Governor Greg Abbott today announced a $34 million project to build a behavioral health campus in Uvalde dedicated to providing on-site care to children and adults experiencing mental health crises in 32 counties in the surrounding area. The new behavioral health campus is expected to open in summer 2025, with construction slated to begin this summer. The city of Uvalde is donating seven acres at U.S. 90 and King Fisher Lane to host the campus.
U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on the Constitution, and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) celebrated the Senate passage of their bipartisan and bicameral Federal Judiciary Stabilization Act by unanimous consent. Their bill would transition ten temporary federal judgeships to permanent status in order to maintain the current level of access to the federal court for millions of Americans across the nation.
Texas Land Commissioner and Veterans Land Board (VLB) Chairwoman Dawn Buckingham, M.D. introduced the next series installment highlighting the VLB's Voices of Veterans oral history program. In this episode, we hear the story of Texas Veteran Victor Egger. For about 18 years, he volunteered at a Naval Air Station and Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society, showing his love for helping service members.
If the economy is so good, why do small business leaders feel so bad? The latest Small Business Optimism Index from the National Federation of Independent Business could hardly be more depressing. It finds that the men and women who run our 33 million small businesses and hire more than half of American workers are in a somber mood. The survey finds that small-business confidence has reached its lowest point in 12 years.
“This continued momentum is a testament to the strength of our young, skilled, diverse and growing workforce, our welcoming business climate, and the strategic investments that we continue to make as a state," said Gov. Greg Abbott, celebrating Texas again leading the nation in annual job creation following the release of March's employment numbers. With 270,700 jobs added from March 2023 to March 2024, Texas has added over 2.3 million jobs during Abbott’s time in office.
"I strongly supported the End the Border Catastrophe Act because it would have closed asylum loopholes, reinforced Border Security Infrastructure, and delivered more resources to enforce against illegal immigration. As usual though, partisan politics got in the way, keeping many of my colleagues from voting yes to put America first and secure our border," said Cong. Gonzales after voting in favor of the End Border Catastrophe Act and foreign aid legislation to support America’s allies.
These bills included the End the Border Catastrophe Act of 2024 (H.R. 3602), 21st Century Peace through Strength Act of 2024 (H.R. 8038), Indo-Pacific Security Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2024 (H.R. 8036), Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2024 (H.R. 8034), and Ukraine Security Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2024 (H.R. 8035).
Since the COVID-low point in September of 2020, months of increase in upstream oil and gas employment in Texas have outnumbered months of decrease by 33 to 9. In that time, industry has added 39,500 Texas upstream jobs, an average growth of 940 jobs a month. These jobs pay among the highest wages in Texas, with employers in oil and natural gas paying an average salary of over $124,000 in 2023.
I’m concerned, folks. Maybe I’m off base, but I think the evidence is clear Joe’s a senile old serial liar whose inability to tell the truth is matched only by his grubby corruption. Other than that, he’s fine. I’m laughing at all the Democrats looking at all the polls showing Trump's ahead in the Battleground States. Trump was barely ever even in any 2020 Poll, but now he's leading, consistently. They’ve got to be scared – and especially terrified because people hide their support for Donald Trump.
More bad news for Democrats: Compared to four years ago, Joe Biden's lost significant ground with voters under 30 – including a 20-point decline among young men. And, with over half (51%) saying its a more important issue than any other, young men’s views on immigration is playing a significantly larger role in 2024 than in previous elections. By a margin of 37% to 10% they believe immigration has made the U.S. economy worse – and interestingly, young women say they agree.
Special interests of the Hard Liquor Lobby in Washington, D.C. are attempting to take advantage of the complicated U.S. Tax Code to make hard-working Americans pay the taxes of multi-national companies. They're lobbying quietly and pushing legislation in the U.S. House & Senate, hoping to attach one of their bills to an Omnibus Spending Bill in a way that typically goes unnoticed. By Congressional definition, its the ultimate earmark for hard liquor.
"9.5 million illegal immigrants have been encountered at our borders, and over 2 million illegal immigrants are currently living in Texas. In South and West Texas, we know the dangers of the border crisis all too well. Republicans are focused on passing the End the Border Catastrophe Act this week. Every Member of Congress has the opportunity to submit amendments to this legislation."
The Texas labor market maintained its momentum in March to reach a 36th consecutive month of positive annual growth and once again set new record-high levels for jobs, Texans employed, and the civilian labor force. Texas’ seasonally adjusted total nonfarm job count increased to 14,115,700 after 19,100 jobs were added over the month in March, reflecting growth in 45 of the last 47 months. Texas also led the nation with the largest absolute over-the-year increase in total nonfarm employment, which grew by 270,700 jobs from March 2023 to March 2024.
Bats to Cats participants will benefit from targeted, personalized support and early efforts to support belonging across institutions, which will help them save money and complete their bachelor’s degrees in a timely manner. Eligible students may apply for the program beginning in fall 2024 with the intention of transferring to TXST in summer 2025, fall 2025 and other future terms.
The theocracy of Iran has been the world's arch-embassy attacker over the last half-century. So, it has zero credibility in crying foul over Israel's April 1 attacks on its "consulate" in Damascus and the killing of Iran's kingpin terrorists of the Revolutionary Guard Corps there. The world was first introduced to the Iranian ayatollahs by their violent takeover of the U.S. embassy in Tehran in 1980. Iranian surrogates next bombed the American embassy in Beirut and the Marine barracks in 1983.
“Just over two years ago here at the Governor's Mansion, I was proud to celebrate Samsung’s new semiconductor manufacturing facility in Taylor, Texas. Now we're building on that initial investment to make Texas the premier semiconductor hub in America. The future is full of microchips, and we’re proud that some of the world’s most advanced chips will be Made in Texas,” said Gov. Abbott, celebrating the company's massive new expansion of the cutting-edge facilities in Central Texas.
"Last year I helped secure funding for the VA to begin the Planning & Design Process for a new facility in San Antonio. Secretary McDonough also visited Audie Murphy VA Medical Center with me in June, and it was important to get him in front of our community and see firsthand our needs,” said Cong. Gonzales, after asking VA Secretary Denis McDonough for an update on the agency’s plan to construct a new VA hospital in San Antonio during a House Appropriations Committee hearing.
