 votes.
The Texas Department of Public Safety is scrutinizing cannabis companies that are trying to gain valuable access to Texas’ medical cannabis program. Many of those companies have encountered financial, legal, and regulatory challenges that could give Texas officials pause. DPS operates the Compassionate Use Registry of Texas (CURT) – a secure online registry of qualified physicians who can prescribe low tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to patients with certain medical conditions through the Texas Compassionate Use Program (TCUP).
The Upper Texas Coast is one of our nation’s greatest treasures. It is home to world-class fishing, abundant wildlife, beautiful beaches, and thriving coastal communities. That’s why I am proud to be an original cosponsor of the Lone Star Coastal National Recreation Area Act. For generations to come, Texans and visitors alike should be able to enjoy everything our coast has to offer. This bill helps preserve that legacy while keeping local communities firmly in the driver's seat
Father’s Day has always been a tender day for me—one filled with gratitude, memory, and reflection. As the holiday approaches, I find myself thinking about the fathers who shape our lives, the men who guide us with strength and gentleness, and the father figures whose love becomes a foundation we stand on long after they are gone. For me, that person was my father, Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein. He was not only a spiritual leader and visionary—he was a devoted father who taught me what it means to live with purpose, compassion, and faith.
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, delivered remarks as the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation advanced the Protect College Sports Act with overwhelming bipartisan support (19–9), sending the legislation to be considered by the full Senate. As of today, 24 collegiate athletic conferences, 267 colleges and universities across 49 states and Washington, D.C., including historically black colleges and universities and current student-athletes, have all publicly supported and praised the Protect College Sports Act.
Governor Greg Abbott today announced that a Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund (TSIF) grant of $3.9 million has been extended to Schunk Xycarb Technology Inc. (Xycarb) for an expansion of their production facility in Georgetown, which is expected to create 25 new jobs and represents more than $42 million in capital investment. Xycarb is expanding its operations facility to double their square footage, increase production and cleanroom space, and add further automation capabilities.
Texas reached a total of 14,419,200 nonfarm jobs after adding 17,800 positions in May. Over the year, the state added 98,000 jobs for an annual growth rate of 0.7 percent, outpacing the national growth rate by 0.4 percentage points. Texas’ civilian labor force registered at 15,901,600 after adding 6,800 people over the month. Over the year, Texas’ civilian labor force has added 43,500 people.
Attorney General Ken Paxton joined the Federal Trade Commission in filing a lawsuit against the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (“WPATH”), which is a radical organization that aggressively promotes harmful and irreversible gender “transition” procedures and treatments for children. Joining Texas in this action are the Attorneys General of Alaska, Iowa, and Nebraska.
By any measure, California is a failed state—and a national embarrassment. Taxes? It has the highest income and gas taxes in the nation. Roads? A Reason Foundation survey ranks it 49th among the states. Mass flight? Between 250,000 and 350,000 more Californians leave the state than move in each year. Housing, gas, insurance, and electricity prices? The highest in the continental U.S. Illegal aliens, the poor, the homeless, the foreign-born, and welfare recipients? The largest numbers in the U.S. Public K-12 schools? Test scores in the bottom quartile.
"Texas is no stranger to the New World Screwworm threat, and we're prepared to push this danger out of our state for good,” said Gov. Abbott earlier today, highlighting the Texas institutions chosen to receive significant funding grants through the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture’s (USDA) New World Screwworm Grand Challenge, which announced some $105 million for 40 innovative projects nationwide, with multiple awards going to Texas. “We have beaten this pest before, and by leveraging innovative solutions and advancements in technology we will beat it again,” said USDA Sect. Brooke Rollins.
There's a large Cattle Drive of corporations moving to Texas, particularly from New York and New York City, and Apollo Global Management – the private equity giant that manages $1 trillion in assets – has just announced it will be the latest to locate a second headquarters in Austin, Texas. That means they will be scaling back the importance of its New York City base. "New York does not have a monopoly on talent, and we expect most of our future growth will take place in our second HQ in Texas," the company recently said.
College sports should open doors for student-athletes, not become an unregulated bidding war. This week, I sat down with coaches, student-athletes, and university leaders to discuss the Protect College Sports Act and how we can restore clear rules, preserve NIL, and keep college sports tied to education and opportunity. The Protect College Sports Act is about restoring order to a system that is collapsing due to too few rules and too much litigation.
