Invest in Students

We all want to fund education and support teachers. Steve strongly supports increased public investment in education. The reality is that the education system in Texas is dominated by a bureaucratic government monopoly that is failing many students. All families have the right to choose the school or education option that is right for them and allow funding to follow the student. No exceptions. Furthermore, government tests like the STAAR have been a disaster and undermine the role of teachers and parents. We must abolish all government-controlled testing so that real accountability can take place at the community level between parents and teachers that choose the tests and assessments that are best for them.

Empower Parents

Parents have the right and duty to be actively involved in the upbringing and education of their children. As a father, Steve is committed to working towards greater involvement of parents in improving the education of all children. We need a constitutional amendment like Senate Joint Resolution 70, which passed the Senate with bipartisan support in the most recent 88th legislature but did not receive a hearing in the House of Representatives. This amendment would establish the right of parents to make “decisions regarding the education, moral and religious training, and health care” for their children. This should not be partisan, controversial or difficult. We must make it a priority.

Lower Taxes

The root cause for the historic surplus at the state government of Texas is in the irresponsible inflationary monetary policy of Washington politicians and the Federal Reserve. The distortions from trillions in stimulus disproportionately inflated the values of homes which have led to the property tax increases so many Texans find untenable. Texans deserve tax relief through the broadest possible means as we have all had our wealth confiscated through inflation. We must also eliminate the unchecked power of appraisal districts to increase taxes and work towards a path to use surpluses to continuously reduce property taxes.

Energy Abundance and Innovation

Steve has spent years working to keep Texas at the forefront of the energy industry. We know it gets hot every summer in Texas. Texans should never be worrying about whether the grid will be able to support our economy or keep the air conditioning running. Delivering energy abundance requires that we develop all the resources we have been blessed with. In November 2023, the constitutional amendment creating the Texas Energy Fund passed with the strong support of Texans. This fund will target investments in the reliable dispatchable power generation assets (like natural gas and nuclear) we need to fix the electrical grid and make conservation notices and grid failures a thing of the past. Steve has the entrepreneurial background and energy industry experience to support the most efficient and effective investment of these resources.

Large flexible loads (energy consumers), whether it be steel mills, hydrogen production, bitcoin miners, or the cloud based high performance computing that will power the future economy, enable us to reimagine what an energy grid operating at its greatest possible efficiency looks like. This can and will lower costs for everyone while more efficiently utilizing stranded resources. Texas must lead in the continued adoption of these technologies of the future through policy that focuses on increased reliability, transparency and jobs.  

Secure the Border

Steve believes in prioritizing the safety and security of our Texas communities. As the son of an immigrant, he supports legal immigration, and condemns the lawlessness and human trafficking exacerbated by the border crisis. Steve is ready to lead the fight to repel the invasion on the southern border.

Digital Freedom

The Federal Reserve is recklessly moving towards a forced implementation of a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). This blatant disregard for our right to privacy and free enterprise is disturbing and unconstitutional. If we allow money to be politicized then all other rights will be endangered through surveillance and censorship.  Left unchecked, a CBDC is an existential threat to free speech and religious liberty.

In the 88th legislature, Steve was proud to testify in the Texas Senate in support of Senate Concurrent Resolution 25, which establishes Texas opposition to a CBDC, and passed the Senate with unanimous bipartisan support. This is not a partisan issue. It is a human rights issue. Steve will get this resolution passed in the House and be a consistent advocate to make Texas a leading voice in holding the Federal Reserve accountable. The right of all Texans to use the medium of exchange of their choice, whether it be cash, gold or a digital asset like bitcoin, should be enshrined in the Texas Bill of Rights.   

We must resist and stop any research into a CBDC and reorient our society towards the economic empowerment of sound money and peer to peer exchange without politically motivated intermediaries.  

Strategic Investment in Technology

The 88th legislature passed the Texas CHIPS act, appropriating $698 Million to invest in public/private partnerships between Texas universities and industry to build a manufacturing base for semiconductors and future technology here in Texas. This is a critical investment in the future of Texas and we should celebrate that one of the universities designated for these partnerships is UTD. Steve will focus on maximizing this opportunity to bring jobs and innovation to our community. Notably, our region will benefit from Dallas College being designated in this law, but Collin College was not included. Steve will ensure that Collin College is positioned to participate in future opportunities to develop the high-tech workforce we need to lead the global economy.