On the Record

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Lt. Gov. Patrick, Speaker Burrows, Senate & House Leaders Reach School Finance Agreement

“We have been working diligently with the House, in countless meetings and thoughtful discussions, throughout the session to create the most effective School Finance Bill in Texas history. This Bill targets specific needs that create the best education system in America, and I'm proud of the work that members in both chambers, in both parties, have done," said Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.

05.23.2025
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Texas Leads Nation With Most New Jobs Added Over Last Year

Governor Greg Abbott today celebrated Texas as the No. 1 state in the nation for job creation, adding more new jobs last month and over the last year than any other state. Under Governor Abbott's leadership, Texas has added more than 2.5 million jobs since he took office in January 2015.On Friday, Governor Abbott celebrated Texas setting new records for total jobs, the number of Texans working, and the size of the Texas labor force based on April employment data released by the Texas Workforce Commission.

05.23.2025
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CONG. GONZALES & MOSKOWITZ Re-Launch Bipartisan 'School Safety & Security Caucus'

"The truth is, our schools have become soft targets for twisted, evil individuals. I’m a dad of six – I share the same worries that Parents & Grandparents across America do when it comes to the safety of our kids in the classroom. That’s why I am fully committed to safeguard our schools," said South Texas Cong. Tony Gonzales.

05.23.2025
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Texas Cong. Jodey Arrington, Author of the 'One, Big, Beautiful Bill,' Celebrates Passage

“Over the last four years, Americans suffered – chaos on our Border, crime ridden streets, a cost-of-living crisis that decimated families and left them more vulnerable. America was weaker, and more divided than it had been in generations. Then, Americans gave President Trump a historic mandate and a Republican Congress to reverse course – and this bill will do exactly that," said House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington.

05.22.2025
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CONG. BABIN: Backing One, Big, Beautiful Bill, 'This is Exactly the Leadership Our Country's been Waiting for'

"For the past four years, American families have been squeezed by out-of-control inflation, reckless spending, and open border chaos. President Trump promised to fight for working, everyday Americans, and this bill proves he’s delivering. It takes the boot off the neck of small businesses, puts more money in the pockets of families, and restores sanity to our border and welfare programs,” said Cong. Brian Babin.

05.22.2025
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Cong.. Tony Gonzales Advances Border Reimbursements for Texas, Prevents Tax Hikes on Texans

“This morning, I voted yes on the House Reconciliation Package, which includes funding to reimburse our state for Operation Lone Star costs – a priority I’ve fought for since House budget talks began. Through my seat on the House Homeland Security Committee, I helped shape the bill’s Border Security Provisions, which include funding for checkpoint upgrades, new technology & infrastructure, Operation Stonegarden Law Enforcement Grants, and CBP bonuses."

05.22.2025
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ICYMI: Sen. Cruz’s No Tax on Tips Passes Senate Unanimously — Coverage Roundup

Yesterday, the No Tax on Tips Act passed the Senate by a vote of 100-0. The bill had been introduced in the U.S. Senate by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), and co-led by Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.). It now heads to the U.S. House of Representatives for a vote. The No Tax on Tips Act exempts “cash tips”—cash, credit and debit card charges, and checks—from federal income tax by allowing taxpayers to claim a 100% deduction at filing for tipped wages.

05.22.2025
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Governor Abbott Announces Record-Breaking $46.3 Million In Grants To Serve Veterans And Their Families

Governor Greg Abbott and the Texas Veterans Commission (TVC) today announced over $46,315,000 million in Fund for Veterans’ Assistance (FVA) grants will be distributed to 175 organizations across the state. Approved by TVC Commissioners at their meeting last week, FVA grants are awarded to nonprofit organizations and local government agencies throughout Texas that provide direct services to veterans and their families.

05.22.2025
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Transportation Sect. Duffy Announces New Trucker's English Proficiency Guidance While in Austin

“America First means Safety First – Americans are safer on roads alongside truckers who can understand and interpret our traffic signs,” said U.S. Dept. of Transportation Sect. Sean Duffy, signing an order at a trucking event in Austin. "This common-sense change ensures that the penalty for failure to comply is more than a slap on the wrist," Duffy said, announcing new enforcement guidelines for Commercial Truck Operators.

05.21.2025
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Sen. Cruz Introduces Universal School Choice Act

"School choice is the Civil Rights issue of the 21st Century – every child in America deserves a quality education that meets their individual needs, regardless of race, ethnicity, income, or zip code," said Sen. Ted Cruz, introducing the "Universal School Choice Act" in the Senate, while Congressmen Burgess Owens (of Utah) and Byron Donalds (of Florida) introduced the legislation in the U.S. House.

05.21.2025
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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s Bail Reform Agenda Faces Uphill Battle

Governor Greg Abbott of Texas is urging Democrats in the House to support a package of bail reform amendments aimed at making bail more restrictive. However, Rep. John Smithee expressed concerns that insufficient Democratic support could hinder the measure's passage, requiring at least 12 Democrats to achieve the necessary supermajority. The question remains whether Abbott would stomach any concessions to Democrats in an issue that he named as a priority during his State of the State address earlier this year.

05.20.2025
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CONG. McCAUL: Fixing Border Crisis Didn't Take More Laws, It Took New Leadership

I’ve worked on border issues for 25 years — first as a federal prosecutor and later as chairman of the Homeland Security Committee — and I can safely say that I’ve never seen the border as broken and chaotic as it was under President Biden. Under the Biden/Harris administration, the federal government abdicated its duty to protect the homeland – and Texans bore the brunt of that abject failure.

05.20.2025
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Rep. Tony Gonzales Discusses Continued Foot Traffic in Big Bend Sector with CBP Leadership

Flores: "We’ll continue to work towards 100% situational awareness, and that’s our plan right now, so we can ensure that we know what’s coming across the border. And then, ultimately, in ensuring that we know what’s coming across the border, being able to take an enforcement action on that. The enforcement and deterrence piece on the consequences seems to have a good deterrent effect and helps alleviate some of those hot spots.”

05.20.2025
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RRC trains 300 staff in “Boots on the Ground” initiative

The Railroad Commission of Texas recently crossed a milestone in one of its key instruction programs, training more than 300 employees in Phase I of the agency’s Boots on the Ground initiative. Phase I in the training, “Introduction to Statewide Rules” covers the rules that inspectors and technical staff primarily deal with in the field. Boots on the Ground is coordinated by Dana McClendon, the division trainer with the RRC’s Oil and Gas Division.

05.20.2025
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Strong Borders, Strong Schools, and Strong Communities

March saw the lowest Border Patrol encounters in decades, just over 7,000 total. That’s a stunning turnaround from the over 11,000 a day we saw under Biden. ​​​​​Tom’s message is clear: when Border Patrol agents are empowered to do their jobs, America is safer. Thank God for Tom Homan and the patriots of the Border Patrol who are helping make our country secure again.

05.19.2025
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Charter School Growth Fund awards $25 million grant to Harmony Public Schools

The Charter School Growth Fund is a national nonprofit that invests in visionary education leaders who are building networks of excellent public charter schools. Since its founding, CSGF has supported over 1,600 schools serving more than 725,000 students in 32 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico. Harmony Public Schools are 60+ high-performing PreK-12 college preparatory charter schools throughout Texas.

05.19.2025
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MILLER: Trump Leadership on Wi-Fi Key to Texas' Agricultural Future

I've spent my career fighting for policies that empower, rather than restrict, Texas Agriculture – and today, autonomous equipment, AI applications, and digital farm management systems represent the future of competitive agriculture. These technologies will depend on Wi-Fi 7, which has been demonstrated to double or potentially triple the throughput of the current generation of Wi-Fi. So for the sake of America's food security, we need more innovation in Texas.

05.09.2025
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GINGRICH: Faith that Binds; The Universality of the Roman Catholic Church

For 3½ years my wife Callista served as U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See, which has the second largest diplomatic representation of any country in the world next to Washington, D.C. During our time there, we experienced a totally unique sense of universality – and s​​​itting in the diplomatic corps this past Christmas Eve for Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica reminded us how diverse the world is... and how much that is captured in the Catholic Church. This is a fitting tribute to the memory of Pope Francis.

05.07.2025
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HAMER: Legislators Should Oppose Efforts Harming 'All-of-the-Above' Electricity Generation

A few short years ago it was more common to see a UFO on the Lone Star State's High Plains than a Solar or Wind Farm. But times have changed, and today Texas leads all states in adding utility-scale solar and battery storage to the Electric Grid. The result? A stronger electricity market that's more stable and diversified – and cheaper for Texas' businesses and consumers. Energy demand is rapidly growing in Texas, and the generation of electricity will need to double by 2035 to meet that demand.

05.06.2025
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Governor Abbott Signs Landmark School Choice Legislation Into Law

Governor Greg Abbott today signed Senate Bill 2, the landmark school choice program that is the largest day-one launch in the country, into law at the Governor’s Mansion in Austin. Hundreds of Texas parents, students, educators, and school choice advocates from across the state joined to celebrate this historic moment as Governor Abbott signed school choice into law to empower Texas families to choose the education pathway that is best for their child.

05.05.2025
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05.23.2025

TEXAS INSIDER ON YOUTUBE

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05.23.2025
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05.21.2025
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