Jeff’s Track Record

A strong Texas depends on a safe Texas. Where the Biden administration has failed to secure our southern border, the Texas legislature has stepped up to provide much-needed funding, resources and personnel to help keep our communities safe.

This session, Jeff was on the front lines to secure monumental property tax relief for Texas homeowners. SB 2 provides more than $12 billion to reduce the school property tax rate, raises the homestead exemption from $40,000 to $100,000 and creates newly elected positions on local appraisal boards. Jeff was proud to support this historic legislation that will provide Texas homeowners with real and lasting property tax relief!

Jeff knows that our kids are under attack and are being influenced by a dangerous ideology. He fought back and championed legislation to protect our children, starting with SB 14 which bans harmful and irreversible gender modification procedures on minors. He also safeguarded our kids from being exposed to sexually explicit books in school (HB 900) and sexually oriented performances or drag shows (SB 12). Additionally, he proudly co-sponsored SB 15 which protects female collegiate athletes by preventing biological males from competing in their sports.

Perhaps more than any other issue, Jeff is passionately committed to protecting innocent life in Texas. And his record is clear. Last session he was on the front lines to pass both The Heartbeat Bill as well as HB 1280 which essentially outlawed abortion in Texas when the Supreme Court reversed it’s ruling on Roe vs. Wade. This session he continued his commitment to helping those who find themselves in an unwanted pregnancy by providing an additional $25 million to the Alternatives to Abortion program. Likewise, he passed legislation which ensures that a patient’s life affirming wishes are respected by doctors and hospitals, especially in end-of-life situations.

Jeff believes that Texans know much better how to steward their hard-earned money than any politician in Austin. That’s why he’s been on the front lines in the fight to keep taxes low – working diligently against efforts to impose a state income on Texas workers. In 2019, he authored and passed the enabling legislation for Prop 4 – a constitutional amendment banning the imposition of a state income tax on individuals.  Texans overwhelmingly agreed, and Prop 4 passed with nearly 75% of the vote.

Jeff believes strongly that securing and safeguarding your fundamental rights and liberties is one of the most important duties of the legislature. That’s why he was proud to co-author House Bill 1927 ensuring that law-abiding Texans ages 21 or older can carry a handgun for self-defense and protection of their families without a state issued license. Additionally, Jeff supported HB 2622 naming Texas a Second Amendment Sanctuary State thus providing an additional layer of protection against federal overreach.

With three kids in public school, Jeff knows firsthand the importance of investing in the future Texans of tomorrow. During the 86^th Legislative Session, Jeff co-authored and fought for House Bill 3 which invested $12 billion into the Texas public education system. And this year, the legislature continued their commitment by fully funding public education, giving our retired teachers a much needed cost-of-living adjustment as well as a 13th paycheck.  Jeff knows that preparing for the Texas of tomorrow means investing in the Texas children of today.

Time and time again, Jeff has been devoted to advancing and supporting legislation that protects your religious freedom. That’s why, during the 87th Legislative session, Jeff authored SJR 27, along with Senator Kelly Hancock, which amended the Texas Constitution to prohibit any government official from ever closing our churches or houses of worship. This amendment was overwhelmingly passed by voters in November 2021.

It’s imperative that Texas plans for future generations and that’s why Jeff was proud to support SB 28. This legislation dedicates billions of dollars towards improving current water infrastructure and security as well as building out new water framework that would see Texas through even the most severe droughts. Additionally, Jeff co-authored HB 9 which will expand broadband connectivity throughout the state.

The growing fentanyl crisis has reached critical levels and is affecting people right here in our community. HB 6, which Jeff co-authored, will increase the penalty for those who manufacture or deliver fentanyl in Texas.

With three children in public schools himself, Jeff knows firsthand the importance of making sure our kids are safe at school. He was proud to co-author HB 3 which ensures at least one armed security guard at every school campus, invests additional state funding for school safety measures, and provides oversight for the implementation of new safety rules.

The 87^th Legislative session was just 6 weeks underway when Winter Storm Uri hit and drastically changed the direction and focus of every legislator – including Jeff. His office fielded thousands of emails and phone calls and he was dedicated to provided real time updates and meaningful communication with his constituents. Immediately upon returning to Austin, Jeff and his colleagues got to work zeroing in on what caused our electric grid to fail and worked with experts and stakeholders to come up with real, substantive solutions. The legislature passed many bills that dealt with a multitude of issues including reforming ERCOT and the PUC, ensuring the reliability and resiliency of the ERCOT grid, providing the funding mechanism necessary to ensure winterization of Texas’ grids, protecting consumers from sky-high electric bills and preserving customer choice and access to different energy sources.

A strong advocate for women’s health, Jeff has been instrumental in reinforcing the “Healthy Texas Women” program, which is designed to provide preventative healthcare support and services, including breast and cervical cancer screenings, for eligible women all across the Lone Star State. He co-authored legislation which provides 12 months of Medicaid coverage for new moms. Importantly, Jeff also co-authored legislation that expanded access to telehealth, telemedicine, and teledentistry services to improve health outcomes.