Plans were approved, funding was secured from the legislature, and then-Lt. Gov. Bob Bullock was the guest of honor at the groundbreaking of the Bullock Texas State History Museum shortly before his death in 1999. Opened in 2001, this weekend's Bullock Museum Birthday Bash will take place at the museum on Sunday, July 9th, activities are available from 10 am to 2 pm, and admission is free from 10 am to 5 pm.

President Biden's Secretary of State Anthony Blinken stated last week that the "United States does not support Taiwan independence." I recently traveled to Taiwan with a Select Delegation of Congress to demonstrate my support for the Taiwanese people. In doing so, I was sanctioned by the Chinese Communist Party – which I see as a badge of honor. Mr. Biden should exhibit the same stance.

"Triple-digit heat in the region – and all across our state – continues to increase fire-prone conditions," said Gov. Greg Abbott. "The Wildland Fire Preparedness Level remains at Preparedness Level 2 due to fuel and weather conditions, current and expected wildfire activity, regional preparedness levels, and fire-suppression resource availability in the state," Abbott said.

President Biden and his radical administration are working around the clock to destroy American-made reliable energy sources. My "Real Emergencies Act" will prevent the White House from distracting our country from real emergencies – like skyrocketing inflation & record-high energy costs – by declaring climate change a national emergency. It ensures he doesn't abuse his office to pursue an anti-American agenda.

Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, M.D. announced that the General Land Office's (GLO) Adopt-A-Beach (AAB) program limited-edition, graphic T-shirts are now on sale. Proceeds will help AAB purchase supplies for cleanup site volunteers and create educational outreach materials to teach the public about the harmful effects of marine debris to both people and sea life. 

This 2023, Happy 4th of July from All of us at Texas Insider.

"This is a great day for all Americans. The Supreme Court has ended our country’s long & failed experiment with racial quotas and government-sanctioned racial discrimination – and ruled that Harvard and the University of North Carolina’s explicit & egregious policies of racially discriminating against Asian-Americans and other students are unconstitutional,” said Sen. Ted Cruz.

We have no time to waste.  The Fentanyl Crisis is costing American lives and ruining families throughout Texas and our great country. In fact, two pounds has the potential to kill 500,000 people. The tragic reality of the Biden White House's chaotic border management is the increasing number of Americans dying from the deadly drug.  

"The key here is that SJR 1 must now pass the Texas House by early August in time to get the Constitutional Propositions on to ballot this November. Without that, none of the benefits of an increased Homestead Exemption nor the Supplemental Teacher Pay will reach any of these nearly 6 million Texans in 2023," said Sen. Paul Bettencourt, the primary author of the record $18 billion dollar Senate Property Tax Relief Plan, SB 1.

This historic investment, announced recently by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), will finance critical infrastructure projects across the state to increase access to reliable, high-speed internet and help close the availability gap in Texas. Texas’ share was the largest of any state.

$150 million in the Unified Transportation Program is to support construction of the International Bridge Trade Corridor (IBTC) project in the Rio Grande Valley. The IBTC is a proposed non-tolled, four-lane divided roadway that would provide direct interstate access for several international ports of entry and expedite the movement of goods and freight through the border region.

Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Ted Cruz today led a bi-cameral, bi-partisan coalition of lawmakers representing Texas border communities in sending a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging him to resolve delays in providing permits for key cross-border bridge projects between the United States and Mexico in Brownsville, Laredo, and Eagle Pass, Texas.

"I have been clear that I will not leave Austin without property tax relief targeted at homeowners through an increased Homestead Exemption to provide them as much relief as possible. Homeowners need property tax relief right now," said Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick following the passage of Senate Bill 1 and Senate Joint Resolution 1, the Texas State Senate's Property Tax Relief efforts both introduced by Sen. Paul Bettencourt.

As Chairman of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement & Intelligence, I held a hearing this week to examine the threats posed to the U.S. by malign nation-state actors in Central & South America. The chaos of the southwest border could be taken advantage of by anti-U.S. regimes, and our foreign adversaries are expanding their influence in Latin America — essentially in our backyard.

"We achieved a great deal during the 88th Legislative Session that I have signed into law, including laws to provide more than $5.1 billion for border security, hold rogue district attorneys accountable, and add $1.4 billion to make schools safer, but the job is not done. Special Session #2 needs to provide lasting property tax cuts for Texans," said Gov. Abbott.

Sen. Ted Cruz & Cong. Stephanie Bice (R-OK) re-introduced Kate’s Law, a bill which was first introduced in July 2015. The legislation is named in memory of Kate Steinle, a 32-year-old woman tragically shot and killed by an illegal alien who had several felony convictions and had been deported from the United States five times.

The Defense Appropriations package includes several priorities secured by Congressman Gonzales that will strengthen Department of Defense (DOD) operations across Texas’ 23rd Congressional District. Over $158 million (a $40 million increase from FY23 funding levels) in funding will go toward the Defense Community Infrastructure Program.

"Families throughout District 23 & the nation have been devastated by skyrocketing energy costs. We have abundant, safe, and reliable energy resources right here in Texas – and we can't devastate our national or Texas economy by surrendering to President Biden's half-baked green ideas,” said South Texas Cong. Tony Gonzales.

As Americans are hoping for, and demanding some semblance of the truth in politics today, I can tell you the House of Representatives has referred a resolution on the impeachment of President Biden to both the House Judiciary Committee and the House Homeland Security Committee to begin investigating the misconduct and illegal activity that's coming to light daily.

When businesses succeed, so do Texans—and our business climate ensures that Texas continues to offer world-class educational opportunities, good-paying careers to support families, and endless possibilities to prosper.