Officials see room for improvement in criminal history reporting
AUSTIN — Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton on April 11 sent a joint letter to eight state criminal justice agencies and associations, urging them to review their processes for reporting criminal history to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, or “NICS.” 

Decision to send troops to border draws mixed reactions
AUSTIN — Gov. Greg Abbott on April 4 welcomed the announcement by Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen that the federal government would deploy some 4,000 National Guard personnel to the U.S.-Mexico border to assist in stemming the flow of illegal immigration.

Question to appear on upcoming census stirs opposing viewpoints
AUSTIN — Ted Cruz of Texas was one of three United States senators who requested that respondents to the 2020 decennial census be asked if they are citizens of the United States.

Bombing suspect ends own life as officers approach him
AUSTIN — The primary suspect in a string of terrorist-style bombings died in his pickup truck on March 21.
Mark Anthony Conditt, 23, of Pflugerville, detonated explosive devices in his truck on an Interstate 35 access road in Round Rock as two law enforcement officers approached the vehicle on foot. One officer was injured in the explosion. The other officer reportedly fired a rifle at the suspect.

Appellate court’s ruling on immigration law draws reactions
AUSTIN — Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on March 13 praised a ruling by a panel of the 5th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals upholding a new state law that bans sanctuary cities.
The Legislature enacted Senate Bill 4 in 2017 to set a statewide policy of cooperation with federal immigration authorities’ enforcement of the nation’s immigration laws.

More Texans than usual cast ballots in primary elections
AUSTIN — In early voting, Texans participated in greater numbers in the state Democratic primary than the Republican primary, but on Election Day, March 6, the Republican turnout exceeded the Democratic turnout by half a million votes.

Abbott orders action to ensure safety on juco campuses
AUSTIN — Gov. Greg Abbott is calling for immediate action to ensure the safety of Texas’ junior college campuses following a Feb. 14 mass shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida.
Abbott’s order came in a Feb. 28 letter to Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Commissioner Raymund Paredes. He issued a similar order addressing the safety of all Texas schoolchildren a week earlier.
Abbott outlined steps to be taken by the Higher Education Coordinating Board.

Governor orders action to address safety at schools
AUSTIN — Gov. Greg Abbott on Feb. 21 sent a letter to Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath ordering immediate action to ensure the safety of children in Texas schools following the multi-fatality shooting at a Parkland, Florida, high school on Feb. 14.
Abbott listed steps for Morath and other state education leaders to take to respond to and prevent such tragedies, including: 

Hazard mitigation funding for Harvey recovery becomes available
AUSTIN — Gov. Greg Abbott traveled to Rockport and Houston on Feb. 13 to announce the availability of new funding for hazard mitigation projects along the Gulf Coast following the devastation of Hurricane Harvey.
Abbott invited cities and counties to submit applications for projects and said the funding would provide an estimated $1 billion for hazard and flood mitigation projects designed to both help Texas rebuild and reduce the risk of future damage from flooding and Hurricanes. 

Legislation passed by Congress includes hurricane relief funds
AUSTIN — Gov. Greg Abbott on Feb. 9 lauded Congress’ passage of budget legislation that contains nearly $90 billion in hurricane and wildfire disaster relief funding for Texas, Florida, California and Puerto Rico.
Hurricane Harvey pounded Texas from Aug. 25-31, resulting in disaster status for some 60 counties. The federal Office of Coastal Management has estimated the total cost of Harvey at $125 billion. Cost estimates by various other organizations have reached as high as $200 billion.