That’s a Wrap!
I am proud of the work done by the Texas Senate during the past four legislative sessions. We have continued to move boldly to protect life, support the Second Amendment, invest more money in border security than any lieutenant governor in history, continue to increase teacher pay, provide a 13th check for retired teachers for the second time, protect the rights of students and parents in education, ban the teaching of Critical Race Theory, and expand access to healthcare.
As the Biden, Pelosi, Schumer axis sets its sights on Texas, I renew my commitment to the people of Texas to fight to the end. I look forward to the 2022 elections, traveling the state, and sharing everything great about Texas with my fellow citizens.
2021 was truly one for the record books. Here are some of the key moments and highlights from this year.
2021



Both the Public Utility Commission (PUC) Chair and Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) CEO said they were prepared the day before the storm hit in full force, but obviously, they were not. They hoped for the best instead of planning for the worst.
Called on the Texas PUC and ERCOT to correct the emergency pricing error that continued after the power shortage had ended and the major threat to the Texas grid had passed.
Gov. Abbott makes correcting ERCOT’s two pricing errors an emergency item for the 87th Session. This is the right thing to do and one important step taken to fix what went wrong in the storm.




Ensures that police departments in Texas have complete information about the law
enforcement officers who join their force.
SB 30 allows property owners to remove racist language from their deeds by filling out a form and filing it with their county clerk. All 31 senators authored SB 30, and the bill passed unanimously.
Maintaining the integrity of our elections is vital to preserving public trust so our democracy can flourish.
SB 7 will strengthen the public’s faith in our electoral process and ensure that every Texan knows that
when they cast their ballot, their vote is secure.
Like every budget passed by the Senate since I have been lieutenant governor, SB 1 is within the spending limit set by the Texas Constitution, and, once again, the growth rate does not exceed population times inflation. SB 1 will help ensure that the economic forecast for Texas will continue to be bright.

Mandates that all ERCOT board members reside in Texas and that the CEO of ERCOT and the five unaffiliated members of the board be appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Texas Senate.
In some Texas cities, repeat and violent offenders are being allowed to roam free on personal recognizance or very low bail, putting our communities and law enforcement at risk. SB 21 will stop that.
Texas voters simply do not want the local officials they have elected to represent them, spending their tax dollars on hired-gun lobbyists who often have no connection to their community and may be working against their interests.
Ensures that men and boys will not be allowed to compete against women and girls in individual and team sports or for sports scholarships.
During emergencies or disasters, Texans should not have to worry about the infringement of their Second Amendment rights. When Second Amendment businesses are under threat, we know that Texans’ Second Amendment rights are also under threat.
Despite the unprecedented time challenges of the session including the pandemic and the winter storm, 25 conservative legislative priorities have already passed the Texas Senate by this time!
Traveled to San Antonio to unveil the new Plaza exhibit, which replicates a significant moment for the 1836 Alamo fort — featuring the cannon station where an “18-pounder” was fired at the start of the 13-day siege. A big day for Texas and America!
SB 22 will ensure that those first responders who were disabled or lost their lives to COVID-19 are
treated as line-of-duty disabilities or deaths.
Makes certain that critical race philosophies, including the debunked 1619 founding myth, are removed from our school curriculums statewide.
HB 1927 – the Constitutional Carry Bill, affirms every Texan’s right to self-defense, and our state’s strong
support for our Second Amendment right to bear arms.

The Heartbeat Bill is signed into law, making it illegal for an abortion to be performed after a child’s heartbeat is detected in the womb. This bill will save thousands of lives… a historic day in Texas!
After Democrats abandoned their duties and walked out of the Texas House, I asked Gov. Abbott to call a June Special Session to pass SB 29 to save girls sports, SB 10 to end taxpayer funded lobbying, SB 12 to stop social media censorship, and other key legislation. The Texas House killed these conservative bills that a majority of Texans in both parties support.
Democrats are bragging again that they are going to turn Texas blue and I am not about to let that happen.


Joined Gov. Abbott for the signing of HB 1927 – Constitutional Carry, and other Second Amendment bills!


Gaveled in the Texas Senate, and ready to pass all of the legislation on Governor Abbott’s Special Session call, starting with SB 1 — Election Integrity.

In an attempt to stop SB 1 – the Election Integrity Bill, House Democrats fly off to D.C., breaking House quorum.

In just one week, the Texas Senate passes the entire list of legislation Gov. Abbott put on the special session call. Although the Texas House Democrats busted their quorum when they fled to Washington, D.C., we still had a quorum in the Texas Senate to pass this key legislation. Unfortunately, a quorum was not
maintained in the Texas House of Representatives and all of the bills died.
Here are the bills the Texas Senate passed (again):
● Senate Bill 1: Election Integrity
● Senate Bill 2: Fair Sports for Women and Girls
● Senate Bill 3: Banning Critical Race Theory in our Schools
● Senate Bill 4: Banning the Sale of Abortion-Inducing Drugs
● Senate Bill 5: Stopping Social Media Censorship
● Senate Bill 6: Bail Reform
● Senate Bill 7: 13th Check for Retired Teachers
● Senate Bills 8 and 12: Property Tax Reform
● Senate Bill 72 (formerly Senate Bill 9): Increasing Family Violence Prevention
I set the record straight on SB 1, the Election Integrity Bill, with the author, Sen. Bryan Hughes, during a press conference at the Texas Capitol.
Gov. Abbott promptly calls the legislature back for a second special session, and the Texas Senate gets to work immediately.
At the top of the list: 13th Check for Retired Teachers, Bail Reform, Property Tax Relief, The Christine Blubaugh Act, Fair Sports for Women and Girls, Banning Critical Race Theory in our Schools, Banning the Sale of Abortion-Inducing Drugs, Stopping Social Media Censorship, Business Freedom and Uniformity Act, Election Integrity.







Joined Gov. Abbott to sign $1.8 billion of additional border security funding into law.
President Biden has allowed our southern border to collapse into total disarray. I went to the Del Rio bridge for a firsthand look at this illegal immigration disaster, which continues to spiral out of control.
Women have fought for equality in sports for decades, and they have achieved enormous success along the way. In Texas, we refuse to deny any woman or girl the right to compete on a level playing field and to be the best in her sport.
I joined Governor Abbott as he signed the Damon Allen Act, SB 6, into law at the Capitol. This bill prohibits violent or repeat offenders from being released on personal bond and mandates judges to consider the offender's criminal history before setting bail.
SB 1, passed by the Senate 30-1, guarantees $2 billion in property tax relief, and that amount could rise to a total of $4 billion for the current biennium if our surplus revenues grow.

I, along with Senator Donna Campbell, was honored to receive the Trailblazer Award from the American Football Coaches Association and National Football League at the Green Bay Packers game for our work protecting missing children by providing parents no-ink fingerprint kits to every student K through 7th in Texas. This can be the difference between safe, speedy return and tragedy. Missing children are a national crisis, and we must use all available resources to keep our little ones safe.
I was in Cypress casting my ballot on Texas’ Constitutional Amendments!


I wrote an editorial that ran on Thanksgiving Day in the Dallas Morning News about our incredible police officers. This is an issue that weighs heavy on my heart.
