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| On the Issues |
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Ensuring Excellence in Texas Education |
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I am a proud product of Texas public schools. All of my children attended public schools and now, as a grandparent, I continue to have a strong personal stake in the success of our public school system. We have excellent schools in Johnson and Bosque counties, and I will continue to push for educational reforms that will make our schools even better. Last session, we increased local school funding by $1.9 billion, and we increased funding for the nation's largest teacher merit pay program by $50 million. We also passed legislation strengthening accountability by applying college-ready standards to the state's K-12 curriculum and provided parents with unprecedented access to student achievement data. |
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Promoting Jobs and Reducing Taxes |
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Texas has a strong pro-business environment and we are blessed with a strong economy. We offer an educated workforce, lawsuit reforms which have become the model for the nation, and no state income tax. One of my goals this session was to review ways to ensure that small businesses were not bearing unfair burdens as a result of the Margins Tax. I'm especially pleased to report that we cut taxes for small businesses by raising the total revenue exemption to $1 million. This tax cut will benefit approximately 40,000 Texas small businesses. During these tough economic times, small businesses need help to survive the national recession and cutting their taxes was the right thing to do. More broadly, I am a strong proponent of limited government, lower taxes, and promoting job creation through free enterprise. |
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Cracking down on Illegal Immigration |
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During the 80th Legislative Session, I voted for several bills which addressed border security, human trafficking, document fraud, and employer sanctions. Although securing our border is primarily a federal responsibility, Texas cannot stand idly by and wait for Washington to act. I am actively researching ways in which Texas can take further steps to help local law enforcement assist in cracking down on illegal immigration. As a border state, Texas is significantly impacted by illegal immigration, and the Texas State Legislature must allocate more resources to secure our borders. |
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Improving Roads and Transportation |
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As our communities grow, we must have roads and bridges to accommodate a growing population, provide access to our towns, and provide safe roads for our families. I have worked closely with the Texas Department of Transportation to advocate the local needs of Johnson and Bosque counties, and am working to address regional transportation needs. For example, though House Bill 1420 which I authored did not pass the Senate, (it passed the House) we have made the roads of Johnson County safer. Because of our efforts the trucking companies are making upgrades in how they carry drilling mud away from the sites. We are working with the Railroad Commission to see if we can't get the basis of HB 1420 implemented through a rule making process. This bill was brought to me by our Johnson County Commissioners.
The Trans-Texas Corridor was adopted by the state before I served in the legislature, and in 2007 I voted for a two-year moratorium on the project.
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Protecting Private Property Rights |
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I believe that private property rights are sacred and must be protected, and that is why I have co-sponsored legislation to limit and restrict municipalities from condemning private property for non-public uses. The development of the Barnett Shale brings significant economic development to our region, creates jobs, and helps promote domestic natural gas production. At the same time, however, we must safeguard the property rights of our citizens and ensure that landowners receive reasonable and fair compensation. During the 81st legislative session, protecting property rights and stopping eminent domain abuses were some of my major issues. There will be a Constitutional amendment, HJR 14, on the November ballot that will more clearly define the circumstances under which a person's private property may be taken for public use.. |
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Standing for Conservative Texas Values |
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I am pro-life and believe that the traditional family is the cornerstone of society. Because of my strong, consistent support of pro-family legislation, such as co-sponsoring the Parental Consent bill, I have earned the support of organizations such as Texas Right to Life. Additionally, I was one of only 16 legislators honored with the 2007 Texas Conservative Leader Award from the Heritage Alliance. I will continue to defend the unborn, support religious freedoms, and protect traditional marriage as between one man and one woman.
As a strong defender of our right to keep and bear arms, I was proud to vote for the "Castle Doctrine," which allows law abiding citizens to defend themselves in their home. I have been also been endorsed by the Texas State Rifle Association.
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Protecting the Integrity of Our Elections |
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Some of our nation's finest men and women have given their lives to preserve our right to vote. We must honor that sacrifice by protecting the integrity of our elections, and that is why I strongly support requiring a photo identification before someone can cast a vote in Texas. I also support a measure to require proof of citizenship before registering to vote. As you may know, we did not have the opportunity to vote on this issue last session due to the Democrats blocking this and hundreds of other bills through a process called "chubbing." However, during the 80th Session, I voted for both of these measures which passed in the Texas House but died in the Texas Senate. |
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