When the Texas legislature created a state lottery, in 1991, the statute was carefully crafted to require an individual who wanted to play the lottery to go to a licensed, brick-and-mortar lottery retailer to purchase a ticket with cash or a debit card. The purchase by telephone was expressly prohibited. These safeguards aimed to prevent… Read more
Posts Categorized: 88th Legislative Session
Unfortunately, TPWD’s Unofficial Mission is to Eradicate All of The Deer Breeder Herds in Texas
If you believe the drama unfolding in D.C. is controversial and corrupt, brace yourself for a startling revelation closer to home within the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD). In a recent turn of events, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) finds itself under scrutiny for its mishandling of another Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD)… Read more
Electrical grid growth without protection is a fool’s errand.
As one of the fastest-growing states in the nation, Texas is rapidly outgrowing its capacity to provide the electricity needed to support this growth. The forced retirement of old dispatchable generators and an influx of wind and solar have compounded this problem. The increased demand has placed the electric grid in a precarious situation, made… Read more
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department: Misuse of Eminent Domain Must Stop
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) almost inflicted another black eye on Texas as it aggressively pursued eminent domain of private property in Freestone County but recently, and rightfully abandoned the ill-conceived, un-Texan efforts to forcefully take land from a private citizen. The developments surrounding the Fairfield Lake property outside of Dallas stirred significant… Read more
Past losses are just future wins.
While the 88th Legislature saw some pretty big wins, such as prohibiting the gender transitioning of minors, safeguarding children against explicit drag performances and obscene books in school libraries, and passing legislation to incentivize the construction of new dispatchable generation facilities, there remain key pieces of legislation which failed to pass during the 88th legislative session, so… Read more
88th Legislative Session – Healthcare freedoms and patient protections update
Having recently wrapped up the 88th regular legislative session, it is time to recap what advancements were made in healthcare freedoms and patient protections. Many bills were filed to address concerns in patient protection, licensure of physicians, and transparency in healthcare; issues that were brought to light by the COVID-19 pandemic. Patient Protections House Bill 1998, a… Read more
Why Texas Elections are Not Safe or Secure.
Why Texas Elections are Not Safe or Secure. The lack of accuracy, transparency, and accountability in the current Texas election process means it would be impossible to present sufficient evidence in a court of law to prove that anyone elected to public office was actually the intent of the majority of those who voted in… Read more
Weather Balloon over the USA a safety issue? Threats to electrical grid security loom
(AUSTIN, TX) — Senator Bob Hall (R-Edgewood), has been sounding the alarm of the threats to the United States from weapons designed to destroy the electrical grid since first elected to office in 2015. In 2016, Senator Hall delivered a presentation to Enterprise Forum Texas that highlighted that the risk of an attack from an… Read more
Texas Electric Grid Update
While increasing capacity is important, we must not overlook the vulnerability of our grid to multiple threats. We must ensure it is both reliable and resilient by incorporating the necessary technologies that protect against both natural and man-made threats. Currently, the electric grid is vulnerable to a wide range of both natural and man-made existential… Read more
88th Legislative Session – Quick Snapshot Update…
Last week, the Lt. Governor Dan Patrick announced the Senate committee assignments. I was honored to be assigned Chairman of the Administration Committee and also serve on the Finance, Health & Human Services, Local Government, and Veteran Affairs Committees. I want to thank Lt. Governor Patrick for his confidence in appointing me to these positions…. Read more