Author Archive

Butler, PA:  Did God Spare Trump – or Simply a Coincidence?

Tonight at 7PM, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick will join Matt Crouch, President and Chairman of Trinity Broadcasting Network, Dr. Phil, a pastor and a news anchor to discuss whether God spared the life of the president or if the incident in Butler, PA was simply a random act of luck.  I’m told the discussion also touches upon what the Bible says about God choosing our leaders and being involved in elections.  This should be an interesting discussion, and I encourage you to tune in tonight.  Let me know your thoughts if you do!

Rev. Curtis Jefferson Honored with Earl King Award

Last week, I was honored to join the Christian Mens Fellowship (CMF) of Parker County as Rev. Curtis Jefferson was announced as the Earl King Award at CMF’s monthly meeting Monday. Jefferson is the founding pastor of New Hope Baptist Church, which he led for 35 years until his retirement in 2022. 

The Earl King Award is named for CMF’s founder, my dad, who passed away in December of 2020.  The award honors a Parker County man for exhibiting Christian leadership over a significant length of time. Rev. Jefferson is the second recipient of the Earl King Award.

CMF President Lin Bearden said, “Earl’s vision when he started CMF many years ago was that it would be a local group of men in business whose sole purpose was to encourage each other to spiritually lead their families, share the Gospel, and make our community a loving, caring place.  Curtis certainly exemplifies that ideal through his testimony in Weatherford and in the workplace.” 

Rev. Jefferson was a bi-vocational pastor, working two full-time jobs until he retired from Chevron Pipeline in 2007. He has also preached at several other churches in Parker County and preached at The Potter’s House in Dallas, home of Pastor T.D. Jakes. He has been very involved in the community, serving on the boards of the Parker Baptist Association, the Weatherford College Foundation and Center of Hope, as well as coaching youth and little league football and basketball as well as a women’s softball team. Rev. Jefferson was not able to attend Monday’s meeting, so his son, Doug Jefferson, accepted the award on his behalf. 

I was honored to present the Earl King Award to Rev. Curtis Jefferson’s son Doug, who accepted the award on behalf of his father.
 

UTA Will Build New Campus, UTA West, on the Parker/Tarrant County Line

In an exciting development for Senate District 10, the University of Texas at Arlington has announced plans to build a new campus west of Fort Worth, on the Parker/Tarrant County line. The campus, to be named UTA West, is set to open in 2028 on 51 acres of land where Interstates 20 and 30 merge near Aledo in Parker County. Once completed, the campus could accommodate 10,000 students.

UTA is the second-largest university in the UT System, with enrollment of over 41,000 students. From 2010 to 2020, enrollment grew by 29%. Over the next ten years, enrollment is predicted to grow another 19%, which does not include the new campus. The new UTA West campus will serve to educate students for careers in aerospace, defense, IT, AI, and manufacturing.

For more information visit https://www.uta.edu/west

UTA West, located on the Parker/Tarrant county line, will be located on a 51-acre tract featuring rolling hills and a lake.  UTA expects the first building to open in 2028.
 

More Proof that The Texas Economy Works:  Chevron Leaving California for Texas

Chevron has announced they will move out of California and relocate to Texas over the next five years, marking the first time Chevron will be headquartered outside of California since its inception over 100 years ago. This latest move adds to a growing list of other companies that have left California in recent years. Recent relocations to Texas include Tesla, X (formerly known as Twitter), SpaceX, Oracle, McKesson, AECOM, CBRE, and Charles Schwab. Texas is now home to more than 50 Fortune 500 companies.

According to the Texas Association of Business, from 2010 to 2019, more than 25,000 businesses and 281,000 jobs relocated to Texas, with more than 44,000, or about 16% of those jobs coming from California.

This latest move by Chevron proves that our state’s economic model of low taxes and business-friendly regulations continues to thrive.  In fact, Texas now boasts the eighth largest economy in the world.

Senator Phil King Sets Record Straight on CenterPoint Debacle; Calls for Financial Transparency, Accountability to Ratepayers

In light of recent news reports which I believe to be misleading and inaccurate, I would like to set the record straight on the facts regarding my position on CenterPoint’s abuse of a very well intentioned, simple and practical new law intended to ease the suffering of Texans in the aftermath of storms and other emergencies.   

Almost 18 months ago, I took the word of senior CenterPoint executives when they asked me to sign a letter in support of their reportedly $200 million investment in what they represented to be mobile generators. I had seen how successful these mobile deployments were in my area of North Texas and was assured that CenterPoint had similarly deployed their units in its service area. I have since learned this was not the case. I am extremely upset to learn that CenterPoint clearly ignored the legislative intent envisioned when we unanimously passed the bill to improve public safety and minimize power outages in the aftermath of a storm or other emergency. Had I known then that I had been deceived I would never have signed that letter.

In retrospect, it is clear that CenterPoint was angling for profits, and it is past time for the company to provide full accountability and transparency concerning the generators it leased. I call on CenterPoint to immediately respond to all relevant information that has been requested by myself, other legislators and the Public Utility Commission (PUC).  

Furthermore, CenterPoint must find a way to terminate its lease of its costly stationary generators that were useless following Hurricane Beryl. All costs associated with the leases must be absorbed by CenterPoint and not passed on to its customers. 

Finally, there have been many other serious allegations with respect to how CenterPoint negotiated and secured the leasing contracts. These allegations must be officially investigated.  On my end, I intend to file legislation to ensure that the Legislature’s intent with regard to life saving mobile generation is strictly followed.

Background and Details 

In February 2021, more than 246 people died in Texas as a result of Winter Storm Uri and the extended power outages. In the aftermath, we spent countless hours discussing what needed to be done to ensure this never happens again. I personally asked senior executives of CenterPoint and other electric utilities a very simple question: “What other tools could you have used to relieve the suffering of Texans?” Their answer was mobile generation units that could be moved around on trucks and deployed quickly where most needed. Utilities could then generate temporary power to critical infrastructure (hospitals, police stations, grocery stores, water pumps, and warming centers) or hook up to a substation to help minimize extended power outages at homes. 

When we learned this was not allowed under current law, my colleagues and I unanimously supported legislation to allow this. It was clearly a commonsense, practical solution to help prevent fatalities and ease the suffering of customers following a storm or other emergency. In promoting this legislation, I continually and consistently repeated that temporary emergency generators were to be mobile and available for rapid deployment. In the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl, the facts demonstrate that CenterPoint clearly failed in this mission: 

• During the recovery from Beryl, I called CenterPoint to see how its mobile generation was being deployed. I was mystified when told that nearly all its fleet was stationary by design and not available to be deployed.
• We now know that CenterPoint was forced to borrow mobile generation units from Oncor and AEP Texas, utilities which had followed the intent of the new law. In fact, Oncor has secured mobile generation units for less than $5 million, even though they have a much larger service area than CenterPoint.
• I learned at our recent Senate hearing that the cost of CenterPoint’s lease totals at least $800 million, not the $200 million expressed during the rate recovery process 18 months ago when I signed that letter of support. Notably, this cost is not publicly documented because legislators still haven’t been given access to the contract(s) which CenterPoint requested to be sealed at the PUC. However, this figure was not denied by CenterPoint CEO Jason Wells when questioned by me at the Senate hearing.
• When I questioned CenterPoint’s CEO on how much of the $800 million was used for mobile generation, to my great surprise he testified that only $500,000 – less than one percent – was used for mobile units that can be rapidly deployed.  
• It is clear that CenterPoint strongly deviated from legislative intent and made a very poor business decision in leasing these large stationary units that are basically useless when they are needed most, as we witnessed last month.
• Nonetheless, for years now, CenterPoint has been producing documents for the Legislature showing images of mobile generation on wheels, not stationary generation, clearly engaging in deceptive and misleading tactics.
• We also now know the bidding process was exceptionally questionable, including very serious allegations of an inappropriate relationship with a former CenterPoint executive and an executive of the leasing company. These allegations must be thoroughly investigated.  

Statements have been made that the law allowing mobile generation is too broad and vague, but in fact we provided for checks and balances. For any costs to be recovered, a utility must prove, in a transparent process with the public’s input before the PUC, that the lease and the use of assets are reasonable and necessary. This is a high standard with the ultimate decision made by the PUC, the agency entrusted with oversight of how this legislation is implemented. Looking back through CenterPoint’s cost recovery application, there were over 400 filings, thousands of pages of documents, with multiple intervenors. 

It is also concerning that the Office of Public Utility Counsel, the State agency charged with representing residential and small consumers, did not even bother to intervene in this proceeding. Nonetheless, CenterPoint’s lease and excessive expenditures were ultimately approved by the PUC. Additionally, I was disappointed to learn just today that after more than two and a half years since opening its docket on rulemaking for mobile generation, the PUC has still not finalized its rules concerning mobile generation. This is a critical part of the PUC’s oversight responsibility. 

In an August 2, 2024 letter, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick urged the PUC to immediately utilize any and all authority to reconsider CenterPoint’s previously approved rate recovery and that they be disallowed from using ratepayer dollars to pay for these exorbitant leases. I fully concur with this request.

As many of you may know, I serve on the Board of Directors of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), an organization comprised of legislators from all 50 states united in passing policies rooted in federalism and free market principles. Having served as ALEC National President back in 2015, I remained involved in this important group. Last week, we met in Denver for our annual conference, and some of the highlights are shared below.

Every State is Now A Border State:  Moderating a Panel Discussion on Border Security

At the conference, I had the opportunity to moderate a panel discussion with National ALEC Chairman and Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson; Michigan Leader and ALEC Board Member Matt Hall; and Florida Representative and ALEC Board Member Demi Busatta. The theme of this discussion was how every state is impacted by a porous border, even those that are not border adjacent. Crime, human trafficking and deadly fentanyl all make their way from this region and impact communities across our land. Additionally, the fiscal impact from the strain on education, health care, social services, law enforcement in non-border states is growing. I also pointed out the disturbing increase in the number of military-aged men we are seeing from Russia and China.

A couple of months ago, Texas hosted legislators from across the country who came to see the Biden/Harris border debacle firsthand and learn how Texas is stepping forward with our own border security efforts. During the panel, legislators praised Texas for tackling this problem head on, in light of the federal government failing to do so.  Many of the states represented at ALEC have sent reinforcements from their state National Guard to assist in Texas’ border security efforts.

If you would like to watch the full discussion, click HERE.

Moderating a panel discussion on border security
 

Sharing Texas’ Strong Pro-Israel Policy with National Legislators

I participated in a panel discussion with Florida Representative Randy Fine; Aryeh Lightstone, Former Senior Advisor to U.S. Ambassador to Israel; and Shabbos Kestenbaum, student at Harvard University.

We discussed how state legislatures can take action to support Israel, which is even more important following the brutally unprovoked Hamas attacks. It was an honor to share with this national audience the many ways Texas has done just that, including fighting the organized campaign known as the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which seeks to delegitimize and destabilize Israel through economic warfare. In response, Texas passed the nation’s strongest anti-BDS bill which prohibits the State of Texas from doing business with any companies or individual contractors who boycott Israel.

Additionally, I shared that we have passed legislation to root out antisemitic activities on college campuses, establish the Texas Holocaust, Genocide, and Antisemitism Advisory Commission (THGAAC), and passed a unanimous resolution condemning Hamas and supporting Israel’s inherent right to defend itself.

If you would like to watch the full discussion, click HERE. 
 

I participated in an ALEC panel discussion on the urgency for states to stand with Israel at this critical time in their history

A Personal Note on Our Latest Grandchild

Terry and I are blessed to now have our 18th grandchild. The picture on the left is our son Josh, on July 20, 2020 just after he had brain surgery for cancer. The picture on the right is Josh on July 18, 2024, almost four years to the day, holding he and Sarah’s first child, Katelyn Grace. To God be the glory for the things He has done!
 

On Saturday, we were all shocked and angered at the turn of events in Pennsylvania, when President Trump survived a near-miss assassination attempt. Terry and I are so grateful that God saw fit to spare the life of our 45^th President.  

After returning from church yesterday I felt compelled to write a letter to my kids concerning my thoughts on this situation. What came to mind were the immortal words of Thomas Paine, written in the fall of 1776, when he stated, “These are the times that try men’s souls.” In July the Declaration of Independence had been signed, but the Revolutionary War was not going well. In fact, the American army’s situation was desperate. Victory was far from ensured.  

Earlier that year, Paine had published the pamphlet Common Sense, which inspired the colonists by clearly articulating the call for independence that was growing in their hearts. By autumn, General Washington shared with Paine that the troops needed another call to arms to boost their morale, something to explain the perilous times. Paine retreated to Philadelphia where he wrote a new article, The American Crisis. More from that historic letter is below, which inspired the American soldiers and helped turn the tide in the Revolutionary War: 

“These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as freedom should not be highly rated.”

Today, these are indeed perilous and difficult times, and I believe we are in another “American Crisis.” Violence rules our streets. In fact, over 100 people where shot in Chicago over the Fourth of July weekend! Our borders are open, allowing free entry to criminals and terrorists, along with thousands of illegal immigrants we simply cannot absorb. Fentanyl is a leading killer of our citizens.  We have a national debt with numbers too large to apprehend. I could go on and on.

Then, the events of Saturday shocked us all. Yet God in his providence ensured that the bullet aimed for President Trump did not succeed. I believe that Donald Trump will win in November and begin the process of implementing the policies that previously benefited our nation. 

God established this nation and he has sustained it over three centuries. In two years we will reach our 250^th anniversary as a free and independent republic. I do not believe God is through with America. These are again “times that try men’s souls,” yet we must not be “summer soldiers” or “sunshine patriots.” Let us resolve ourselves to be light to the world and strong warriors for what is right. “Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered” yet, “the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.”

With summer well underway, I want to check in and update you on some recent news.  I hope your summer is going well.
 
Fox News Appearance:  Restoring the Ten Commandments Back in Schools

Early on a recent Saturday morning, I was interviewed by the hosts of “Fox and Friends” concerning Texas’ plans to restore the Ten Commandments back in schools.  You can watch that interview HERE.

Last year, I passed the Ten Commandments bill in the Texas Senate. While it wasn’t brought up for a vote in the Texas House, we will file it again when we reconvene in January 2025.
The Ten Commandments is part of our history. It’s who we are. Few documents have had a bigger impact on western civilization than the Ten Commandments. If you don’t know the Ten Commandments you don’t know the basis for much of American history and law. 

Up until 1980, the Ten Commandments were commonly seen in public buildings and schools. In 1980, SCOTUS stopped that in Stone v. Graham relying only on a 1971 case, Lemon v. Kurtzman. SCOTUS overturned Lemon in 2022 in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District. That opens the door for the Ten Commandments to return to schools.
 
Important Interim Hearings on Border Security, Criminal Justice, and our Electric Grid

Even though we have a part-time citizen legislature, the work of policymakers continues throughout the year.  One of those ways is through “interim hearings”, where we assess the impact of legislation we passed in the most recent session and consider new legislation needed in the coming one. Below is a summary of some of those hearings that I have participated in over the past month. If you wish to watch any of these archived hearings, you may click on this link.  

Criminal Justice Committee Hearings- June 5th and June 6th

As the newly appointed Vice-Chair of the Senate Committee on Criminal Justice, I recently participated in two interim hearings addressing bail reform and child predators’ use of artificial intelligence (AI) to harm and exploit children. During these hearings, the Committee received testimony examining charitable organizations that pay bail for defendants and considered how these organizations can be further restricted from posting bail for violent individuals.

The Committee also heard testimony from law enforcement officials explaining how child predators are using deepfake technology and AI to create sexually explicit visual material involving children. Prosecutors, including Tarrant County Assistant District Attorney Lori Varnell, provided strict recommendations for how the state can further criminalize this behavior.  Aledo resident Anna Berry McAdams shared how her daughter and other Aledo High School students were victim to such exploitation with the use of AI. By sharing her daughter’s story, Ms. McAdams is helping shed light on new dangers threatening our children. The Senate Committee on Criminal Justice is actively working to address this pressing issue and, with the passage of HB 2700 last session, clarified that this behavior is criminal. My committee members and I remain committed to strengthening state law penalizing this behavior and providing law enforcement with the tools needed to convict these offenders.

Border Security Committee Hearing – June 11th

The Senate Committee on Border Security met to review state and local agencies’ participation in border security.  We reviewed Operation Lone Star, from its costs to personnel deployments. Texas is still deploying a tremendous amount of resources to try to solve a federal problem. The pronouncement from the Biden administration on June 4th, which would allow the first 2,500 illegal immigrations to enter the country per day, underscores that the most important thing we can do to ensure border security is to defeat Joe Biden this November and elect Donald Trump.

It was encouraging to learn that Texas has seen a 74% decrease in illegal border crossings since Operation Lone Star was implemented in March of 2021.  I also heard from agency leaders speaking on the communication between Texas law enforcement agencies, local law enforcement, and Federal Border Patrol agents to ensure the illegal crossings response is coordinated with a swift deterrence.  It was impressive to learn that there is a 97% volunteer rate for Texas Military Department personnel that decide to leave their post and go to the Southern Border to participate in Operation Lone Star.

While there are positives to take from the hearing, I also heard from local sheriffs who reported that highspeed pursuits have increased, leading to dangerous situations for law enforcement and other drivers on these highways. Additionally, we learned federal support for these local law enforcement jurisdictions is nonexistent; instead, federal agencies are opting to allocate grant funds to non-governmental organizations who operate with no oversight on how these funds are spent. Our next hearing is September 19^th, when we will further discuss supporting our border security personnel and monitor priority legislation passed in the 88th Legislative Session.

Business & Commerce Committee Hearing – June 12th

The Senate Business and Commerce Committee, where I serve as Vice Chair, discussed incentives for new thermal generation, identifying future electric transmission and distribution system needs of the state, as well as the impact of bitcoin on the Texas electric grid.

During the last two legislative sessions we’ve taken tremendous steps in increasing the reliability and resilience of our grids through weatherization, and providing incentives for companies to build new gas-fired power plants.  However, the federal government’s policies are still placing our grid at risk. 

Our state population is growing very fast, and much of the growth is heavily dependent on a high power load, such as new factories and industries coming to Texas that demand a lot of electricity. Bitcoin mining in the state also uses an extraordinary amount of electricity. Additionally, the recent boost of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cloud-based technologies are adding to the demand.  We heard concerning testimony from ERCOT CEO Pablo Vegas that within six years, our power grid needs will grow from about 85,000 to 150,000 megawatts (MW), well beyond the 110,000 MW previously projected.  As a policymaker entrusted with ensuring Texas has the power we need, I believe I will be spending an increasing amount of time in meeting this challenge.
 
The Runoffs Are Settled

The runoffs are behind us, and I congratulate our two Republican nominees for CD-12 and SD-30, Craig Goldman and Brent Hagenbuch. As you know, I strongly endorsed Craig Goldman for Congress, and Brent Hagenbuch for Texas Senate.

First, let me congratulate Craig Goldman, who won his primary runoff with over 62% of the vote, and over 58% from here in Parker County. As I’ve stated before, Craig is a longtime friend of mine and Terry’s. I’ve worked with him in the Texas Legislature for well over a decade. I know he will be an effective conservative Congressman for Parker County. We need to lock arms and guarantee that he wins his November race with a strong margin, which with your support I know he will do.

Brent Hagenbuch won his primary runoff with over 56% of the vote, earning over 61% here in Parker County. Brent is a Naval Academy graduate who served over a decade on active duty.  He’s a Texas entrepreneur who created a successful business from the ground up and now runs a national trucking business with hundreds of employees.  Like Craig, he does face a Democrat opponent in November. After winning that race, I look forward to partnering with him to ensure strong conservative representation for Parker County and SD 30.

Today is Election Day! You’ll find links for voting locations for counties in SD 10 that have local runoffs at the bottom of this email. Polls are open from 7 am to 7 pm. As long as you’re in line by 7 pm, you’ll be able to vote.  I have made endorsements in two key races:

Craig Goldman for Congress

In Congressional District 12, I am strongly endorsing Craig Goldman, a businessman and former staff member for Senator Phil Gramm. For over a decade, we’ve worked together to advance conservative principles.  I know Craig to be a strong pro-life advocate, committed to border security, and a passionate defender of Israel. Terry and I have traveled to Israel with Craig when Lockheed delivered the first F-35.  Most recently, in light of the brutal attacks by Hamas, we collaborated on a joint House/Senate resolution making clear that Texas stands with Israel, a resolution now considered the national model for states. Terry and I have known Craig Goldman for many years, and we are proud to endorse our longtime friend.  (As an aside, please ignore the lies on those red signs being posted illegally in right of way areas. Craig has always voted to ban gender modification surgeries on minors.)

Brent Hagenbuch for SD 30

In Senate District 30, Brent Hagenbuch has earned my endorsement. Brent is a Naval Academy graduate who served over a decade on active duty.  He’s a Texas entrepreneur who created a successful business from the ground up and now runs a national trucking business with hundreds of employees.  He’s at a season in life where he can step away from his business and serve Texas.  I like that he started at the grass roots level as a precinct chair, then served as GOP County Chair before being asked to run for Texas Senate. He’ll be a strong conservative partner with me in Austin.

Please join Governor Abbott, Lt. Governor Patrick, Sen. Drew Springer and me in supporting Craig Goldman for Congress and Brent Hagenbuch for Texas Senate.

Election Day Locations:
Brown
Johnson 
Palo Pinto
Parker
Tarrant
 

Early voting ends Friday in the runoff elections, and Election Day is Tuesday, May 28.  There is no weekend voting during this runoff period.  You’ll find links for Early Voting and Election Day locations for counties in SD 10 that have local runoffs at the bottom of this email. I have made endorsements in two key races:

Craig Goldman for Congress

In Congressional District 12, I am strongly endorsing Craig Goldman, a businessman and former staff member for Senator Phil Gramm. For over a decade, we’ve worked together to advance conservative principles.  I know Craig to be a strong pro-life advocate, committed to border security, and a passionate defender of Israel. Terry and I have traveled to Israel with Craig when Lockheed delivered the first F-35.  Most recently, in light of the brutal attacks by Hamas, we collaborated on a joint House/Senate resolution making clear that Texas stands with Israel, a resolution now considered the national model for states. Terry and I have known Craig Goldman for many years, and we are proud to endorse our longtime friend.  (As an aside, please ignore the lies on those red signs being posted illegally in right of way areas. Craig has always voted to ban gender modification surgeries on minors.)

Brent Hagenbuch for SD 30

In Senate District 30, Brent Hagenbuch has earned my endorsement. Brent is a Naval Academy graduate who served over a decade on active duty.  He’s a Texas entrepreneur who created a successful business from the ground up and now runs a national trucking business with hundreds of employees.  He’s at a season in life where he can step away from his business and serve Texas.  I like that he started at the grass roots level as a precinct chair, then served as GOP County Chair before being asked to run for Texas Senate. He’ll be a strong conservative partner with me in Austin.

Please join Governor Abbott, Lt. Governor Patrick, Sen. Drew Springer and me in supporting Craig Goldman for Congress and Brent Hagenbuch for Texas Senate.

Early Voting Locations:
Brown
Johnson
Palo Pinto
Parker
Tarrant

Election Day Locations:
Brown
Johnson 
Palo Pinto
Parker
Tarrant

I have ten grandchildren in public schools in Texas Senate District 10.  All are doing very well.  Two have Down Syndrome and I couldn’t be more grateful for the love and support they receive from the staff and other students. 
 
In 2023, the Texas Legislature demonstrated an unprecedented commitment to support our 5.4 million public school students.  However, leading up to the March primary election we heard repeated claims about state government’s funding of education that are simply not true.
 
Education is our state’s largest funding priority. In fact, state spending on public education increased by roughly 22% from the last budget to our current budget.  For the current biennium, Texas is spending $41.6 billion on public education, which represents 28% of General Revenue spending. When you include state spending on higher education, that percentage jumps to 46%. This only represents state General Revenue spending on education and does not consider other sources of revenue.
 
The data is indisputable. According to the most recent Texas Education Agency annual report (linked here), per student annual funding is up 42% since 2011.  During the 2021-2022 school year the average per student allocation was $14,928. This equates to $373,200 for a class of 25 students. 
 
You may have read (repeatedly) that school districts this year have been hard hit by inflation.  Of this there is no doubt. However, inflation has also impacted every family and every business in Texas.  I wish the Texas Legislature could end inflation, but it’s not caused by our state.  Our Texas economy is among the strongest in the nation.  Inflation rests squarely on the inexplicable polices of the Biden Administration – policies such as hyper deficit spending, a war against abundant fossil fuels and a treacherous open border allowing millions to flood in annually.
 
One of the best ways to help our schools is to financially support our teachers. Just last fall, the Texas Senate proposed and voted on legislation that allocated over $7 billion in additional funding for public education. That included approximately $4 billion for teacher raises.  However, the legislation died in the House simply due to an overreaction to the issue of private school choice—an option available to families in 32 other states. 
 
Opponents to private school choice forfeited $7 billion for education simply because $500 million, less than 8%, would have gone to a school choice program.  The remaining $6.5 billion would have increased funding for the basic funding allotment, provided bonuses to teachers, funded additional school security, increased the Teacher Incentive Allotment, and increased appropriations for special needs children.
 
Regardless of the misleading campaigns, you can rest assured that the Texas Legislature will continue its commitment to finance public education.  The success of our state depends upon a first class education system.  As we move past rhetoric and into the facts, I believe Texas should and will provide additional funding for schools and additional choices for parents and students.  Education should never be one size fits all and it must be among Texas’ top funding priorities.

Governor Abbott and UT President Take Strong Stand Against Anti-Israel Demonstrators

I have been a strong and vocal advocate in support of Israel, and in underscoring how important it is for Texas to always stand with our most important ally in the Middle East.

On Wednesday at the University of Texas in Austin, over 200 students walked out of class in protest against Israel. As turmoil and chaos ensued, police offers in riot gear quickly intervened, leading to at least 55 arrests, 28 students, 1 faculty, and 26 protestors who were not students. (I’ll call those the outside agitators).

UT President Jay Hartzell said, “The protestors tried to deliver on their stated intent to occupy campus. People not affiliated with UT joined them, and many ignored University officials’ continual pleas for restraint and to immediately disperse. The University did what we said we would do in the face of prohibited actions.”

Governor Abbott swiftly deployed more than 100 troopers from the Texas Department of Public Safety. The Governor stated, “Students joining in hate-filled, antisemitic protests at any public college or university in Texas should be expelled.” I applaud the Governor’s swift and decisive actions in dealing with these protestors, some of whom even threw feces at law enforcement officers.              

Hosting Legislators from Around the U.S. at the Texas Border

I recently led a security tour of the border for senior lawmakers from Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Tennessee, Utah, and Virginia.  With the influx of fentanyl and other illegal drugs, human trafficking and weapons flowing over the border, every state is now a border state. These colleagues witnessed firsthand the border crisis and the disastrous effect of the Biden Administration’s policies. 

For the week of April 3-9 alone, more than 12,000 apprehensions of illegals were made at the Texas border. More than 175 pounds of cocaine was seized, along with almost 700 pounds of marijuana, over 750 pounds of methamphetamine, and other illicit drug and weapon seizures.

On a helicopter tour of the border region, I had the opportunity to inspect the latest enforcement efforts by our state.   

Honoring our Jewish Friends During Passover

Passover began on Monday and runs through April 30th. Our Jewish friends have been celebrating Passover for more than 3,300 years – the longest national celebration in history. As the Passover holiday is observed commemorating the release of the Jews from Egypt, we are saddened that more than 100 people are still being held hostage by the Hamas, a murderous terrorist organization. That means 100 families will have a missing chair at their Passover feast table. We remain prayerful that these hostages may be returned to their families, and that peace will reign in this region.

Municipal Elections are Underway

Don’t forget to get out and vote to make your voice heard in your local elections for mayor and city council. Turnout for city elections is often less than 10% of registered voters. These are important elections directly affecting the operation of your city and town. Election Day is Saturday, May 4th, with early voting underway this week. 


Texas Jumps Seven Spots in ALEC Economic Competitiveness Study

Last week, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) published its 17th edition of “Rich States, Poor States: ALEC-Laffer State Economic Competitiveness Index.” I’m pleased to report that Texas has risen to sixth place for economic outlook in this study, up from 13th place in 2023. The rise is due in large part to our record-breaking property tax cuts passed by the Texas Legislature last fall. The great work in “Rich States, Poor States” is clear evidence that Texas’ pursuit of the ALEC principles of free markets and limited government is working. This is our great state’s highest ranking ever in this study.

It was a great day at the ballpark for the Texas Rangers Opening Day with Governor Abbott.  I’m shown here with my son Josh and my daughter-in-law Sarah.

Created by the Texas Legislature in 2019 as part of House Bill 3, the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) provides independent school districts (ISDs) and charter schools with the exciting opportunity to award qualifying teachers with significant salary increases.

The TIA is a program administered through the Texas Education Agency (TEA) that is designed to recognize and reward effective teaching and incentivize outstanding teachers to stay in the classroom.  This link (www.tiatexas.org) contains a wealth of information for school districts and charters interested in participating in this voluntary program. 

There are several factors that determine the allotment, but it can range from an additional $3,000 to $32,000 annually that high-performing teachers can earn for their districts. Additionally, the program is designed to give  districts discretion in the metrics used and how they design the program so that it can fit the specific needs of their district.

Enjoying steady growth since its inception, as of 2023 the TIA now has 13,774 qualifying teachers in 346 school districts being awarded a total of over $145 million through this program as of 2023.  Over the next year, growth is projected to be at $260 million in additional funding for qualifying teachers in participating districts and charters. 

Taking a closer look at school districts in Senate District 10, where I represent parts of 65 school districts and charters, 35% of traditional ISDs and 70% of charters are participating in the TIA program. 

This initiative has been successful at directing funds to high-performing teachers, and I hope more school districts will consider taking advantage of this great opportunity.  

If you are interested in seeing if your district is participating in this program, see the link HERE.

This was a critical investment that the legislature has made and will continue to make in order to appropriately reward our teachers. Just like in your own personal business, you want to compensate those employees who are effective and doing a great job. The TIA represents a free market approach applied to government. 

Did you know if the Texas public school system was a private corporation, it would be third largest in the nation? Applying this type of common sense incentive program to our public education system helps with recruitment, retention and most importantly thanking our public servants for one of the most important professions: educating our future leaders.