Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced today he will send cities, counties, transit systems and special purpose districts $1.2 billion in local sales tax allocations for August, a 2.8% increase over the same period in August 2022.
Day by day, our right to speak freely is being robbed by the Biden White House. Normally, prosecutors are required to show the accused all the evidence that will be presented against them, but in this special instance involving former President Donald Trump, Prosecutor Jack Smith is refusing to share their supposed evidence – until and unless Mr. Trump is gagged. But that's how courts are run in countries like Pakistan, Russia & North Korea.
After strongly supporting domestic production of uranium in the past because of the U.S.'s heavy reliance on Russia for the crucial mineral – it helps provide 20% of all U.S. electricity and 50% of our "carbon-free" electricity – why is President Biden suddenly stopping U.S. development of such a critical mineral resource? It's yet another move that's likely to be challenged in Federal Court for not meeting statutory requirements.
Eaton Corporation will expand their manufacturing facility for voltage regulators, Cooper Power Systems LLC, in Nacogdoches. Cooper Power Systems is a subsidiary of Eaton Corporation PLC (Eaton), a global technology leader in electrical components, systems, and services for power quality, distribution, and control. The project is expected to create over 200 new jobs and more than $100 million in capital investment.
Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) awarded more than $2.3 million in grants for Youth Robotics programs, allowing more than 10,000 Texas high school students to participate in various events that lead to the world championship. This year, four applicants received awards: FIRST in Texas, Urban STEM, Collegiate Edu-nation, and BEST of Texas Robotics.
With Mike Pence now qualifying for the Republican debate in Milwaukee on Aug. 23rd, there are now eight candidates qualified to participate. However, one of those eight is former President Donald Trump, who suggests he's not inclined to show up. I think there's a strong case to be made that if what we want this election to be about is navigating toward the best interests of the country and its citizens, it may be best for him not to participate.
“By signing the Save Women’s Sports Act, Governor Abbott sends a powerful message to Texans – and to all Americans that we must protect the female category of sport if we want women and girls to have the equal athletic opportunities that are required by law,” said former NCAA athlete and Independent Women's Voice spokeswomen Riley Gaines, as she and others celebrated Gov. Abbott's signing the bill into law that protects women's sports in Texas.
In just the first 7 months of this year, our country's faced the failure of three large U.S. Banks, threats to our financial systems from the Chinese Communists, economic mismanagement by the Biden White House, and more. Nonetheless, House Republicans passed bills to address border security, lowering energy costs, protecting women & girls, and countless others. We have five months left in the year, and many more issues to address.
"It’s time to remove the middleman, and allow Americans to make decisions about how and when they get care for themselves," said Sen. Ted Cruz, as he and Senators Mike Braun & James Risch introduced the "Personalized Care Act" to make Americans' health care more portable, accessible, and tailored to meet their unique needs by dramatically expanding Heath Savings Accounts – a pre-tax savings tool millions of Americans already use to cover the costs of their health care.
Many outside of Texas enjoy mocking Texans with “I know, I know, everything’s bigger in Texas,” but the reality is that Texas is really pretty darn big. The US Census reports that as of 2021 Texas has more than 30 million people, living in more than 12 million households spread out across more than 261,000 square miles. As of the census, 87% have broadband at home.
House Republicans continue to uncover a pattern of financial transactions that, at a minimum, show ties between Joe Biden and his son Hunter. Yet for the sock-puppet, leftist-advocating media, the Biden’s corruption is only “Republicans smearing a man who just loves his kid.” Still, massive amounts of evidence are growing almost daily, and they're revealing a level of bribery the likes of which the nation's never seen.
Even before Hunter Biden’s former business partner & college friend Devon Archer testified before the House Oversight & Accountability Committee last week – spilling the beans on Joe Biden’s knowledge of & involvement in their foreign business dealings – a substantial majority of voters say they believe President Joe Biden has tried to cover up the scandal. And, most do not think the targeting of former President Trump for prosecution will hurt his 2024 chances.
Since the mood of the nation's consumers runs on gas prices – when they're high, pocket-book concerns worsen – rising prices at the pump are stoking fears of continued high inflation as well. Earlier this year, after rebuffing President Biden’s calls for increased production, Saudi Arabia starting reducing how much oil it sends into the global economy – but that’s not all. In the past week they've threatened to deepen the reductions further.
From water heaters to pick-up trucks, from gas stoves to light bulbs, there seems to be a strange similarity in how all these “money-saving” changes that leftists and liberal Democrats are forcing on the rest of us always cost more. As the left will tell you, choices are only acceptable when it comes to sexual preferences, abortion, and gender. In everything else, the government knows what’s best for you. It is, after all, a free country.
Sen. Ted Cruz, the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on The Constitution Ranking Member, sent a letter to the Dept. of Justice demanding details about Asst. U.S. Attorney Lesley Wolf, and about Wolf’s relationship with Biden loyalist Alexander Mackler. Emails recovered from Hunter Biden’s laptop reveal affectionate correspondence between the Bidens and Mackler that raise serious questions about the department's objectivity in the Hunter Biden probe.
Since being launched by Gov. Greg Abbott, Operation Lone Star has apprehended some 402,000 Illegal Immigrants and made more than 32,400 Criminal Arrests – with over 29,600 Felony Charges reported. And in the fight against fentanyl, Texas Law Enforcement has seized over 422 million lethal doses during this border mission. The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the Texas National Guard are working to secure the border.
Republicans on the House Ways & Means Committee have proposed three tax bills under the umbrella titled “American Families & Jobs Act.” It’s impossible to do a comprehensive analysis in a short article, so let's focus on one good thing: keep the State & Local Tax (SALT) limit, a key feature of the 2017 Tax Cuts & Jobs Act. The ideal tax system is one that doesn’t give people an incentive to do wasteful things.
Comptroller Glenn Hegar today said State Sales Tax Revenue totaled $3.99 billion in July, 2.7% more than in July 2022. Total sales tax revenue for the three months ending in July 2023 was up 4.5% compared to the same period a year ago. Sales taxes represent the largest source of state funding for the state budget, accounting for 56% of all tax collections, and are often seen as a measuring stick of the state's economic activity.
