Whitley succeeds Pablos as Texas secretary of state
AUSTIN — Gov. Greg Abbott on Dec. 17 announced the appointment of David Whitley as Texas’ 112th secretary of state. 
In his new role, Whitley will act as Texas’ chief elections officer, as protocol officer for state and international affairs, and will serve as liaison for the governor on Mexico and border affairs. Whitley’s appointment fills the vacancy left by outgoing Secretary of State Rolando Pablos, who served in the post for two years.

Texas’ top lawyer cheers court ruling against Obamacare
AUSTIN — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton applauded a Dec. 14 Fort Worth federal district court decision declaring unconstitutional the U.S. Affordable Care Act, widely known as “Obamacare.”

Texas, nation mourn death of former president
AUSTIN — Gov. Greg Abbott on Dec. 3 proclaimed Dec. 5 as an official day of mourning across the Lone Star State in honor of former President George H.W. Bush, the 41st president of the United States, who died in Houston on Nov. 30. 

Former U.S. President George H.W. Bush dies Nov. 30
AUSTIN — Gov. Greg Abbott on Dec. 1 issued the following statement on the Nov. 30 death of George Herbert Walker Bush, the 41st president of the United States:

Texas unemployment rate hits lowest level since 1976
AUSTIN — Texas has its lowest unemployment rate in more than 42 years.
The Texas Workforce Commission on Nov. 16 announced that Texas’ seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 3.7 percent in October, down from 3.8 percent the prior month.
It is the lowest level of unemployment the state has seen since January 1976.
The Texas economy added 32,300 seasonally adjusted non-farm jobs in October. Annual employment growth was 3.1 percent, marking 102 consecutive months of annual growth.

Field of candidates for House speaker narrows to one
AUSTIN — Eight members of the Texas Legislature filed papers with the Texas Ethics Commission to declare themselves candidates for speaker of the Texas House of Representatives, and as of last week, only one remained.
The candidacy of state Rep. Dennis Bonnen, R-Angleton, gained momentum in October, and Bonnen on Nov. 13 announced he had the support of 109 members of the 150-member House. At minimum, it takes 76 votes to elect a speaker, which is 50 percent, plus one, of the 150 members of the House.

Election results reveal larger than usual turnout
AUSTIN — More than 8.3 million of Texas' 15.8 million registered voters cast ballots in the Nov. 6 general election, as shown in results posted by the secretary of state.
The turnout of almost 53 percent was recognized widely as the highest in nearly 50 years for a Texas election without presidential candidates on the ballot.

Secretary of State Pablos applauds early voting turnout 
AUSTIN — Statistics compiled by the office of the secretary of state show Texans cast ballots in record numbers during the early voting period before the Nov. 6 midterm general election.

Texas receives grant to help fund anti-terrorism measures
AUSTIN — Gov. Greg Abbott on Oct. 24 announced $55.5 million in funding from the federal Homeland Security Grant Program to support state and local efforts to prevent terror attacks and crack down on terroristic activity in Texas. 
These awards, according to a governor’s office news release, will go toward local anti-terrorism efforts across the state, including 227 different State Homeland Security Program projects and 134 Urban Area Security Initiative projects.

Disaster declaration affects counties hit by heavy rains, flooding
AUSTIN — Gov. Greg Abbott issued a state disaster declaration for 18 Texas counties recently impacted by deadly weather that claimed at least four lives and caused extensive flooding. 
On Oct. 16 Abbott authorized the use of all available resources of state government and of political subdivisions to aid in response efforts.