Governor Greg Abbott today announced that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) granted his request for federal disaster tax relief for individuals and businesses in 62 Texas counties impacted by July’s severe storms and flooding. Governor Abbott issued a state disaster proclamation on July 14 covering 62 counties. On October 15, the Governor requested this tax relief for taxpayers in all 62 counties.
Comptroller Don Huffines announced a Taxpayer First Project initiative to give every Texan an unprecedented view of how Texas Education Freedom Accounts funds are spent while safeguarding the personal data of Texas students and their families. With more than 100,000 students enrolled and more than 100,000 on the waitlist, the demand for education choice is clear. The audit will be separate from, and in addition to, the regular audit the State Auditor’s Office is performing.
Millions of Americans rely on programs like SNAP to put food on the table. When fraudsters steal those dollars to fund lavish lifestyles, they are stealing from families in need and from the taxpayers who fund the program. I want to thank Vice President JD Vance and the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud for cracking down on more than $40 million in SNAP fraud, with charges expected against dozens of defendants, including a rapper who set cash on fire
Seven years ago, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), who is now the Democrat leader in the House of Representatives, signed on as cosponsor to a bill that would have prohibited preventing biological males from using women's restrooms and locker rooms. Titled the "Equality Act," it stated that "an individual shall not be denied access to a shared facility, including a restroom, a locker room and a dressing room, that is in accordance with the individual's gender identity."
Seattle’s FOX affiliate reports that the city now has “the highest office vacancy rate in the country.” Some 35% of the offices in the Seattle Central Business District are empty with 20 million square feet of office space but no tenants. The city is now becoming known for “Zombie Towers”– near empty skyrise buildings. Downtown office properties have lost half of their assessed value since 2020, which has raised property taxes on homeowners.
Governor Greg Abbott today announced $40 million to 411 Texas school systems through the Preparing and Retaining Educators through Partnerships (PREP) Program Allotment. This funding will strengthen teacher recruitment, preparation and mentorship, and bolster Texas' teacher workforce. Established by House Bill 2, passed by the 89th Texas Legislature, and signed into law by Governor Abbott in June 2025, the PREP Program Allotment is part of Texas’ historic investment in public education and the educator workforce.
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, joined U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick in announcing that the Texoma Semiconductor Tech Hub has been awarded nearly $24 million in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Commerce through the Economic Development Administration (EDA) FY2025 Disaster Supplemental Grant Program. This program allows disaster-impacted communities across America to pursue projects that support long-term economic recovery.
Vice President J.D. Vance and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke L. Rollins announced that ranchers in 40 states are expected to receive $57 million to expand their capacity and create new and better markets through the MPPEP. USDA’s MPPEP provides grants to help eligible independent processors expand their capacity. MPPEP is managed by USDA Rural Development’s Rural Business-Cooperative Services and pending Congressional allotment, will be investing a total of $57,424,130 in 147 tentative awards across 40 states.
Texas Comptroller Don Huffines announced that his performance review team has completed its on-site evaluation of Prosper Independent School District and is now analyzing information gathered during last week’s visit. The team will release a comprehensive review of district operations by the end of the year. Gov. Greg Abbott requested the review so the Legislature can consider the findings before the start of the next legislative session in January 2027.
The Constitution has been out of favor for some time now. Several presidents have decided that they can do as they please with regard to matters of war. And in the prior six years, both Joe Biden, a Democrat, and Donald Trump, a Republican, took it upon themselves to make momentous decisions without regard to the Congress, or the people. Joe Biden decided all by himself, to virtually erase the southern border, and millions poured in, edging the United States toward third-world status.
Governor Greg Abbott today praised law enforcement for the arrest of a 17-year-old from McKinney accused of a radical Islamic plot to assassinate U.S. Representative Keith Self and commit a terrorist attack on behalf of ISIS. The juvenile remains in federal custody after his arrest on October 5. The Texas Department of Public Safety will continue working with federal law enforcement to disrupt these threats and protect Texans.
Friday, President Donald J. Trump announced the launch of the America First Seafood Strategy (PDF, 8.5 MB) and several actions the Trump Administration is taking to support the American seafood industry. Among these actions is the announcement that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is making at least $5 billion available in loans through the Strengthening Processing for U.S. Ranchers (SPUR) Guaranteed Loan Program to expand, improve, and diversify the processing capacity of American meat, poultry, and seafood.
As a Texan, I know exactly what's at stake in this year's race for governor. My brother is one of the thousands of students who finally has access to a Texas Education Freedom Account (TEFA), but Gina Hinojosa wants to take that opportunity away. I know firsthand what a difference school choice can make. I attended public school most of my life, but by high school, the environment had become increasingly difficult. After I was physically assaulted, my family felt strongly discouraged from pressing charges. I was no longer comfortable learning in this environment.
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, issued the following statement after President Trump signed the bipartisan Mystic Alerts Act into law. Sen. Cruz advanced the legislation through the Senate Commerce Committee in September, and it passed the Senate that same month. This legislation allows wireless emergency alerts (WEAs) to be delivered via satellite communications technologies when traditional cellular networks are unavailable during emergencies.
This November, the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) is hosting the 15th Annual Hiring Red, White & You! event series. The series includes nearly 30 hiring events across the state from Nov. 2-20 to connect veterans, transitioning service members, and military spouses to Texas employers. Since 2012, these free hiring events have connected more than 28,000 employers with 167,000 job seekers, including 56,157 active-duty military, transitioning service members, veterans, and their spouses.
Governor Greg Abbott celebrated Texas as America’s jobs leader with today’s U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment release showing Texas led all states with a gain of 154,300 jobs over the last 12 months. With an annual growth rate of 1.1 percent, Texas outpaced the national rate by 0.8 percentage points. Today, Texas is the top state for attracting new, job-creating business investment and the top state for small business job creation.
Rarely in American history have the two parties been so far apart or the choice between them so stark. In brief, Islamist-sympathizing socialism is on the ballot against free-market capitalism and American exceptionalism. The new Islamist-allied socialist Democratic Party is confident, largely because the party holding the White House has increased its share of House seats in a midterm election only three times since 1900. Each of those exceptions arose under unusual circumstances.
RRC Commissioner Wayne Christian praised remarks by U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright during his Tuesday visit to Houston, where Wright highlighted the economic opportunities presented by responsible data center expansion, the importance of investing in energy infrastructure and the U.S. Department of Energy’s $50 million investment in Texas grid resilience. Christian emphasized that lawmakers must respect each Texas community's decision on data center development.
