When it comes to balancing the needs of government and protecting our personal liberties – rest assured that I will always err on the side of our personal liberties. Whether it be excessive taxation, illegal immigration, protecting our private property rights, or protecting our Second Amendment rights – my goal will be to protect and preserve your rights. There is a reason we have a constitution and for those in government – it should be required reading.

We are a nation of immigrants – that cannot be argued. However, it has only been in the last several decades that we have become a nation of “illegal” immigrants.

I am amazed at the liberals who proclaim this mantra in defense of every illegal immigrant. That would be the same liberals who demand we educate the children of illegal immigrants, who demand we provide health care for illegal immigrants, who demand we provide protection to illegal immigrants with laws that circumvent the very laws we have to protect our nation from illegal immigrants.

And then they are astounded when we demand that government do something to protect our borders. If the rule of law is to have any meaning than it must be utilized to protect our borders. We expect our citizens to play fair, and abide by the rules of our nation. We should demand and expect no less from those seek to enter our country.

The generations of immigrants who entered our country in the 19th and 20th centuries did so by following our laws. Ellis Island wasn’t simply a gateway where they gave you a pass to the land of opportunity – it was a choke point where you were required to prove that you had indeed complied with our rules and laws.

If we don’t get control of our borders, we will lose control of our nation.

I believe one of the most important functions of government is the protection of private property and the interests of property owners. It is vitally important for the government to be continually reminded that our private property precedes the government; it does not flow from the government. Private property and our ability to own it and profit from it is fundamental to not just our economic, but also our personal liberty.

I was disappointed that the Governor vetoed important legislation reforming our eminent domain laws to give more protections to property owners when facing new roads, pipelines, and utilities. I will be working with my colleagues to once again pass this legislation protecting private property.

I also voted for the two-year moratorium to put the brakes on the Trans-Texas Corridor to give the Legislature and the public time to make sure we are making the right decisions and going in the right direction. I will continue to work on the best plan that meets our future transportation needs while protecting and respecting private property.

Some people believe the State should spend every dollar we raise, and then raise a few more and spend those, too. However, I support a budget that is balanced, responsible, and restrained. I understand the government doesn’t make money nor does it earn money. It takes money from hard working people with the promise to spend it for the benefit of the public, and I believe we have a duty to be responsible with these tax dollars.

When this State was forced to deal with a $10 billion budget shortfall during my first Session, I said no to the liberals who proposed tax increases, and instead voted to cut spending to balance the budget. And, when this State had a surplus this past Session, I said no to the liberals who wanted to spend every dime, and instead voted to put aside $7.5 billion to insure future balanced budgets and property tax cuts.

As we approach economic uncertainty that could lead to another budget shortfall, I have a proven track record of fiscal discipline to hold the line on spending rather than raising taxes to balance the budget, and responsible restraint to set aside a surplus for a rainy day.

I voted to reduce school property tax rates by up to one-third, and to hold property appraisals to a true 10% appraisal cap to help hold the line on sharp valuation increases that drive up property tax bills.

I co-sponsored legislation eliminating the unnecessary Telecommunications Infrastructure Fee from your phone bill, and, I will continue to work to restore truth in taxation and see to it that these taxes either fund their intended programs or return the money to the taxpayer.

And, I have a simple message to those looking for a state income tax. If you want an income tax, find a new Senator. An income tax would just open the floodgates of money to the government and once the government gets its hands on your paycheck with automatic deductions, they will never let go.

I am a proud member of the National Rifle Association, and a proud supporter of our state’s concealed handgun carry law. I co-authored legislation to expand our state’s Castle Doctrine to allow the use of deadly force by law abiding citizens in the defense of ourselves or our property anywhere we have a right to be free of violent crime. Under the new law, we no longer have the legal obligation to seek retreat if we are under assault, but now have the right to stand and defend our ground.

I am proud to have co-sponsored House Bill 3678 to promote our children’s right to express their religious beliefs, without compromising our founding principles against religious indoctrination. I firmly support prohibiting the government from indoctrinating our children with a set of religious beliefs. But, this prohibition has become a tool to suppress individual demonstrations of faith by our children.

I am also proud to say that I sponsored and passed House Bill 1287, which provides for a high school elective course in a non-devotional, academic study of the Bible for a well-rounded education in both our culture and our history. We cannot fully understand or appreciate the major writings of our historic figures without better understanding the Biblical text they relied upon for inspiration. An academic review found more than 1300 Biblical references in the works of William Shakespeare, and no one reading the speeches of George Washington or Abraham Lincoln can ignore the impact of the Bible on the
way they thought and wrote.