The Texas Association of Realtors today announced its decision to endorse Phil King in his election to the Texas House to represent District 61. Making the statement last week, Chairman Bill Jones commended King’s commitment to the interests of Texas homeowners.

Today State Representative Phil King announced that a joint effort between his office, Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), and Parker County would lead to increased safety for drivers on FM 1884 (Bethel Road) in Parker County.

There is a lot of good economic news in Texas. We are one of only six state governments that didn't run a budget deficit in 2009. We've had the largest 10-year growth in private sector jobs among all the states. We now host more Fortune 1000 companies than any other state. We're the largest exporting state in the nation, produce more energy than any other state, and our unemployment rate has been at or below the national average for forty-four consecutive months. I could go on and on.

Unfortunately there is bad news, too. We are in the worst economy in 75 years. Until the Obama administration realizes that you can't create a strong economy built on debt, massive new spending, and redistribution of wealth it's simply not going to get much better.

So what can you and I do? Well, over the next year elected officials at every level - city councils, school boards, commissioner courts, the Texas Legislature and U.S. Congress - will face unprecedented budget shortfalls. Elected officials will face enormous pressure to raise taxes to close the gap. Their communities are growing and in many cases their voters are demanding increased government programs and services.

As state legislators, we are disappointed that Texas schools will miss out on $830 million in federal funding because of an overt political attempt to embarrass the Texas Legislature and the governor in the form of an amendment inserted into federal law by U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin. The Doggett amendment requires the State of Texas to maintain education funding at current levels for each of the next three budget years 2011, 2012 and 2013 to receive the federal dollars under the emergency school aid funding authorized by Congress last month.

State Rep. Phil King, R-Weatherford, addressed the Business Before Breakfast meeting of the Weatherford Chamber of Commerce Friday morning. Aside from touching on the familiar conservative talking points, King went out of his way to ask the public to stand behind their elected officials in the budget-cutting times to come.

For that, he deserves an attaboy.

There are budget-cutting times ahead, and everyone who holds public office right now is going to have to make some tough choices. Tax revenues are down, and this recession is showing no signs of letting up any time soon. Even the mighty Texas economy, the best in the U.S. by far, is expected to contract by $18 billion over the next two-year budget cycle.

When the 82nd Texas Legislature convenes in January 2011, our state will face many challenges.

We must balance the budget without raising taxes in the face of a projected $18 billion budget shorfall. We must resist continued encroachments by the federal government on our liberty. We must secure our elections and our border. We must continue to reform and reduce property taxes - homeownership is increasingly at risk. We must allow the free market to thrive in order to get Texans back to work.

State Representative Phil King (R-Weatherford) brought before a packed house of Rotarians last week, a summary related to the Texas economy. His comments concerned the state's budget, the ever-pressing school finance system and the economy as a whole.

King told the group that Texas had the largest 10-year growth in private sector jobs in the country and that in pre-recession 2008, more jobs were created in Texas than all of the other 49 states combined.

State Representative Phil King (R-Weatherford) received the formal endorsement last week of Governor Mike Huckabee, former presidential candidate and host of the popular Fox News talk show, Huckabee. King is seeking re-election to the Texas House of Representatives District 61 seat he currently holds.

On the eve of the Republican Party of Texas state convention, GOPAC-TX held an Issues Seminar for state legislative candidates and incumbents to discuss key issues facing Texas such as the budget, property rights and taxes, energy and healthcare, school finance, and redistricting. Over 80 candidates and incumbents attended this seminar.

State Representative Phil King (R-Weatherford) remarked, “The attacks on the State Board of Education ignored the transparent approach that the Board took toward developing curriculum standards for Texas school children, misstated many of the changes that the Board proposed, and sought to undermine the Board’s diligent work to execute its constitutional and statutory obligations. The Board should be applauded for their conscientious efforts; Texas school children will be the long-term beneficiaries.”