During Sexual Assault Awareness Month, U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) and U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) are codifying key parts of President Trump’s zero-tolerance border crackdown by introducing legislation to deport illegal immigrants convicted of sex crimes. The "Better Enforcement of Grievous Offenses by unNaturalized Emigrants (BE GONE) Act" amends the Immigration & Nationality Act to include Sexual Assault & Aggravated Sexual Violence as "aggravated felonies.” 

On June 17, 2024, two Venezuelan illegal aliens assaulted and brutally murdered 12-year-old Houston resident Jocelyn Nungaray. Both suspects were enrolled President Joe Biden’s “Alternative to Detention” Program and were released into the United States, and one of the suspects was wearing an ICE GPS Monitor at the time of Jocelyn’s assault & murder. "May Jocelyn's family find peace in the tranquility of the Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge,” said Gov. Abbott earlier today.

The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) today took a major step in ensuring the long-term energy reliability and economic vitality of the Lone Star State by announcing the buildout of the "Permian Basin Reliability Plan" using 765-kilovolt (kV) transmission lines — the highest-voltage transmission standard used in Texas. The plan will support the region’s strong and growing electricity demand, and unlock continued economic development across the Permian Basin.

Senate Bill 23, by Sen. Paul Bettencourt, increases the Homestead Exemption for Disabled Texans & Texans over 65 from $10,000 to $60,000. When combined with the across-the-board $140,000 Homestead Exemption passed in Senate Bill 4, and Senate Joint Resolution 2, Seniors & Disabled Texans would receive a $200,000 Homestead Exemption. The combined $200,000 exemption means School Property Taxes would be eliminated for the average over-65 Homeowner.

Gov. Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 14 into law – known as the Texas DOGE Bill – during a ceremony the Texas State Capitol. "This will slash regulations, put stricter standards on new regulations that could be costly to businesses, and puts a check on the growth of the administrative state," said Abbott, who joined at the signing by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, House Speaker Dustin Burrows, as well as by Sen. Phil King & Rep. Giovanni Capriglione who carried the bills in the House and the Senate.

Hosting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Regional Administrator Scott Mason and Cong. Julie Fedorchak of North Dakota in West Texas' Permian Basin this week was an honor. To start the day, Diamondback Energy hosted us for a tour of one of their production facilities to showcase the dedication and effort required to produce American Energy – and on the tour, we observed a demonstration of their Advanced Emissions Monitoring System.

The City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs leases both The Majestic Theatre and Music Hall at Fair Park. Under Texas law, governmental subdivisions have no authority to prohibit license holders from carrying their handguns as Dallas has repeatedly done to citizens, going so far as threatening to arrest law-abiding citizens seeking to participate in their rights. Now, Attorney General Paxton has sued Dallas for wrongfully infringing on Texans’ gun rights. 

Last week, Transportation Sect. Sean Duffy announced that the Trump White House had terminated the $63.9 million Biden Administration Grant for an Amtrak "High-Speed Rail Corridor" between Dallas & Houston. It would have forced my Texas constituents to subsidize the very project that would have seized their property in order to build it. Originally proposed as a private sector venture, it was another example of wasteful government spending.

“When I was going through my Senate Confirmation Process, I made a commitment to Senator Cruz that I would travel down to Midland, tour an oil rig, and reaffirm my support to achieve American Energy Dominance. The Trump EPA does not believe in regulating this industry out of existence – instead we want to partner with Texas' leaders to keep producing American energy," said Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) head Lee Zeldin.

"He was a bold and unwavering voice in defense of life, championing the unborn, the vulnerable, and the marginalized with conviction and compassion. Cecilia and I join more than one billion Catholics across the globe to honor the legacy of Pope Francis. Our hearts go out to all who join us in mourning his death and remembering the impact his teachings had. Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him."

Upskill Texas enables businesses to invest in training solutions that address evolving industry demands and ensures they remain competitive in the marketplace. This initiative provides funding to support technical training for employers that are introducing new technologies, expanding into new markets, introducing new services, or restructuring to better serve their customers. The deadline to apply is Monday, June 30th, 2025.

With more than 89.4 million records now digitized – up by more than six million since last October – the RRC is fast approaching 100 million records being added to its online digital archives by the end of this fiscal year. The accomplishment saves RRC staff significant man hours and reduces the processing time for routine records requests, allowing them to focus on more complex tasks that require more time to fulfill.

Texas' economy continued its strong performance in March, with the labor market achieving record highs in both total jobs and the size of the civilian labor force. Texas added 26,500 positions over the month to reach a total of 14,282,600 nonfarm jobs. The state added 192,100 jobs over the year, bringing the annual nonfarm growth rate to 1.4 percent which outpaced the national growth rate by 0.2 percentage points.

As severe weather season approaches, Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar reminds Texans they can purchase certain items tax free during the state’s sales tax holiday for emergency preparation supplies, which begins at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, April 26, and ends at midnight on Monday, April 28. The Comptroller’s office estimates shoppers will save about $2.3 million in state and local sales taxes during the tax holiday, which was approved by the Texas Legislature in 2015.

“For the first time in Texas history, our state has passed a Universal School Choice Bill out of both chambers in the Texas Legislature," said Gov. Abbott, adding, "This is an extraordinary victory for the 1,000s of parents who've advocated for more choices to educate their children. Texas could not have accomplished this without the hard work and unwavering support from Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, House Speaker Dustin Burrows, and Committee Chairmen Brandon Creighton & Brad Buckley."

"As NASA’s leadership has languished in our nation’s capital, the core missions of this critical agency are more divided than ever. This seismic disconnect between NASA’s headquarters and its missions centers has opened the door to bureaucratic micromanagement," say Cruz, Babin, and other Texans in Congress, arguing that Houston is well suited with Mission Control, the NASA Astronaut Corps, and the Lunar Sample Laboratory Facility already located there.

“Last week, the Texas Senate did not take its foot off the gas pedal, passing 186 bills over to the Texas House – including 3 of our Top 40 Priority Bills. We passed a giant business tax cut, established a homeland security division within the Texas Dept. of Public Safety (DPS), passed legislation stopping squatters from taking advantage of Texas property owners, and more. The Senate's firing on all cylinders, and we will not be stopping any time soon," said Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.

Last week I voted in favor of the budget resolution to continue advancing our America 1st Agenda, blocked non-citizens from voting, reined in District Judges, participated in two full committee markups, joined a News Event discussion on investing in America, and much more. These are all necessary steps to implement President Trump’s agenda. We have to look the American public in the eye, and give them the confidence that we are committed.

“Texas is where the future of innovation is building,” said Gov. Greg Abbott earlier today, congratulating NVIDIA on the announced construction of two Supercomputer Manufacturing Facilities in Texas, partnering with Foxconn in Houston, and with Wistron in Dallas. Production at both facilities is expected in 12-15 months. "As demand for technologies powered by artificial intelligence grows, we will work with industry leaders from around the globe to accelerate production."

Congressman Byron Donalds (R-FL) has introduced transformative legislation to increase access to capital for small businesses and small banks."The Small Bank Holding Company Relief Act" raises the consolidated asset threshold of Bank Holding Companies (BHCs) to qualify as Small Bank Holding Companies (SBHCs) from $3 billion to $25 billion. Raising the asset threshold for SBHC would enable more banks to operate at higher debt levels, which can allow them to raise capital more cheaply.