Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath announced Tuesday that 578 of the state’s 1,200-plus school districts and open enrollment public charters will receive funds from $116 million earmarked for Governor Greg Abbott’s “high-quality” Pre-Kindergarten (Pre-K) grant program.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has released his first “Report to the People of Texas.” It highlights what the Governor calls the “shared” accomplishments and successes of Texas during his first year of office.
Texas House leadership squashed education reform legislation that would have sped up the time to “repurpose” chronically failing public schools during the recent 84th Legislature. Instead, they aggressively pushed for progressive community schools.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott is taking the Texas success story on the road. Next week, the Governor will visit New York City to meet with business leaders as part of his on-going effort to attract even more business to the Lone Star State.
The 84th bi-annual session of the State legislature left us with money for roads and schools, and its “Hall of Shame” for senators and representatives not doing their jobs, but the group also left Austin with some new additions to the Lore of the Lone Star State… including “Lone Star State,” which became the official nickname of Texas.
On Tuesday, Texas Senator and conservative powerhouse Konni Burton (R-Colleyville) announced via Twitter that Texans for Fiscal Responsibility named her “Taxpayer Champion.”
Two Texas State Senators and four State Representatives have been named to the Republican Party of Texas (RPT) “Hall of Shame” for their actions in the 84th Legislative Session. One of the Senators, two-time lose Leticia Van de Putte (D-San Antonio), resigned at the beginning of the session to chase her political future down the drain.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed House Concurrent Resolution 85 authorizing the posthumous award of the Texas Legislative Medal of Honor to “American Sniper” hero, U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer Chris Kyle. The murdered former Navy Seal was a Texas native who served four tours of duty in Iraq and has been recognized as the “most lethal” sniper in U.S. military history.
Governor Greg Abbott signed HB 910, the Texas Open Carry Bill for Concealed Handgun Holders, into law. The law becomes effective on January 1, 2016.
HOUSTON, Texas – A would-be robber was flown by air ambulance to the hospital Friday night after being shot by his intended victim. The Houston woman, a holder of a Concealed Handgun License, pulled her gun after being threatened and shot her attacker in the left shoulder.
AUSTIN, Texas — Governor Greg Abbott said the end of this legislative session brings many of his efforts over the past two years to reality. From the time he announced his candidacy for governor, Abbott has been building and working to implement a “Bicentennial Blueprint for Texas” which he said will mold the Lone Star State to being an even better place to live and work.
AUSTIN, Texas – Following the end of the 84th Legislative Session, Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick sat down with Breitbart Texas to discuss the accomplishments of the Senate during the session. Patrick discussed big victories for conservatives in the areas of border security, tax reductions, transportation, and the Second Amendment. He also discussed how procedural changes impacted the Senate’s ability to get things done this session and the differences between being a senator and lt. governor.
AUSTIN, Texas — The 84th session of the Texas Legislature came to a close on Monday afternoon. Legislators spoke in the hallways about a successful session while some grassroots activists, conservatives and tea party leaders expressed wanting more.
The Failure to Attend School, or “truancy” would no longer be a criminal offense under a historic bill that passed both chambers of the Texas Legislature on Saturday, May 30.
The Texas House and Senate have adopted the Conference Committee report and passed the open carry bill from both houses. HB 910 will now go on to Governor Greg Abbott to be signed into law.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law House Bill 4, the signature legislation of his emergency early childhood education initiative. The bill establishes a grant program that sets aside $130 million over two years for public school districts to improve the quality and accountability of the state’s pre-Kindergarten or “pre-K” programs.
The Texas House of Representatives voted against concurrence with changes made to the open carry bill by the Senate. The move by the House sends the bill to a conference committee between the two bodies of the Legislature to resolve their differences in the bill.
A long time statutory probate judge in Harris County, Texas, is raising an issue which begs the question of where the legislature’s power over the judiciary begins and ends. It is his opinion, that Senate Bill 1876, relating to appointing attorneys, mediators, or guardians, via a rotating list, is unconstitutional as violative of the separation of powers.
The Texas Senate gave final passage to House Bill 910, the bill that would allow concealed carry license holders to openly carry a handgun. The bill was passed out of the Senate during a late night Memorial Day weekend session with a vote of 20-11. Senator Joan Huffman (R-Houston) was the lone Republican voting against the bill.
The Texas Senate passed House Bill 1187 designating a segment of U.S. Hwy 287 in Midlothian, as the Chris Kyle Memorial Highway. The Texas House passed the bill earlier this month. The bill will now go to Governor Greg Abbott for signing and making the bill law.
The Texas House gave its final nod to criminalize “revenge porn,” the compromising practice of posting sexually explicit and nude images by an ex-lover with the intention to humiliate a former sweetheart or spouse. The vote on Friday, May 15, was 128-1.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a statement late Thursday, May 7, regarding the Texas Senate’s passage of House Bill 4 (HB 4). The bill contains much of the pre-Kindergarten (pre-K) wish list initiative he declared an emergency item to implement in accordance with his campaign promises.
The Berry children from Houston testified before the Senate State Affairs committee on Thursday, telling lawmakers how they were orphaned by a driver who was sending text messages on his smart phone. A bill in the Texas State House would make texting while driving a Class C misdemeanor.
Texas prosecutes K-12 children and their parents for the Failure to Attend School (FTAS), at more than double the rate of all 49 other states combined. Unlawful absenteeism affects youngsters from all walks of life, often leaving a criminal paper trail that jeopardizes their futures.
A woman allegedly claiming to be the wife of Texas State Senator Carlos Uresti (D-San Antonio) was arrested and charged with harassment. The Austin woman has been sending letters and packages to the Senator of a harassing and sexually explicit nature and failed to stop after receiving a cease and desist letter. The woman was charged with a Class B misdemeanor and could spend up to 180 days in jail and a possible fine of up to $2,000.
Dan Golvach, told a Texas Senate Border Security subcommittee last week that what he has learned from his son’s murder by an illegal alien is it is “glaringly evident, that the federal government does not seem to be very invested in securing the border.” His testimony came during National Crime Victim’s Rights Week which was observed April 19th – 25th. Other witnesses urged Texas legislators to pass an interstate compact bill because the federal government has failed to do their job “to protect our families.” They testified about the “catastrophic loss” they have faced because of a porous border.
The Texas Senate passed Senate Bill 4 (SB 4), the tax credit scholarship bill that will allow low income and special needs families who are in failing public schools to get assistance to pay for private tuition. SB 4 was authored by State Senator Larry Taylor (R-Friendswood) and passed with bipartisan support. The final vote of 18-12 was taken on Tuesday, April 21.
Texas State Representative Matt Shaheen (R-Plano) recently introduced House Bill 3219, legislation that would begin to boot the special interests out of public school classrooms. It will do so by barring school districts and local government from using taxpayer dollars to fund lobbying or pay the “unions” that lobby for them to do so in Austin.
AUSTIN, Texas – The Texas House of Representatives has given final passage to the bill that would allow holders of Concealed Handgun Licenses (CHL) to openly carry their handgun. The vote passed third reading by a vote of 101-42.
The Texas Senate moved forward this week in a bipartisan 26-5 vote to decriminalize truancy. The Failure to Attend School (FTAS) or “truancy” is currently a juvenile Class C misdemeanor that carries fines and criminal marks on a student’s record for cutting class. It may soon be a thing of the past as the Texas Senate moved forward to decriminalize it through Senate Bill 106 (SB 106).
Imagine what would happen if the power went off nationwide and did not come back for several years. Water pumps, life-saving equipment in hospitals, gasoline production, and refrigeration of our food and medicines would all stop. A widespread, extended power outage would end life as we know it.
Following more than five hours of debate which was interrupted for several points of order discussions and fights over parliamentary procedure, HB 910 passed its initial vote on the floor of the Texas House by a vote of 96-35. The bill will allow Texas who possess a Concealed Handgun License (CHL) to openly carry a handgun in a shoulder or belt holster. Eighteen amendments were offered to the bill by both Republicans and Democrats but only one amendment was passed.
The Texas House of Representatives has passed a bill on to second reading that would allow people with Concealed Handgun Licenses to openly carry handguns. The bill (HB 910) came to a vote after several hours of contentious debate over amendments and parliamentary procedural issues. The bill was approved by a vote of 96-35.
AUSTIN, Texas – The bill to allow holders of Texas Concealed Handgun Licenses (CHL) to openly carry handguns is heading back to the House floor for a vote on Friday. The bill came to the floor for a vote earlier this week but was sent back to committee due to a technical glitch.
Texas House Representative Trey Martinez Fischer (D-San Antonio) raised a point of order that resulted in a temporary setback for the House Open Carry bill, HB-910. The point of order was sustained by the Speaker, Joe Straus (R-San Antonio) and the bill will be sent back to the House Homeland Security and Public Safety Committee. The bill prohibiting local authorities from blocking fracking operations in their jurisdictions was sent back to committee on a similar point of order.
Fireworks erupted on Wednesday in the Texas capitol building between the Lt. Governor and the House Speaker Pro Tempore over tax reform legislation. The verbal exchange between the two leaders began after State Representative Dennis Bonnen (R-Angleton), who also serves Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, unveiled his plan for a $4.7 billion tax cut.
The Texas Senate appears to be moving slowly on a pair of border security bills, one of which has already passed the House. Border security legislation was set as an “Emergency Item” by Texas Governor Greg Abbott during his State of the State Address where he laid out his legislative agenda for the 84th session of the Texas Legislature. Approximately thirty days later, the Texas House passed HB 11 relating to border security and forwarded that bill to the Senate.
On Wednesday, April 15, nearly 100 Tea Party and affiliated patriot groups will gather in Austin on the south steps of the state Capitol for the first ever statewide Texas Tea Party rally. The rally is for all those who support the principles of limited government, fiscal sanity, personal responsibility, rule of law, and national and state sovereignty. It does not matter if people are formally affiliated with like-minded groups in their area or not.
The State Affairs Committee of the Texas House will hear testimony on Wednesday on bills relating to the sanctity of marriage and life related issues. Committee Chairman Byron Cook has scheduled the hearing for HB 4105, HB 3130 and HB 2351.
A parent appointed as a conservator of a child by court order has a duty to disclose to the other conservator of the child if they are living with a registered sex offender. H.B. 1470, filed by Senfronia Thompson (D-Houston) would require similar disclosure for a parent who is living with someone who has committed family violence, or becomes charged with family violence.
