This year, we had several forces working. One was the passage of good bills left some Lege members convinced we had gotten enough. Another was that we have a lot to get through in the 4-5 months the Lege is in Session. Redistricting is huge, with the next ten years of elections hanging on the outcome.
Other time-consuming issues were successful: abortion restrictions, education, and the one thing the Constitution requires - the budget for 2012 and 2013, which must be balanced based on projections.
We got the ultrasound bill and Voter ID that were fast tracked. In addition, we defunded not only abortion-focused businesses by diverting family planning funds to comprehensive, continuing care. We also confirmed other restrictions and made new law to ensure that county and city hospitals and clinics that perform elective abortions will no longer receive State tax dollars.
We got a voter ID. It appears that it will stand, unlike similar law in Arizona. (We did have their experience to draw on.)
The sanctuary cities bill passed the Senate, but coalitions fell apart all over the State over wording that our Attorney General suggested in order to pass the scrutiny that the courts have given similar laws in other States.
Perry has established his credentials in the Great State of Texas, the reddest State in the Union. Have you read our Republican Platform? Perry has survived nearly 11 years with maybe 3 problems with the Platform, and those are not deal-breakers. Obviously.
Perry has demanded that Republicans stop trying to get the left to like us. He will not apologize for his worship of the Creator as the source of our inalienable rights. He is pro-life and understands why he’s pro-life - from conception to natural death.
He fights for one man one woman marriage and championed our Defense of Marriage amendment to the State Constitution. He is certainly pro-2nd amendment and carries when out jogging (don’t mess with his dog).
Where he can't get rid of the EPA, for instance, he strengthened our State environmental licensing agency. The EPA came after the coal plants and refineries this year, but the Governor protested and urged the companies to continue business as usual. Unfortunately, many of the private companies caved. He and Attorney General Abbott are fighting the EPA now in court.
He's ensured that the appointees to all sorts of agencies in the State are conservative.
For example, the teacher's union wants to end our elected State Board of Education and replace it with an appointed group of academics. Governor Perry has consistently appointed the most conservative members to Chair the SBOE. The Senate Dems have made sure that the last 2 were not given consent, but they only meet every 2 years. When the leg adjourned, the Governor appointed another conservative this year. She will have nearly 2 years to lead the Board as they pick out textbooks (that influence the books published for the whole Nation) and determining the curriculum for our schools.
There’s been criticism of his Emerging Technology Fund and other recruiting of businesses for Texas. However, he has used the opportunities he’s had to bring hi-tech biotechnology and his connections to encourage Caterpillar and other industry to move more manufacturing to Texas.
All of the above explains why he says he “came to my senses” about trying to change the Democratic Party from within.
And because bits are so often posted, here, The entire statement from that speech:
“President Fox’s vision for an open border is a vision I embrace, as long as we demonstrate the will to address the obstacles to it. An open border means poverty has given way to opportunity, and Mexico’s citizens do not feel compelled to cross the border to find that opportunity.
You speak the truth my friend... Thanks...