The start of the journey towards achieving the American Dream begins the moment they legally step foot on American soil.
By State Rep. Jacey Jetton
Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN, Texas – It has been a busy week at the Capitol – and in the Jetton home. Starting with home updates: Fanny left for India for work on Wednesday, so I headed back to take care of the home front while she is out. This year, the boys started joining our 5 am gym routine; it has been so cool to all be up and moving, making healthy choices first thing in the morning. Proud of these boys for their dedication and of Fanny for taking her skills around the world.
Your House District 26 team has been hard at work at the Capitol, working on good legislation and serving constituents well. Since last week’s briefing, we filed or Joint Authored the following:
HB 1667: Providing better services for families in need of food, housing, medical, or other assistance.
HB 1668: Prohibitions against defunding the police.
HB 1669: Increasing the requirements for those serving as an election judge.
HB 1670: Permitting the sale of alcoholic beverages on Sundays.
HB 1671: Permitting the Attorney General’s Office to prosecute vote harvesters.
HB 1672: Increasing the funding available for schools and creating a link to inflation.
HB 1677: Providing a pathway for homeless individuals to obtain an ID.
HB 1678: Allowing schools to provide a virtual education program for students at risk of dropping out.
HB 1768: Empowering teachers with more options to ensure classrooms are safe and distraction-free.
HB 1770: Increasing transparency in information provided on the Texas Board of Nursing website.
HB 1075 (Harris): Prohibiting hostile governments from purchasing land in Texas.
HB 1668: Prohibitions against defunding the police.
HB 1669: Increasing the requirements for those serving as an election judge.
HB 1670: Permitting the sale of alcoholic beverages on Sundays.
HB 1671: Permitting the Attorney General’s Office to prosecute vote harvesters.
HB 1672: Increasing the funding available for schools and creating a link to inflation.
HB 1677: Providing a pathway for homeless individuals to obtain an ID.
HB 1678: Allowing schools to provide a virtual education program for students at risk of dropping out.
HB 1768: Empowering teachers with more options to ensure classrooms are safe and distraction-free.
HB 1770: Increasing transparency in information provided on the Texas Board of Nursing website.
HB 1075 (Harris): Prohibiting hostile governments from purchasing land in Texas.
This week, I want to focus on a topic that caught much attention over the last week, especially in the Fort Bend and Houston area. Our area is among the most diverse in the entire country. People from all over the world have chosen Texas as their home because of what our state stands for. That rugged individualism, prime for achieving the American Dream, makes Texas the destination for more than 1,000 people moving here every single day.
The start of the journey towards achieving the American Dream begins the moment they legally step foot on American soil. For many, this is a life-altering moment they will remember for the rest of their life. For my father-in-law, who took a train from mainland China to the shore, to swim the great distance to Hong Kong, to get a boat to retrieve the rest of his family, to flee China and make a new life for his family in the United States, it was an opportunity for freedom and liberty that could be handed down for generations. Many share in this story of going to great lengths to come here and to begin the process toward citizenship that takes many years to achieve.
During that long journey toward citizenship, legal residents go through many steps to maintain their stay in the United States. They also begin working and building businesses with the dream of home ownership and owning land for their business. All of these are normal parts of the American Dream that are good for the individual, their family, our economy, and a pillar of a healthy and free society.
As we remember all of this, we also recognize that we live in a dangerous world with foreign governments and terrorists willing to shed blood to bring harm to the United States. It is well documented that countries like China are purchasing land around the world in a strategic play to spy on our military and position themselves to impact our critical infrastructure. In Houston, the United States shut down the Chinese Consulate due to espionage from that office. We have real threats that must be addressed to protect our state and country.
The Texas legislature's first significant step towards recognizing this threat was in 2021, during the 87th legislative session, with the bipartisan passage of the Lone Star Infrastructure Protection Act. This bill was designed to protect our critical infrastructure from companies owned or operated by countries that posed a threat to us.
Federal law requires disclosure of connection to a foreign government when purchasing land anywhere in the United States. There are no blanket bans, but there are investigations into whether those ties to a foreign government pose a threat to the United States, and if it does, appropriate steps are taken to neutralize the threat.
In this 88th legislative session, more bills will be discussed to further protect infrastructure and against espionage. We are proud to sign on to HB 1075, which prevents the lease, purchase, acquisition of title, or any other interest in agricultural land in Texas by a foreign government or company controlled by a foreign government. Texas Farms and Ranches put food on the table for millions of Texans, and exports around the world. Many of these farms and ranches are also located near military bases and critical infrastructure that could give hostile governments a better opportunity to spy and disrupt our national security. Bills like HB 1075 prohibit these acts.
However, we cannot expect hostile governments to willingly comply with our laws. I am also drafting a bill that would empower Texas to investigate suspected violations of bills like HB 1075 and impose significant fines to companies or individuals unlawfully making these land acquisitions. Investigations can also be referred for potential criminal prosecution.
Texas must continue to take steps to ensure our state and national security. Bills like HB 1075 and the one I will file to increase investigations into suspected abuses, make an important distinction between hostile governments and individuals who leave those countries in search of freedom and opportunity.
I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues in the Texas Legislature to ensure we protect all Texans while keeping Texas the best place to pursue the American Dream.
