Education

As a father with three kids attending Grand Prairie ISD schools, I know there is nothing more vital to the future of Texas than the education we provide for our next generation of leaders.  My father-in-law served our kids as a school principal for more than 35 years and my sister-in-law is currently a teacher with more than 20 years of experience in the classroom.

Teachers and students are at the center of what I believe our focus must be at the State Legislature. As a country, I believe that we must get control out of Washington and give States and local school boards the power over our children’s education.  Here in Texas, we have a testing problem.  I have been a staunch advocate to get rid of the useless STAAR tests. We need to be teaching our children so they can be future leaders and the workers who will continue making Texas the best economy in the country.  The STAAR tests do not help us achieve that goal.  While we do need accountability in education, this is not the path.  I will continue working with the education community to find the right solutions.

Taxes

Here in Texas we are proud to be one of the lowest tax burden states in the country. This comes from the simple principled belief that Texans know best how to spend their hard-earned money, not the government.  As we continue to welcome new Texans to our state and more Texans get hired for quality high paying jobs, we must continue to ensure that the tax burden faced by our families and businesses is as low as possible.

We must focus on ensuring that property taxes remain affordable for everyone and we must ensure that seniors have access to the support they need so they are not taxed out of their homes.

Growing the Texas Economy

Some call it The Texas Miracle because our state has had the strongest economy in the nation for a decade. I call it deliberate limited government leadership and strong individualism. Here in Texas we stopped government from getting in the way of economic growth.  Liberals in Washington and across the country try to use government to force people and businesses to act.  That is just wrong.  As a small businessman myself, I know that when the spirit of free enterprise of every Texan is unleashed, we will always succeed.  And that is exactly why we are the envy of every state in the union.

It begins with lowering taxes, cutting unnecessary regulations, and allowing businesses to compete in a free market.  Under continued limited government leadership over the next 10 years we can continue to grow our economy to remain the envy of everyone.

End Sanctuary Cities and Stop the Drug Cartels

When the Federal Government failed to secure the border and commit the resources necessary to protect Texas communities from drug dealers, cartels, and human smugglers, Texas stepped up.  I am proud to have supported more than $800 million last session in border security.  Now that we have a Congress and President who understand the importance of  defending the rule of law on our southern border, it is now our duty to ensure the Federal Government is properly doing its job.