Latest news with #GregAbbott
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gov. Greg Abbott sets Nov. 4 special election for open state Senate seat
Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday set a special election for Nov. 4 to fill the Texas Senate seat vacated by Republican Kelly Hancock, who resigned from the Legislature earlier this month to become the acting state comptroller. The contest coincides with the state's November uniform election, when voters across Texas will already be at the polls to elect representation for local offices and vote on numerous ballot measures, including 17 proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution. The candidate filing deadline for the Senate District 9 special election is Sept. 3, with early voting to start Oct. 20. Earlier Friday, conservative activist Leigh Wambsganss announced her candidacy to fill the vacant seat. Shortly after her announcement, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the president of the Senate, endorsed Wambsganss, saying she would be a 'great addition to our conservative Texas Senate.' In a statement announcing her bid, Wambsganss said she was 'not a career politician' but a 'battle-tested conservative who gets results.' 'I have spent decades on the front lines of the conservative movement—leading one of the most impactful campaigns against Critical Race Theory in the country, working alongside Republican leaders during the Republican Revolution of the 1990s, and consistently standing firm for pro-life and pro-2nd Amendment values,' she said. Wambsganss is a former congressional staffer and a longtime conservative activist on the Tarrant County GOP executive committee. She has also spearheaded the Patriot Mobile Action, a PAC that led the charge to elect conservative candidates to school boards across North Texas in 2022. Soon after Wambsganss's announcement, Rep. Nate Schatzline, R-Fort Worth, withdrew his own bid for the seat and endorsed her. A Democratic candidate, veteran and union president Taylor Rehmet, is also running for the seat. The North Texas district leans solidly Republican and covers about half of Fort Worth and much of Tarrant County's northern suburbs. In 2024, Republican Donald Trump carried the district with 58% of the vote. Whoever wins the special election will serve the remainder of Hancock's term, which runs until January 2027. The seat is up for reelection in 2026. Big news: 20 more speakers join the TribFest lineup! New additions include Margaret Spellings, former U.S. secretary of education and CEO of the Bipartisan Policy Center; Michael Curry, former presiding bishop and primate of The Episcopal Church; Beto O'Rourke, former U.S. Representative, D-El Paso; Joe Lonsdale, entrepreneur, founder and managing partner at 8VC; and Katie Phang, journalist and trial lawyer. Get tickets. TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gov. Greg Abbott sets Nov. 4 special election for open state Senate seat
Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday set a special election for Nov. 4 to fill the Texas Senate seat vacated by Republican Kelly Hancock, who resigned from the Legislature earlier this month to become the acting state comptroller. The contest coincides with the state's November uniform election, when voters across Texas will already be at the polls to elect representation for local offices and vote on numerous ballot measures, including 17 proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution. The candidate filing deadline for the Senate District 9 special election is Sept. 3, with early voting to start Oct. 20. Earlier Friday, conservative activist Leigh Wambsganss announced her candidacy to fill the vacant seat. Shortly after her announcement, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the president of the Senate, endorsed Wambsganss, saying she would be a 'great addition to our conservative Texas Senate.' In a statement announcing her bid, Wambsganss said she was 'not a career politician' but a 'battle-tested conservative who gets results.' 'I have spent decades on the front lines of the conservative movement—leading one of the most impactful campaigns against Critical Race Theory in the country, working alongside Republican leaders during the Republican Revolution of the 1990s, and consistently standing firm for pro-life and pro-2nd Amendment values,' she said. Wambsganss is a former congressional staffer and a longtime conservative activist on the Tarrant County GOP executive committee. She has also spearheaded the Patriot Mobile Action, a PAC that led the charge to elect conservative candidates to school boards across North Texas in 2022. Soon after Wambsganss's announcement, Rep. Nate Schatzline, R-Fort Worth, withdrew his own bid for the seat and endorsed her. A Democratic candidate, veteran and union president Taylor Rehmet, is also running for the seat. The North Texas district leans solidly Republican and covers about half of Fort Worth and much of Tarrant County's northern suburbs. In 2024, Republican Donald Trump carried the district with 58% of the vote. Whoever wins the special election will serve the remainder of Hancock's term, which runs until January 2027. The seat is up for reelection in 2026. Big news: 20 more speakers join the TribFest lineup! New additions include Margaret Spellings, former U.S. secretary of education and CEO of the Bipartisan Policy Center; Michael Curry, former presiding bishop and primate of The Episcopal Church; Beto O'Rourke, former U.S. Representative, D-El Paso; Joe Lonsdale, entrepreneur, founder and managing partner at 8VC; and Katie Phang, journalist and trial lawyer. Get tickets. TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Texas Bolsters Bitcoin With Sanctuary Designation
(Texas Scorecard) – Senate Bill 21, drafted by State Sen. Charles Schwertner (R–Georgetown) and signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott on Sunday, June 20, creates the Texas Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. The reserve will be used to diversify the state's investments, giving the Texas comptroller discretionary power to manage the reserve separately from the general fund. Texas joins Arizona and New Hampshire, who established their own cryptocurrency reserves in May. Texas' initiative, however, has received more praise from cryptocurrency advocates for its built-in flexibility. Arizona's reserve only pertains to cryptocurrency seized by the state as unclaimed or abandoned assets or confiscated in criminal investigations. It does not allow direct investments in the reserve. New Hampshire's reserve limits state cryptocurrency investment to a '5 percent cap of the total amount of public funds.' Unlike the reserves in Arizona and New Hampshire, Texas' Bitcoin reserve has no official cap. The comptroller has the discretionary authority to buy, sell, and hold cryptocurrency. This means that Texas has an unlimited capacity for investments in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies that have an 'average market capitalization of at least $500 billion over the most recent 24-month period.' This flexibility enables Texas to increase its Bitcoin reserve as a hedge against periods when the dollar's value is volatile or, when the need arises, to dump the reserve periodically to save its investments. President Donald Trump signed an executive order in March to create the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and the U.S. Digital Asset Stockpile. Both of these federal cryptocurrency reserves follow a framework of forfeiture and seizure much like Arizona's. In addition, they are prevented from receiving direct investments. Texas has the first fully unrestricted Bitcoin reserve in America, making it the leading Bitcoin sanctuary in the nation. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Miami Herald
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Map Shows Countries Around World With School Phone Bans
Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed legislation on Friday banning students from using cellphones at school, marking the latest development in a trend that is growing nationally and worldwide. House Bill 1481 requires public schools and open-enrollment charter schools to implement policies prohibiting students from using a "personal communication device" during school hours. The policy also requires the school to adopt punishments for students found using these devices. Devices will be allowed if they are necessary for an educational program, if the student has a doctor's note, or if it is required to comply with health or safety regulations. Supporters of bans restricting cellphone use in school argue that the devices are distracting students. In Texas, 85 percent of teachers in the Richardson Independent School District reported that they got instructional time back under the district's cellphone ban, according to FOX 7 Austin. Critics argue that the devices are necessary for safety reasons. Students at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde used cellphones to call for help during a school shooting in 2022. Bans on cellphone usage in schools are in effect in many nations around the world, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Brazil, Malaysia, Ghana, and the United Arab Emirates. The bans often have certain exceptions, including phone use for educational purposes or to accommodate students with disabilities. Some countries, such as Latvia, only ban cellphone usage among younger students. Other countries, such as Mexico, Canada, Indonesia, Bolivia, Spain, and Germany, have regional bans on the use of cellphones in schools. Alabama Arkansas California Connecticut Delaware Florida Indiana Louisiana Minnesota Ohio Oklahoma Pennsylvania South Carolina Texas Virginia Washington Texas State Senator Brandon Creighton, in a statement: "Texas educators have increasingly voiced concerns about cell phones disrupting the classroom, and the data backs them up. Over 70 percent of national high school teachers say that cell phone distraction is one of the major problems that cause disruption." U.K. Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, in a statement: "Schools are places for children to learn and mobile phones are, at a minimum, an unwanted distraction in the classroom. We are giving our hard-working teachers the tools to take action to help improve behaviour and to allow them to do what they do best – teach." School boards in Texas were given 90 days to adopt the new cellphone policy. Globally, several countries are reportedly considering nationwide bans on cellphones during school hours. Do you have a story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have any questions about this story? Contact LiveNews@ Related Articles Oldest Manager in MLB Bans Players From Using Cell PhonesT-Mobile Data Breach: How To See If You're Eligible For $25,000 PayoutApple iPhone 16e Vs. iPhone 16: Key Features, Pricing, and DifferencesApple iPhone 16e With 'Breakthrough Battery Life' Announced 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Newsweek
a day ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Map Shows Countries Around World With School Phone Bans
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed legislation on Friday banning students from using cellphones at school, marking the latest development in a trend that is growing nationally and worldwide. House Bill 1481 requires public schools and open-enrollment charter schools to implement policies prohibiting students from using a "personal communication device" during school hours. The policy also requires the school to adopt punishments for students found using these devices. Devices will be allowed if they are necessary for an educational program, if the student has a doctor's note, or if it is required to comply with health or safety regulations. Why It Matters Supporters of bans restricting cellphone use in school argue that the devices are distracting students. In Texas, 85 percent of teachers in the Richardson Independent School District reported that they got instructional time back under the district's cellphone ban, according to FOX 7 Austin. Critics argue that the devices are necessary for safety reasons. Students at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde used cellphones to call for help during a school shooting in 2022. What To Know Bans on cellphone usage in schools are in effect in many nations around the world, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Brazil, Malaysia, Ghana, and the United Arab Emirates. The bans often have certain exceptions, including phone use for educational purposes or to accommodate students with disabilities. Some countries, such as Latvia, only ban cellphone usage among younger students. Other countries, such as Mexico, Canada, Indonesia, Bolivia, Spain, and Germany, have regional bans on the use of cellphones in schools. States With School Cellphone Bans Alabama Arkansas California Connecticut Delaware Florida Indiana Louisiana Minnesota Ohio Oklahoma Pennsylvania South Carolina Texas Virginia Washington What People Are Saying Texas State Senator Brandon Creighton, in a statement: "Texas educators have increasingly voiced concerns about cell phones disrupting the classroom, and the data backs them up. Over 70 percent of national high school teachers say that cell phone distraction is one of the major problems that cause disruption." U.K. Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, in a statement: "Schools are places for children to learn and mobile phones are, at a minimum, an unwanted distraction in the classroom. We are giving our hard-working teachers the tools to take action to help improve behaviour and to allow them to do what they do best – teach." What Happens Next School boards in Texas were given 90 days to adopt the new cellphone policy. Globally, several countries are reportedly considering nationwide bans on cellphones during school hours. Do you have a story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have any questions about this story? Contact LiveNews@
