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This week Americans for Prosperity – Texas (AFP) released their legislative scorecard for the Texas Legislature, giving State Representative Phil King (R-Weatherford) an “A” rating for his role in defending the American Dream.

Grades for AFP’s Report Card were determined on a numerical basis based by the legislators’ votes on key issues which relate to fiscal restraint and fewer regulations.

AFP State Director Peggy Venable stated, “Texas remains the beacon of fiscal sanity in this country because of the leadership of Phil King and other like-minded legislators. Representative King deserves recognition for steering Texas in the right direction.”

Venable went on to say, “Legislators who received A’s on the AFP-Texas report card voted in a manner which promoted individual liberty, lower taxes and fewer onerous regulations, and we should thank them for voting to protect our pocket books.”

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The following statement was made today by State Representative Phil King (R-Weatherford):

“Last night’s Senate vote on healthcare was a blow to liberty and our Constitution, but don’t lose heart – we haven’t lost the fight. This is still America. Standing together, we are just one election away from turning the tide by restoring conservative leadership in Washington and Austin! As your state representative, I know I’m desperate for help in Austin where conservatives are hanging on by thread. We’ve bound together in an organization called the Texas Conservative Coalition. Please check out our website: http://www.txcc.org/. I think you’ll find it encouraging. Don’t be discouraged, instead be committed.”

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In light of reports that Private Francheska Velez was pregnant when she was shot and killed by Major Nidal Malik Hasan at Fort Hood Military Base, State Representative Phil King (R-Weatherford) has joined with thirty of his conservative colleagues in the Texas Legislature in calling for the United States Army to charge Major Hasan for taking the life of an unborn child, in addition to the existing thirteen charges of premeditated murder.

King, a member of the Texas Conservative Coalition, stated, “We were all shocked and appalled at the senseless tragedy that Major Hasan unleashed at Fort Hood. For justice to be fully won, the death of an innocent, unborn child must be reflected in the legal charges against Major Hasan.”

The TCC letter cites the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), as amended by the 2004 Unborn Victims of Violence Act. Furthermore, in 2003, the Texas Legislature enacted Senate Bill 319, which provides that a person who commits an offense that results in harm to, or the death of a fetus can be prosecuted in generally the same manner as an offense committed against an individual.

The TCC letter, which was signed by 31 members of the Texas Legislature, reads:

“We believe that the murder of Private Velez’s unborn child must be prosecuted… Indeed, such action would underscore the fundamental point that unborn children must be afforded the same legal protections against offenses that can be committed against individuals, such as homicide.”

King continued, “It is imperative that our laws and system of justice value the life of Private Velez’s innocent unborn child just the same as they value the lives of Major Hasan’s thirteen other victims.” King concluded, “We hope the Army will answer our call to make the charges against Major Hasan fully reflect the extent of his horrific crime.”

Weatherford Democrat

State Representative Phil King

The global warming debate continues. The Copenhagen Global Warming Summit is being held this week in Denmark and while world-renowned scientists still disagree on the effects, liberal extremists in Washington are working harder than ever to advance their own political agendas in its name.

Capitol Hill Democrats are now touting the federal “Cap and Tax” legislation as the newest solution to global warming. When you boil it down, “cap and tax” simply amounts to a federal energy tax. Since Texas produces and consumes more energy than any other state, our economy will be hit the hardest. As Texans, we need to remain vigilant to ensure that this legislation does not pass.

A June 26, 2009 opinion editorial in the Wall Street Journal titled, “The Cap and Tax Fiction,” explains: “As the cap is tightened (in future years) … the price of permits will skyrocket … and the costs of buying these expensive permits will be passed to consumers … The whole point of “cap and tax” is to hike the price of electricity and gas so that Americans will use less. These higher prices will show up not just in electricity bills or at the gas station, but in every manufactured good, from food to cars. Consumers will cut back on spending, which in turn will cut back on production, which results in fewer jobs created or higher unemployment. Some companies will instead move their operations overseas, with the same result.”

Weatherford Democrat

Staff and Wire Reports

Against the backdrop of the recent White House Jobs Summit, State Representative Phil King (R-Weatherford) called for a smarter, limited government approach to job creation that he says is a proven alternative to federal stimulus spending and intervention in the private sector economy.

In a late-week release, King said although Texas remains better off economically than the rest of the nation, the most recent unemployment figures illustrate the imperative for a targeted and responsible state-level plan to grow the economy and create jobs.

“We know that the federal stimulus package has failed,” King said. “The national unemployment rate now stands above 10 percent and each job purportedly ‘saved or created’ has cost taxpayers $250,000. If President Obama wants ideas on how to get the economy back on a sound footing, he should look to Texas.”

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Against the backdrop of the White House Jobs Summit being held today, State Representative Phil King (R-Weatherford) called for a smarter, limited government approach to job creation that is a proven alternative to federal “stimulus” spending and intervention in the private sector economy.

Although Texas remains better off economically than the rest of the nation, the most recent unemployment figures illustrate the imperative for a targeted and responsible state-level plan to grow the economy and create jobs.

King stated, “We know that the federal stimulus package has failed. The national unemployment rate now stands above 10 percent and each job purportedly ‘saved or created’ has cost taxpayers $250,000. If President Obama wants ideas on how to get the economy back on a sound footing, he should look to Texas.”

Texas’ unemployment rate of 8.3 percent is too high, but remains lower than the national rate of 10.2 percent and the 12.5 percent rate in California. Texas remains relatively strong in large part because taxes are comparatively low, lawsuit reform has been a success, insurance reforms have worked and sensible state spending has allowed the state to put a sizeable deposit in the Rainy Day Fund.

King pledged, “Over the next year, I will continue to build support for policies that are proven to work: cutting taxes and letting the free market work. The Obama way is the wrong way.”

“So far, Texas has weathered the current economic crisis relatively well thanks to sound tax policies and targeted job growth programs put in place over the last six years,” noted King. He continued, “We must engage in a vigorous debate about state fiscal and economic policy. Washington must hear that there is a better way to create jobs: the Texas way.”

King concluded, “We know tax cuts and workforce development programs work. My job is to make sure that before the next session begins we develop a plan to help Texas remain the economic leader nationally.”

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Representative Phil King (R-Weatherford) announced today that Texas Transportation Commission has approved two new highway projects significantly impacting Parker County. King stated, “Our support of Proposition 12 in the 2007 Bond Referendum has resulted in two projects that will immediately benefit the residents of my district.”

The Texas Transportation Commission recently approved roughly $2 billion in highway projects throughout the state, aimed at increasing safety, rehabilitating pavement, expanding highway corridors of statewide significance and reducing traffic congestion in cities across the state.

“Fortunately, the commission has allotted over $40 million dollars of the Proposition 12 bond funds to make improvements for Parker County’s roadways,” King said, “The two projects encompass major sections of the I-20 corridor both east and west of Weatherford.”

To select projects, Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) staff utilized a collaborative approach. TxDOT districts and Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) were asked to develop a list of all needed projects that fit the bond program’s requirements and criteria to evaluate them.

“We work with our partners around the state to establish a prioritization process that would help meet transportation needs statewide as agreed upon by this group of experts,” said Deidre Delisi, Texas Transportation Commission chair.

More information, including a complete list of projects selected from Proposition 12 funding, can be found on TxDOT’s website, www.txdot.gov.

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Against the backdrop of a bleak fiscal picture in California, the Texas Conservative Coalition Research Institute (TCCRI) announced nine issue-specific Task Forces to examine the unfolding disaster in California and to build on the success of state polices in Texas. State Representative Phil King (R-Weatherford) has been named as the Co-Chair of the School Finance Task Force.

King, who also sits on the board of the Texas Conservative Coalition, the Conservative Caucus of the Texas House of Representatives, explained, “The School Finance Task Force will focus on the current school finance structure in Texas and how to improve the current system. We will specifically be looking at the property tax system which is the main source of funding for our public schools and how to make the system better.”

“The property tax system has led to three decades of school finance litigation in which the Supreme Court has repeatedly declared the system unconstitutional and has urged the legislature to ‘choose a new path’ of revenue for public schools,” King stated, “Our current property tax system cannot properly fund public schools, and it is overly burdensome on property owners – 17 percent of an average home mortgage is paid to property tax. Our task force is committed to coming up with a feasible and workable solution to this huge issue that faces Texas.”

Task Forces are the backbone of the Institute’s research and education efforts. Based on the conservative principles that underpin TCCRI, the Task Forces will develop legislative leaders and sound public policy ideas to assist the Legislature in keeping Texas an example of success for the rest of the nation to follow. The 2009-2010 TCCRI Task Forces include: State Budget, Property Tax & School Finance, Economic & Workforce Development, and Insurance. Each Task Force will be co-chaired by Senators and Representatives who have the insight and leadership skills in their respective areas of expertise to keep Texas on the right path.

State Representative Phil King

I wanted to bring something important to your attention that may potentially save your family thousands of dollars for your children’s education.

Nine years ago my father bought each of his grandchildren a Texas Tomorrow Fund grant. Since it’s beginning in 1995 as the Texas Tomorrow Fund, the Texas Guaranteed Tuition Plan has been an important educational resource for many Texans, including my family. On August 24, 2009, I received a letter, as did the thousands of other families regarding the Texas Prepaid Higher Education Tuition Board’s decision to change the refund rule for unused tuition hours when a contract with the fund is canceled or a refund is requested.

The board’s decision has triggered two possible options for all plan purchasers in Texas:

1) Keep the contract in the Texas Tomorrow Fund, and plan benefits may be used 10 years after high school, and unused credit hours to apply to a graduate or professional degree if used within the 10-year period.

2) Determine the value of your current contract and decide whether or not to cancel it before the cancellation deadline under the current refund rule. This ultimately means that if you cancel your contract before the November 30, 2009 deadline, you will be able to withdraw the funds with the interest accrued. There are federal income tax implications for the refund payments with earnings and a tax advisor should be consulted. There is also the possibility to roll the funds over into a private 529 account.

The Texas Tomorrow Fund is still constitutionally guaranteed and payment of the tuition and required fees is not subject to change under any decision. A constitutional amendment was passed in 1997 to ensure the fund is fully funded and protected.

Let me encourage you to take the time to run the numbers if you have invested in the Texas Tomorrow Fund. Every situation is different, and it is key as to whether your students will end up attending a state or private university.

Specific questions about your individual situation can be addressed by visiting the Texas Guaranteed Tuition Plan Web site at www.tgtp.org or by calling their support line at (800) 445-4723.

State Representatives Phil King, Dan Flynn, Aaron Pena and Ryan Guillen

The purpose of Proposition 7 is simply to conform the Texas Constitution to the current structure of the Texas Military Forces: the Texas Army National Guard, the Texas Air National Guard and the Texas State Guard.

The Texas State Guard is a volunteer force of about 1,800 guardsmen from all across the State of Texas and is a “first responder” to natural disasters and other emergencies. Over the past two years members of the Texas State Guard have volunteered over 42,000 working days supporting local and state authorities responding to hurricanes, fires, floods and other state declared emergencies.

Article 16, Section 40 of the Texas Constitution was originally written to prohibit civil servants (elected officials and government employees) from holding two different positions with the government at the same time. However, the Constitution also provides several exceptions to this rule – most notably for military service. For instance, if a school teacher, city councilman or police officer serves in the Texas National Guard or the Naval Reserves, there are exceptions for that military service.

The role of the Texas State Guard, first organized during WWII, has grown dramatically over the last eight years and it has become vital to emergency response in Texas. Guardsmen, among other functions, provide shelter management, medical support, assist in evacuations, communications and damage assessment. Most recently, an engineering detachment was organized to assist small communities in reestablishing critical services, such as water and wastewater, after natural disasters such as a hurricane or flood. Recruitment efforts are underway to reflect the fast growing missions of the Texas State Guard.

Many of our guardsmen have jobs with various local, state and even federal government entities. They are teachers, judges, police officers, firefighters who are committed to the State Guard’s motto of Texans Serving Texans. Proposition 7 is simply clean up language to clarify that all Texans are eligible to serve regardless of their employment.

Please join us in supporting the Texas State Guard in its vital service to our state by voting YES on Proposition 7.

Learn more about the Texas State Guard at www.txsg.state.tx.us Rep. Phil King (R-Weatherford) represents House District 61, Rep. Dan Flynn (R-Van) represents House District 2, Rep. Aaron Pena (D-Edinburg) represents House District 40, and Rep. Ryan Guillen (D-Rio Grande City) represents District 31 in the Texas House of Representatives. All are officers in the Texas State Guard.