Energy-efficient products displaying the ENERGY STAR® logo can be purchased tax free this coming weekend, including air conditioners priced under $6,000, refrigerators of $2,000 or less, ceiling fans, fluorescent light bulbs, integral LED bulbs, dishwashers, dehumidifiers, washers and dryers – even lawn & garden products that help conserve water. Here's your complete list.
Thieves go into drugstores carrying calculators to make sure that the value of the items they're stealing don't exceed what their state's laws define as a misdemeanor – $1,000 or less in New York and most states. Shoplifters will actually put items back on the shelf to avoid felony jail time. "We have individuals that've been arrested over 30 times just this year," but they're still on the streets.
In order to bring members of Congress together to foster discussions and propose solutions related to School Safety & Security, Congressmen Tony Gonzales & Jared Moskowitz announced the formation of the "Congressional Bi-partisan School Safety & Security Caucus" that will be hosting a School Security Roundtable with educators, security, and mental health experts this week.
“Texas is again No. 1 for job creation, adding more jobs over the last 12 months than any other state. That means more paychecks and more possibilities for Texas families," said Gov. Greg Abbott earlier today, celebrating the strength of Texas' economy after April's jobs data showed Texas again surpassed all previous records for Total Jobs, Total Texans Employed, and Total Texans in the Labor Force.
Since the COVID-low point in September of 2020, the number of months showing an increase in the upstream Oil & Natural Gas Industries Employment in Texas have outnumbered months of decrease by a 27 to 4 margin. And, that employment growth in Texas saw continued growth during April, edging up by 700 jobs and bringing the job count to within striking distance of a three-year high.
The Texas Climate Jobs Project recently issued a report claiming that the EPA's proposed "methane mitigation" regulations could create between 19,000 and 35,000 in Texas. "For my entire life, liberals have believed that breaking things will grow the economy. It's foolish to believe that any government law, any rule or regulation has created more jobs than it's killed," said Commissioner Christian.
Currently, there is no school choice in the Lone Star State for low-income parents. Gov. Greg Abbott and a broad coalition of parent groups are pushing for the state House to clear a historic education savings account bill that has already passed the State Senate, and the opponents fail to acknowledge the bill they oppose actually directs more money per student for rural schools – and higher pay for teachers.
“I’m here in Brownsville today to thank the hardworking men & women who are defending our border for their bravery and courage,” said Texas Gov. Greg Abbott earlier today, as he visited Texas National Guard Soldiers & Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Troopers at the Southern Border while providing an update on Texas' response to the ongoing Border Crisis during a Press Conference there.
Extreme budget cuts, rogue legal reforms, and media bias against law enforcement have resulted in significant recruitment and retention challenges for state and local law enforcement agencies nationwide. These factors are not only preventing law enforcement from carrying out their duties to protect Americans, but they are also impeding police agencies across the homeland from having the resources to train their officers properly.
Attorney General Paxton joined a multistate amicus brief that is in support of a U.S. Army veteran seeking full access to the educational benefits earned from his patriotic service to the country and multiple tours of duty. The petitioner in the case is a veteran who fought in Afghanistan and Iraq, was injured in the line of duty, and received a number of commendations for his service, including a Bronze Star.
"Whoever out there's been benefiting from abusing this, you are on notice — stop these abuses NOW!” exclaimed State Sen. Paul Bettencourt as he passed House Bill 2071 by Rep. Jacey Jetton out of the Texas Senate with bipartisan support. “The testimony I heard in the Senate Local Government Committee on PFCs was downright disturbing," said Bettencourt of the current abuses.
The power-hungry Democrat enemy hates us – and is dead serious about converting its hatred into policy. From legalizing crime, to weaponizing the government against us, from disenfranchising us at the ballot box, to disarming us in our homes, to gagging us on social media and leveraging the regime media to hide the truth and amplify the lies, this is a cold war where we become serfs if we don’t win.
The 16 new terrorism suspects apprehended by U.S. Customs & Border Agents at the Southern Border in April follows 11 being apprehended in March, 16 being apprehended in February, after 15 were apprehended in January. The alarming numbers obliterate all previous records – and Border Patrol believes that as more are caught, even more are getting away – such as FBI terrorism suspects.
This week, our Capitol Report covers the critical priorities passed since last week’s deadline. House Republican members proved they are ready to invest in Texas water development and infrastructure, deliver sustainable property tax relief, protect Texas children from irreversible gender modification, and save women’s sports in the Lone Star State. Texans can be assured relief is on the way!
The seasonally adjusted civilian labor force increased by 62,184 to reach a series-high 14,960,308 people, while the unemployment rate held steady at 4.0 percent. Texas added 33,300 positions to reach another series-high job count at 13,871,100 total nonfarm jobs. Texas job count increased more than any other state, with 534,600 positions added since April 2022.
In April 2022, Gov. Greg Abbott directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to begin chartering buses and transporting just a small portion of the overall number of migrants flooding across the Southern Border to the self-declared "Sanctuary City" of Washington, DC. Soon after, Abbott added New York City, Chicago & Philadelphia as Sanctuary City drop-off locations. Add Denver to the list.
"Doctors and Hospitals should not be pushing mutilative, irreversible ‘gender transitioning’ procedures that will negatively impact innocent children for the rest of their lives," said Texas Att. Gen. Ken Paxton, announcing the launch of an investigation into Texas Children’s Hospital. This investigation comes on the heels of Paxton's investigation into Dell Children’s Medical Center over unlawful behavior related to “gender transitioning.”
We must recognize and appreciate the sacrifices made by these heroes in blue. Texas is a state that values law and order and our law enforcement officers work tirelessly to uphold these principles. They face a wide range of challenges, from tackling violent crime and drug trafficking to managing traffic safety and responding to emergencies.
