Last week I had a great tour of Toyota Texas in San Antonio with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Acting U.S. Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling. Toyota’s $3.6 billion expansion is another powerful vote of confidence in Texas workers and our pro-growth policies, bringing more than 2,000 new high-paying jobs to the Lone Star State. Texas leads the nation because we believe in free enterprise, low taxes, and fewer government barriers to job creators.

As children across Texas began to head back to school this week, Comptroller Don Huffines announced earlier today that the Lone Star State has reached a major and significant milestone in the ongoing effort to provide billions in funding to students participating in the Texas Education Freedom Account (TEFA) Program. Huffines said over 101,600 Texas Students have now received funding – a figure that is expected to increase as additional awards are made.

State Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R-Houston) – author of 2021's Senate Bill 1365 that restored and strengthened Texas' A-F Public School Accountability System – joined Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath at 12:00 Noon today for the TEA's release of the 2026 A-F Accountability Ratings for every Independent School Dist. (ISD) across the state, as well as individual Campus Ratings for each school within the Lone Star State's 1,200 ISDs.

Mail-in and absentee ballots have expanded dramatically during Covid. Since then, some states have rolled back their use, but others are paying a steep price for not doing so. “Zombie” votes are ballots cast for candidates who drop out before Election Day. They’ve created a growing problem because more Americans who vote early or by mail are voting for a candidate who later drops out or is hit by a serious scandal.

Harmony Public Schools is celebrating strong student outcomes as a result of Friday’s release of the Texas Education Agency’s 2026 statewide accountability ratings, reaffirming the district’s commitment to academic excellence and continuous improvement across its PreK–12 campuses. Out of 65 schools across Texas, 32 earned an “A” rating, while 16 campuses earned a “B” rating.

Governor Greg Abbott presented a proclamation celebrating the Texas icon to Buc-ee’s Founder & President Arch “Beaver” Aplin, participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony, and joined Buc-ee’s employees in their “Brisket on the Board” tradition, slicing and serving brisket to Buc-ee’s customers. Since 1982, Buc-ee’s has been a beacon of Texas hospitality for travelers across the state. With the opening of its 74,000-square-foot San Marcos location, Buc-ee’s now operates nearly 60 stores nationwide.

Check out Steve Moore’s WSJ piece today. He shows that by moving from the highest tax state - California and New York - with income tax rates as high as 14% - to a no-income tax state like Florida, Tennessee or Texas, a family with $5 million or more in income can increase annual take-home pay by 30%. Just by moving out, They get that higher after-tax bonus year after year until they retire.

Texas Comptroller Don Huffines said many cities and counties can reduce property taxes due to increased sales tax revenue as local governments will receive $1.4 billion in sales tax allocations for August, 13.6% more than in August 2025.These allocations are based on sales made in June by businesses that report tax monthly and on sales made in April, May and June by quarterly filers. The increased sales tax revenue distributed to local governments is a strong sign the Texas economy continues to grow.

The public charter campus, which serves students in grades 6–12, has established a strong track record of academic achievement and community recognition in Central Texas. Demonstrating its commitment to postsecondary readiness, the school achieved a 100% college acceptance rate for its graduating seniors, alongside an 83% college enrollment rate for 2026—significantly outperforming both the statewide average of 48% and the regional average of 46%.

Governor Greg Abbott today announced Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) will establish a new pharmaceutical manufacturing campus in Houston, with a capital investment of approximately $2.3 billion that will create nearly 500 new jobs. A Texas Enterprise Fund (TEF) grant of $4.89 million has been extended to Bristol Myers Squibb. The expansion is also a qualified project under the Texas Jobs, Energy, Technology, and Innovation (JETI) program.

U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action, and Federal Rights, and Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) introduced the Right to Worship Act. This legislation protects Americans' First Amendment right to the free exercise of religion by establishing a 100-foot protection zone that prohibits conduct disrupting scheduled religious services or impeding attendance.

While every American is familiar with the fireworks & BBQs of the 4th of July, many people are unaware of the day in July dedicated to recognizing the service and sacrifices of Korean War Veterans: National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day on July 27th. This remembrance marks the anniversary of the 1953 Armistice Agreement signed by the United States, North Korea, and the People’s Republic of China, which ended the short but violent conflict.

Reentering the workforce presents significant challenges for formerly incarcerated individuals. At the same time, Texas employers face persistent labor shortages due to the state’s tremendous economic growth.  Hosted by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), the Growth through Reentry to Advance Careers & Employment (GRACE) Conference is your opportunity to learn how second-chance hiring can strengthen your workforce while providing a fresh start for formerly incarcerated individuals. (Details in article.)

New inventions and technologies, from the lightbulb to the farm tractor to the automobile to the laptop computer to Uber drivers, cause serious job market disruptions. They also cause a backlash, as horse and buggy operators, cab drivers, video rental stores, and typewriter makers inevitably predicted chaos and job losses. Artificial intelligence will make life much better and healthier for most people, but it will bring massive disruptions, too.

Governor Abbott has made public safety a top priority. He’s signed into law the strongest bail reform package in Texas history, expanded resources for local law enforcement, and directed the Texas Department of Public Safety to target repeat violent offenders. The consistent decline in the crime rate reflects the results of those priorities and build on the Governor’s commitment to protecting law-abiding Texans by ensuring dangerous criminals remain behind bars where they belong.

President Trump took action this week to defend the integrity of American citizenship, signing two Executive Orders to protect birthright citizenship from abuse and put an end to birth tourism. American citizenship is more than a legal status. It represents a sacred bond between the American people and our Nation and carries profound rights, privileges, and responsibilities. It should never be exploited by malign foreign actors or those seeking to manipulate our immigration laws for their own benefit.

Texas Comptroller Don Huffines announced a comprehensive performance review of the Comptroller’s office to identify inefficiencies and find savings for taxpayers. The internal review will assess all aspects of agency operations including business processes, vendor contracts and administrative structure measured against best practices in the private sector. The Comptroller of Public Accounts is the chief financial officer for the state of Texas and is charged with managing over $150 billion in state assets.

Texas Comptroller Don Huffines is reminding Texas Parents & Shoppers they can save money on a long list of clothes and various Back-to-School supplies during the state’s sales tax holiday this Friday, Saturday & Sunday, Aug. 7-9. State law exempts sales tax on qualified items — such as clothing, footwear, school supplies and backpacks priced below $100 — saving shoppers about $8 on every $100 they spend. The dates of the Sales Tax Holiday and list of tax-exempt items are set by the Texas Legislature.

Recently the Trucking Association Executives Council (TAEC) released a progress report documenting significant federal and state action to remove illegal operators, strengthen regulatory oversight and restore fairness for trucking companies and professional drivers that follow the rules. The Texas Trucking Association (TXTA) is a member of TAEC, and TXTA President and CEO John D. Esparza serves on the action committee that helped develop the report. 

Governor Greg Abbott today announced Apollo Global Management (NYSE: APO) will establish a new strategic hub in Austin to drive innovation, emerging technology, and the next phase of the firm's growth. The hub will incubate new and emerging businesses across Apollo's asset management and retirement solutions platform, intended to represent meaningful capital investment with significant job creation.