"Tradition's been for bill numbers 1 through 20 to indicate the Lt. Governor’s & Senate’s priorities. In 2017 I increased the low bill numbers to 30 – Senators like to get a low bill number because it shows their bill is a priority, but we'll pass over 600 bills this session,” said Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick earlier today, releasing his much-anticipated “Top 30 Priorities” list for the 2023 Legislative Session that’s already underway.
President Biden's failure to protect our U.S. Mainland from a Chinese spy balloon (and more) is another alarming example of how his foreign policy weaknesses and inability to deter aggression is endangering our National Security. It's imperative we regain American strength and end Chinese spying – whether in our airspace or on our children's phones. I joined Fox News's Neil Cavuto to discuss this, and you can watch it here.
"Social media companies rely on algorithms to not only moderate content, but to also personalize users' recommendations. Recommendation systems are separate and distinct from algorithms, and are increasingly ubiquitous in selecting content for individual consumption – promoting some content and downranking or filtering disfavored content and accounts,'" said Sen. Ted Cruz, launching an investigation into Google, Twitter, Meta & TikTok's reported use of “blacklists.”
“These arrests demonstrate the enormity of the opioid, oxycodone and hydrocodone crisis our country finds itself in,” said Texas Attorney General Paxton, after a joint investigation by Paxton’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA,) the FBI, U.S. Postal Service's Inspector General Office, and U.S. Postal Inspections arrested nine individuals in Houston for unlawful distribution of 1.5 million opioid pills and other controlled substances.
It pains me to admit it, but the current fashion of lying to oneself (and your fellow woke-cult Democrats) about the nature of one’s opponents is – self-destructive. As Grandpa Biden descends further with each passing day into his vortex of bizarre verbal re-constructions, incoherent shouting and occasional improvised concessions that neutralize Democrat's talking points, he's about to have to face reality. And soon.
“Fentanyl's killing Americans at record levels, and poses a deadly risk to every single American. With President Biden failing to address this national security crisis to ensure criminals who traffic this deadly drug are met with severe penalties, we must stop this scourge on our communities,” said South Texas Cong. Tony Gonzales, as he and Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) re-introduced their "Felony Murder for Deadly Fentanyl Distribution Act."
“It is time for the state to put real investment in our water infrastructure and ensure Texas has sufficient water supply as we continue to grow,” said Sen. Charles Perry as he filed Senate Bill 837 and Senate Joint Resolution 43 to create a "Water for Texas Fund" at the Texas Water Development Board, saying it would boost water infrastructure projects and dramatically increase supplies across the state in the future.
The Biden White House "has left Texas as a frontier outpost, leaving us to our own devices to secure our border,” said Governor Greg Abbott, reporting the latest figures that the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the Texas National Guard have captured during their effort to stop the smuggling of drugs, weapons and people into Texas, while also detecting and interdicting trans-national gangs to secure the border.
“Fiddling while Austin burns is no longer acceptable. Austin has consistently passed 4-year Police Labor Contracts, and we need one again before the current contract expires at the end of March,” said Save Austin Now's co-founders Matt Mackowiak & Cleo Petricek of Wednesday's Special Meeting agenda item. "We know Mackenzie Kelly, Ryan Alter and Mayor Kirk Watson understand the severity of the staffing crisis – it's not clear the rest of the Council does."
“As President Biden doubles down on his anti-Oil & Gas Agenda, our enemies smell blood in the water and're using their production as leverage against the West," said Texas Railroad Commissioner Wayne Christian, following news of Russia's plans to cut 5% of its oil production next month. "We have the technology and manpower to be energy independent – we just need the federal government to get out of the way."
“These assignments were made after careful consideration and reflection, taking into account the committee preferences expressed by each member – as well as the diverse talents they bring to build a combination to drive our success and impact on issues facing Texans this Legislative Session,” said Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan while announcing his House Committee selections for 2023's 88th Legislature.
“It’s past time to recognize the not-so-obvious. At best most of these Public Finance Corporation deals are being done in egregiously opaque settings, and the practice of unelected Housing & Taxing Authority bureaucrats taking BILLIONS of dollars in Property Tax Value off the tax rolls – not only for their own taxing units, but also ISDs, Cities, Counties & Special Taxing Districts – has got to end,' said Sen. Paul Bettencourt, as he filed his bill.
“Small businesses across the Lone Star State are grateful for both Chairman Burrows & Senator Creighton’s tireless effort on their behalf. Amid worker shortages and continued interest rate hikes from the Fed, economic uncertainty is being exacerbated by local regulations and mandates," said National Federation of Independent Business State Director Annie Spilman. "It's holding back our economic recovery."
In his opening statement at today’s full committee hearing on “Strengthening Airline Operations & Consumer Protection,” Ranking Republican Member of the Senate Commerce, Science & Transportation Committee Ted Cruz slammed President Biden's White House effort to micromanage airline fares, saying it would result in higher fares for American consumers and lead to fewer available routes while leaving consumers worse off with fewer options for travel.
At Joe Biden's "State of the Union" disaster earlier this week, we heard a whole lot of mis-information and happy talk about "bipartisanship." Oh Horse-Hockey! Joe Biden – one of the most partisan, divisive and simply dishonest Democrats of the last 50-odd years stood before the American people and literally, provably, lied to them about virtually everything. And, he pretended to actually have respect for Republicans.
“My #1 priority is putting money back in the pockets of our taxpayers and working to ensure fairness and transparency throughout this session's budget process," said newly-elected House District 73 State Rep. Carrie Isaac, after she secured a major committee assignment as Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan announced committees appointments for the 88th Texas Legislative Session in Austin.
“The Strategic Petroleum Reserve was intended to ensure that America had sufficient reserves in an emergency. Instead, Joe Biden sold a portion of this critical National Security Asset to the Chinese Communists while they stockpiled oil for their own strategic use – while Americans are paying higher & higher prices," said Sen. Ted Cruz while reintroducing his "No Emergency Crude Oil for Foreign Adversaries Act."
During Tuesday night's "State of the Union" speech, President Biden "announced initiatives to lessen the flow of deadly fentanyl into this country – yet Texas has been fighting this surge ever since he opened our Southern Border to dramatically increase influence of Mexican drug cartels," said Gov. Greg Abbott. In fact, Texas has seized enough fentanyl to kill every man, woman and child in the U.S., said Abbott.
