Texas GOP Vote

Texas Representative J.M. Lozano is not a new face in the House of Representatives, but he is a new face as a Republican State Representative. Lozano, who was a conservative, blue dog Democrat, changed parties last year, and in the interview below, you can hear why. I was very impressed with his story.   Read more »

If you want to know the state of our political class, just review what has transpired over the past four weeks. First there is the John Boehner confessions in which he discovered that Barack Obama is not all that serious about cutting spending and the President's view that our present fiscal crisis as merely a revenue problem. The problem with Boehner's discovery is that this was self-evident for a long time that Obama's goal was always to grow government and transform America. Why is this so hard to believe for many beltway Republicans and a few conservatives to accept

The Republican Party of Texas (RPT) Chairman Steve Munisteri has sent an open letter to U.S. Congress Speaker Boehner, expressing Texas’ GOP grassroots’ extreme disappointment with the recent tax-and-spend-but-no-spending-cuts “deal” cut with the White House. He also encourages the GOP Washington leadership to stand stronger against further “fiscal irresponsibility”, referring to the debt ceiling and tax debate starting already.

Please take a few moments to call your Congressman, Senator, and Speaker Boehner to encourage them to stand strong for free market solutions and bona fide

As the Texas Legislature begins its 2013 regular session, employers across the state are looking at proposed legislation to place tighter controls on preventing employee misclassification. Misclassification is a practice used by many unscrupulous companies where they take people who should be classified as hourly employees and instead classify them as 1099 subcontractors. This gives them an unfair competitive advantage over companies who properly classify their employees and cheats the state and taxpayers on many levels as 

What a difference four years makes!

When I joined the Texas Workforce Commission in 2008, I was stunned by the lack of appreciation for vocational education -- even here in Texas. State educational policy had become more of a “one size fits all” approach to education, oriented towards making every student “college-ready.”

This elitist-designed educational policy, which viewed vocational education as a stepchild, had the unfortunate effect of choking off the pipeline of skilled workers both in Texas and nationally.   Read more »

This past week, I was sworn in as the Representative for the new 10th Congressional District of Ohio. The newly created District is comprised of all of Montgomery and Greene counties, as well as a portion of Fayette County. Together they form a region with a tremendous amount of opportunity for growth and innovation - from downtown Dayton, to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, to the family farms and small businesses between downtown and the eastern line of Fayette County. However, it is up to the 113th Congress to tackle many difficult issues to ensure that growth is strong in the coming years. This includes putting our nation on a path

The 83rd Texas Legislature kicked off its very first day in session Tuesday with legislators being sworn in surrounded by family, friends, and supporters. State Rep. David Simpson withdrew his candidacy for Speaker of the House, and soon after, State Rep. Joe Straus was reelected unanimously. Among the list of priorities slated for this Legislature are infrastructure, water, jobs, state budget, and education.

View pictures from the Opening Ceremonies below:

State Rep. Jason Villalba meets with family, friends, and staff at Juan in a Million for breakfast before his swearing in to the Texas House of Representatives   Read more »

The lost decade continues along with the permanent Obama recession. (The latter name was coined by Morton Blackwell of The Leadership Institute and it shows the perilous position of our economy and the slow growth that continues almost four years after a recovery was declared.) If the recent fiscal cliff showed anything, it shows a Congress that is not very serious in dealing with our fiscal problem, or for that matter, designing policy for growing the economy. Wall Street Journal author Holman Jenkins noted,

We just passed a tax increase so we can have more spending. It was hardly what we were promised, nor did the Middle Class get a tax cut. While tax rates remained the same, their overall taxes went up... The average Joe and Jan will see their taxes go up at least $1000 a year, and when that first pay check comes in, they will find their paycheck a little lighter. This is just a down payment for the coming Obama expansion of the entitlement state.   Read more »

Lt. Governor David Dewhurst today released the following statement on the revenue estimate:

“Today’s revenue estimate from Comptroller Combs proves that our Texas model of low spending and repeated tax cuts works. By sticking to conservative, pro-growth principles, Texas continues to outshine and outperform the rest of the nation. Unlike Washington, Texas will once again balance our budget without raising taxes, keep state spending low and get government out of the lives of hardworking taxpayers. I look forward to working with Members of the Texas Legislature this Session to make sure Texas stays number one economically and in job growth.”   Read more »