News

If I Were Governor
By Greg Abbott
Texas CEO Magazine

The Texas economic model has led to the best business and job growth in America. I have a plan to make it even better.

There are two competing economic models in the United States today, and their comparative success can be measured by a 14-foot moving truck. The cost for a one-way rental from Detroit to Austin is almost twice that of the opposite route from Austin to Detroit.

Why? Because higher relative demand for a limited commodity, in this case moving trucks, drives higher market prices.

In other words, more people are heading to Texas.

We need only look to Detroit, to California, to the nation’s capital to see that Big Government economic policies cannot succeed.

Detroit was once described in terms that sound like Texas cities today: “A City on the Move.” It was one of the fastest growing and most prosperous cities in America. The center of industry and innovation, Detroit attracted investments and workers from around the country. But after decades of Big Government policies and increased spending, businesses fled, and Detroit hit a downward spiral that led to bankruptcy.

In contrast, Texas is booming. Jobs are growing here – in our big cities and small towns. In fact, half of Forbes top ten cities for future job growth are in Texas, including Austin, McAllen, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio.

The Texas model is proof that limited government encourages unlimited opportunity for all.

Texas is the best state for doing business as rated by CEOs around the nation for the tenth year in a row.

Texas is No. 1 in job creation. Businesses here created over 1.9 million jobs in the last 10 years. That’s more than California, New York and Florida combined. And that job growth crosses multiple industry sectors and all pay levels, with the most growth in the two top wage quartiles.

Texas is also No. 1 in oil and natural gas production, continuing a nearly five-year growth trend fueled by advances in technology.

And, Texas is No. 1 in exports for the 12th year in a row.

Less government, low taxes, smarter regulations and right-to-work laws – not government mandates – these are the pro-growth economic policies that help free enterprise flourish and attract more major employers to Texas every day from states that over-tax and over-regulate.

Read more at texasceomagazine.com…

HOUSTON – Attorney General and gubernatorial candidate Greg Abbott today unveiled his “Healthy Texans” policy plan in Houston, TX. In remarks delivered at St. Joseph’s Women’s Medical Center, Abbott offered specific reforms that will expand access to quality healthcare for Texans.

“Texas has an economic model that has made us number one in the nation for jobs,” Abbott said in his remarks. “But despite our success there are still some who struggle in part because of healthcare challenges. I have a plan for a healthier tomorrow for more Texas families. My ‘Healthy Texans’ plan will expand access, improve care and keep costs from continuing to spiral so even more Texans can access quality healthcare.”

In his proposals, Abbott outlines the need to:

• Increase funding for women’s health programs by $50 million and add optional screening and treatment for postpartum depression through CHIP Perinatal and Medicaid.
• Increase funding to provide more residency positions for medical school graduates so more doctors trained in Texas stay in Texas.
• Compensate doctors for being available to their patients via telephone consultations.
• Extend loan forgiveness to mental health professionals in underserved areas.
• Raise wages for personal care attendants for seniors and people with disabilities.
• Provide no-cost mental health screenings to veterans and service members.
• Request Medicaid funds in the form of a block grant to allow for more efficient and effective use of funds.

To learn more about the plan, visit Townhall254.GregAbbott.com.

“Healthy Texans” Policy Speech:

*Greg Abbott often deviates from prepared remarks. The following has been condensed for purposes of brevity.

[…]

I have a plan for a healthier tomorrow for more Texas families. My Healthy Texans plan will expand access, improve care and keep costs from continuing to spiral so even more Texans can access quality health care. 

[…]

As governor, I will increase funding for women’s health programs by $50 million and I’ll help get more women enrolled in the program by coordinating outreach efforts at the Health and Human Services Commission and Department of State Health services. That’s a 20 percent increase to provide more access for care like family planning, well-woman care and cancer screenings.

My plan also includes increased funding to address the challenge of postpartum depression. As many as one in five women experience symptoms of depression after childbirth. My plan adds optional screening and treatment for postpartum depression through both CHIP Perinatal and Medicaid. This expanded access improves the health and safety of the mother and her family.

Looking more broadly, to achieve better healthcare we must improve access to more doctors and healthcare providers…Doctors who complete their residency in Texas are more likely to remain in Texas to practice medicine. I am calling for an increase in funding to grow the number of residency positions available in Texas for medical school graduates.

We also need to make it easier for patients to see doctors. With advances in technology, we can quickly expand access and bring care closer to the patient especially in underserved rural areas. Telemedicine allows for virtual house calls by phone or videoconference. My plan calls for the safe expansion of telemedicine services with the same high standards of care as an in-person visit and it calls for compensating doctors for being available by phone. Meeting with your doctor by phone or video for basic care or after hours care means more timely checkups and treatments and fewer, more costly emergency room visits.

We must also do more to address mental health needs of Texans. Some 20 percent of Texas adults suffer from a mental illness. And 300,000 Texas children have been diagnosed with a serious mental health condition. We must expand access to mental health services. One way to do that is to attract more professionals in the mental healthcare field. Just as the state offers loan forgiveness to physicians and psychiatrists in underserved areas, I am recommending loan forgiveness be extended to include other mental health providers such as licensed professional counselors, clinical social workers and licensed psychologists. 

[…]

My Healthy Texans plan calls for a partnership with qualified private providers and hospitals in the areas nearest our major military installations at Fort Bliss, Fort Hood and those in San Antonio. Mental health screenings will be offered to our veterans at no cost.

Improving access to care is also critical for the disabled and our seniors. In-home care is increasingly in demand as patients want to maintain dignity and independence, and families need peace of mind. We must do more to recruit and retain personal care attendants and increase the pay of those employed by the state so more Texans can access this more personalized care. 

Perhaps the most effective way to control the spiraling costs of health care is to reform Medicaid…A proven way to improve Medicaid is through block grants to the states. Recent examples in states like Indiana and Rhode Island have shown that block grants lead to greater policy innovation, greater customer satisfaction and savings of taxpayer dollars. As governor, I will request Medicaid block grants so we can provide more and better healthcare to those who need it the most.  

A healthier tomorrow for more Texas famimlies is within reach. By spending wisely and investing in innovation, we can expand access to quality healthcare for those who need it most. My plan helps us get there. Thank you.

DALLAS – Attorney General and gubernatorial candidate Greg Abbott today unveiled the fourth and final phase of his “Educating Texans” policy plan in Dallas, TX. In remarks delivered at the University of Texas at Dallas, Abbott emphasized the importance of increasing the affordability and accessibility of higher education. Abbott offered reforms that will ensure more students graduate on time, hold public colleges and universities accountable for student outcomes and leverage technology and online learning, ultimately allowing Texas universities to become among the very best in the nation.

“We must help every Texan climb the ladder of success,” Abbott said in discussing his vision for Texas’ higher education system. “We do that by making higher education more affordable for more Texas families, graduating more students on time and by elevating our colleges and universities to the top ranks in the nation. If Texas is to continue to lead the nation in job creation, we must also lead in education – from pre-k through twelfth grade and to college and beyond. My ‘Educating Texans’ plan is the first of many steps to get us there.”

In his proposals, Abbott outlines the need to:

• Implement outcomes-based funding at four-year institutions.
• Establish block scheduling for two-year associate degree programs.
• Adopt a statewide AP credit-by-exam policy requiring public institutions to award college credit to high school students scoring a three or above on AP exams.
• Expand access to online courses and count them toward degree requirements.
• Fully fund tuition and fees for military families who qualify for Hazelwood act exemptions.
• Increase state support for emerging research universities by increasing appropriations to the Texas Competitive Knowledge Fund.

To learn more about the plan, visit Townhall254.GregAbbott.com.

Educating Texans Phase 4 Policy Speech:

*Greg Abbott often deviates from prepared remarks. The following has been condensed for purposes of brevity.

[…]

The first three phases of my “Educating Texans” plan focuses on building a solid foundation of excellence in pre-k through third grade, returning genuine local control to our schools and empowering teachers with more tools to help our students succeed in reading and math.

This – the fourth part of my “Educating Texans” plan – focuses on making higher education in Texas more affordable by reducing the crushing burden of student loan debt. It focuses on getting more students graduating on time and holding public colleges and universities accountable to that goal. And it helps our universities become among the very best in the nation.

One way to make college more affordable is to give students college credit for successful AP courses. These early college credits can help students graduate quicker, saving tuition dollars for the student’s family and lessening the need for grant and loan dollars. 

[…]

For many high school students and returning adults, community college is the next step up the ladder. But these students sometimes spend an additional year taking courses that don’t transfer to four-year universities. That’s a waste of their time and it unnecessarily adds to their tuition expense and debt burden. To lower the cost of higher education and to expedite it, we must make core freshman and sophomore courses more consistently transferable between our community colleges and our public colleges and universities. 

We must also do more to help students who work their way through college. About half of all college students in Texas attend school part-time while working jobs to help pay for their education. To help more students attain a two-year associate degree while working or raising a family, I propose block scheduling for all two-year degree programs. Students can take their classes in blocks of time – morning, afternoon or evening blocks – so they will have more time available to work.

Another cost saver is more online learning opportunities. The current model of higher education is still largely centered around brick-and-mortar classrooms where an educator teaches a limited number of students for a specified amount of time on a specific schedule. Digital learning allows students to progress based on competency rather than seat time, saving time and money. We must increase online college learning opportunities and count successful completion of those courses toward degree requirements.

To ensure we get more students graduating on time with less debt and with the skills employers need, we must hold colleges and universities accountable for the product they are providing. I’m proposing a portion of funding for public four-year institutions be based on outcomes. These outcomes should include on-time graduation. But we also need to look beyond just the number of degrees awarded. We also need to look at the number of degrees awarded in critical fields, the cost of those degrees and even the employment rate of graduates. 

Finally as much as Texas rightfully brags that we’re better than California, there is one area where California ranks above Texas. Four of the top ten ranked public universities are in California. None are in Texas. That must change. We have the resources, the business partners and the people to elevate higher education in Texas to the best in the nation. We just need commitment. I’ll make that commitment.

The flagship universities at UT and Texas A&M should be two of the top three public universities in the country. The University of Houston, Texas Tech and UT-Dallas should join their ranks as top tier public universities. Texas State University, The University of North Texas, plus UTSA, UT-Arlington and UT-El Paso all are emerging research universities poised for greatness.

I will work with all of them to recruit the best talent, to develop partnerships with the private sector and to elevate their national research standing.

[…]

We must help every Texan climb the ladder of success. We do that by making higher education more affordable for more Texas families by graduating more students on time and by elevating our colleges and universities to the top ranks in the nation. If Texas is to continue to lead the nation in job creation, we must also lead in education from pre-k through twelfth grade, to college and beyond. My “Educating Texans” plan is the first of many steps to get us there. Thank you. 

MCALLEN – Attorney General and gubernatorial candidate Greg Abbott today unveiled a new set of policy proposals that will expand job opportunities for Texas veterans. Speaking to The American Legion in McAllen, Abbott emphasized the importance of encouraging and supporting entrepreneurship among Texas veterans. In discussing his proposals, Abbott offered the following recommendations:

• Facilitate employment of skilled veterans by waiving examination and fee requirements for veterans obtaining licenses issued by state agencies.
• To increase employment of veterans, allow for a local option property tax exemption for each newly-hired veteran by a commercial property owner.
• To increase entrepreneurship among veterans, exempt newly-created, veteran-owned businesses from the Texas Franchise Tax (margins tax) for the first five years that the business is in operation.
• Exempt newly-created, veteran-owned businesses from business registration fees.
• Implement strategic planning to prevent base closures in Texas during the next phase of the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process.

In the included remarks, Abbott discussed his vision for Texas veterans, saying, “As governor, I have a plan to get vets back to work in Texas. I will work with community and military leaders to develop a plan that will improve infrastructure, job training and educational opportunities for military families. No state offers greater support for the mission of the military and its servicemen and women than Texas. I will keep it that way.”

You can find detailed information on Abbott’s proposals at Townhall254.GregAbbott.com.

Obama’s Failure To Enforce Law Caused Humanitarian Crisis, Says Abbott And Cruz
By Bob Price
Breitbart Texas

MCALLEN, Texas—Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott (R) and Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) blamed President Barrack Obama’s failure to enforce the law on creating a massive humanitarian crisis on the Texas border. Abbott and Cruz visited the facility at Lackland Air Force Base, near San Antonio, where unaccompanied children who have entered the country illegally are being warehoused by the Obama Administration. Up to 1,200 children are being housed in the dormitory normally used for Air Force military training recruits.

“We are witnessing a humanitarian crisis unfolding that is the direct consequence of President Obama’s lawlessness,” Sen. Cruz said in a press release obtained by Breitbart Texas. “We just toured this Air Force facility, where up to 1,200 children are being cared for … but they have come through harrowing circumstances.”

“When the President of the United States prevents the Border Patrol from following the law, and enforcing our immigration laws, when the President of United States announces to the world amnesty for those who have broken the law, the consequence is people respond to that, and the way they respond to that is handing over their children to drug dealers and vicious cartels,” Cruz continued.

Breitbart Texas was out on the border last night and witnessed the capture of nearly fifty women and children who had just crossed the Rio Grande River after beginning their dangerous trek in Honduras and Guatemala. Many other children are also coming from El Salvador.

“It is unacceptable to have children housed in facilities like this,” Abbott said according to the Texas Tribune. “Equally unacceptable, though, is to have a president promoting policies that entice children to navigate more than a thousand miles away from home, going through the most treacherous conditions, facing things like human trafficking and sexual assault.”

Both Abbott and Cruz called the situation a “humanitarian crisis” and blamed the Obama Administration for failing to secure the border. General Abbott and Sen. Cruz have called on the federal government to reimburse Texas for the costs borne by Texas taxpayers for having to use state resources to secure the border.

Last week, Texas Governor Rick Perry, Lt. Governor David Dewhurst and Speaker Joe Straus announced a new Texas border surge to apply more state and local law enforcement resources to respond to the growing border crisis.

“We are dealing with a heartbreaking humanitarian nightmare here in Texas, but it is clearly a man-made crisis,” Abbott said in a press release obtained by Breitbart Texas. “The Obama Administration’s inconsistent policies and failure to enforce the rule of law have created this crisis at the border. President Obama’s failure to secure the border has empowered transnational gangs and cartel to smuggle people into our state from around the world – including members of deadly gangs like MS13.”

“Inaction by the federal government has left Texas with no other choice but to activate the immediate deployment of the Texas Department of Public Safety.” Abbott continued. “Even though the federal government is not fulfilling its responsibility, the State of Texas will continue its operations while pushing for the feds to foot the bill. We will continue to push for the federal government to live up to its responsibility and fully fund the surge and resources deployed along the Texas border.”

Senator Cruz concluded his remarks stating, “This is heartbreaking, but we need to act to stop it by number one finally securing the border and number two, by not offering amnesty which only incentivizes more and more people to violate the law and in this instance endanger the safety and lives of their kids.”

Read on Breitbart.com…

What will the Texas of tomorrow look like for a child born in McAllen today?

While Texas leads the nation in jobs, energy and exports, the health of our economy and the health of our children are at risk.

Two out of three adults in Texas are considered overweight or clinically obese. The resulting higher risks of diabetes, heart disease and other weight-related health problems increase healthcare costs for many families and employers in South Texas and throughout the state.

If trends continue, projections show this obesity epidemic will cost Texas employers more than $30 billion annually in increased health care, disability, sick leave and lost productivity costs by 2036 — the year a child born today will graduate from college. And an unhealthy workforce will discourage businesses from expanding here in the future.

Read more at themonitor.com.

Click here to join the Healthy Texans conversation.

Texans for Greg Abbott today released a new web ad highlighting Greg Abbott’s speech at the recent Republican Party of Texas Convention, where he unveiled his Bicentennial Blueprint, a series of policy proposals focusing on jobs, education, roads, water and securing the border in order to create a better and more prosperous state as Texas approaches its bicentennial in 2036.

“The Bicentennial Blueprint will ensure that Texans born today will live in a state with better schools…it will allow Texas to live to up our promise of greater opportunity for absolutely everyone,” said Greg Abbot in the speech footage included in the web ad, “Together, we will win the next generation and I will never stop fighting for their future.”