Take a quick look back to the 2010 Legislative Session – when a Texas House Committee was considering expanding gambling in Texas. Both Gov. Rick Perry and his Democrat opponent Bill White said they were against it. So why didn't Texas go for it then? After all, gambling & lotteries are nothing more than government selling false hope – and, then there’s always organized crime that shows up wherever there’s gambling.
Last session I authored the Election Integrity Bill (SB 1,) which enhanced or added some 18 punishments for Voter Fraud and other serious election crimes. And despite predictions, voter turnout in Texas increased during the 2022 Election. This session I've introduced SB 2 to restore the felony penalty for Illegal Voting – which after having now passed the Texas Senate moves to the House for consideration.
What percentage of Americans agree or disagree with the question, "Did former President Donald Trump Commit a Crime, or is His Prosecution a Political Attack?" Or perhaps even more telling is their response to the statement: "Prosecuting Trump in Manhattan would be an outrageous abuse of power by a radical DA who lets violent criminals walk as he pursues political vengeance against Trump."
There are several bills in the 2023 Texas Legislature that address and encourage the concept that's referred to as "Carbon Capture & Storage," or CCS – but what exactly is Carbon Capture? Or, Carbon Storage for that matter? Its not too hard to understand, and perhaps most importantly, it can help Texas reduce emissions without disrupting growth in the Oil & Gas Industries in the future.
"Every day, more and more stories reveal that male athletes are stealing trophies, scholarships & victories from a countless number of women who've worked hard to be the very best at their sport. We'll not allow this to happen to college women in Texas," said Texas Values Action's Mary Elizabeth Castle after the Texas Senate passed Sen. Mayes Middleton's #SaveWomensSports Bill to protect college level women from having men participate in their sports.
While the nation's "Budget Deficit" garners attention in Washington, D.C., America’s growing "Virtue & Moral Deficit" doesn’t. And a new poll highlights a disturbing change in the values that have always defined America. After news broke Monday about the tragic school shooting in Nashville, President Biden spoke at the White House and demonstrated why so many have concerns about his age and mental faculties.
While 74% of Democrats have a "favorable" opinion of Joe Biden – and just 14% hold an "unfavorable" view – when asked what they'd want to see happen in the 2024 Democrat Presidential Primary were the choice up to them, almost half (44%) say they would like Mr. Biden to step aside so someone else can run as the Democrat nominee for president. Just 25% say they want Biden to run for a 2nd term, 30% have no opinion either way.
As we celebrated the demise of Joe Biden's infamous "Disinformation Governing Board" and its YouTube singing phenomenon “Nanny,” it turns out the Biden White House never disclosed a much larger censorship program it had underway. A few weeks ago, I wrote that a Congressionally created "National Endowment for Democracy" supported blacklisting & targeting conservative sites as dangerous, while listing their most liberal counterparts as trustworthy.
Every president since Jimmy Carter in 1979 has had a lower Inflation Rate than Joe Biden has at this point in his presidency. So why are we not hearing about how the blame rests squarely on Joe Biden and his White House when all signs point to his failed policies? Even though 54% of Americans believe the recession is thanks to Biden's policies, the answer is simple – and we all know it: Joe Biden has a D next to his name.
"I, along with the Texas Senate in a bipartisan effort, fought to get the high prices (during Winter Storm Uri in February 2021) rolled back. We believed prices should not have risen to the highest level, and should not have stayed at the highest level for the entire storm. The ruling from the 3rd Court of Appeals supports our position. No doubt the court case isn’t over as appeals could still be filed, but I couldn’t be more pleased," said the Lt. Governor.
"Your department has included extraneous Environmental-Social Governance (ESG) requirements that seek to enact progressive policies previously rejected by Congress. To claim these provisions are integral to the 'national security mission' of the CHIPS Act, and will '[result] in lower costs' defies reason," Sen. Ted Cruz and more than a dozen other Senate Republicans told President Biden's Sect. of Commerce Gina Raimondo.
Joe Biden ran in 2020 on the campaign slogan “Build Back Better.” But with his tax, spending and regulatory policies all hamstringing the economy, a more accurate slogan would be “Reduce Economic Growth.” What's the worst of President Biden’s latest proposed tax increases? It’s hard to say – there are so many strong candidates. Much of Mr. Biden's tax increase burdens are on U.S. workers.
Governor Abbott touted Texas' strong partnerships with businesses and discussed his vision for the state's continued economic success at a luncheon hosted by the Austin Chamber of Commerce. The Governor detailed how Texas will continue partnering with businesses, like manufacturing giants in Austin, to maintain the state's surging economic development momentum.
Is the United States economically capable or politically unified or socially stable enough to wage a huge proxy war on the frontiers of a nuclear Russia? Ukrainians, Europeans, and many Americans are defining a Ukrainian victory as the complete expulsion of all Russians – or as a Ukrainian National Security Chief said, the war ends with Ukrainian tanks in Red Square. But mysteries remain about such ambitious agendas.
"As Senator & Lt. Governor, it's been my mission to reduce and reform the Property Tax System for all Texans. In 2015, I led the charge to increase the Homestead Exemption from $15,000 to $25,000, in 2021 we increased it to $40,000, and this year we're increasing it to $70,000 – and for the 2+ million homeowners over 65, the exemption will be $100,000," said Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick after SB's 3, 4 & 5 passed the Texas Senate.
“We are concerned the Proposed Regulations would bypass the legislative process and undercut the ability of Attorneys General to enforce State Gaming Laws. When Congress enacted the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act it recognized that states have public policy, safety, and economic interests related to gaming offered on Indian lands. Those state interests persist, yet the Proposed Regulations expand the scope of tribal casino gaming through unilateral executive branch action without any debate in Congress or State Legislatures.”
“We saw a fiery train wreck on television, where nearby residents were understandably fearful that their water was poisoned and their air was polluted. The distress of East Palestinians was real then, and it’s real now. That’s why it’s important we’re holding this hearing to address two critical topics: First, what can be done to prevent derailments like this?,” said Ranking Republican Ted Cruz of the unanswered questions in the accident's aftermath.
"This agreement is a huge win in protecting the right of conservative voices and viewpoints to be heard – and I'm proud to have helped facilitate this agreement," said Gov. Greg Abbott after a multi-year distribution agreement between Newsmax Media and DIRECTV was announced to return the Newsmax Channel to the satellite television provider. "This will set the standard for future business deals," said Abbott.
