Dems Pro-Abortion Worship vs Texas’ Culture of Life; Blocking the Biden/Harris Woke Agenda; Unclaimed Funds Waiting for You? And More!

Thanks for taking time to hear my thoughts on important issues and allowing me to update you on some recent news. Top of mind for me is the deeply concerning messages coming from Democrats this week at their national convention, underscoring the high stakes in the November election.

Texas Promotes a Culture of Life, While Democrats Worship at the Pro-Abortion Alter in Chicago
President Bill Clinton once said that abortion should be “safe, legal, and rare.” Joe Biden, after being elected to the Senate, stated after the original 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, “I don’t like the Supreme Court decision on abortion. I think it went too far. I don’t think that a woman has the sole right to say what should happen to her body.” Four years later, Biden voted for the Hyde amendment which banned federal funding of abortion. 

How things have changed. Sadly, today’s national Democrats have completely aligned with the most extreme, barbaric pro-abortion practices and we shockingly saw that on full display this week at the Democrat National Convention. Planned Parenthood, the largest abortion provider in America, stationed a mobile facility near the convention, where they provided actual abortions (yes, you read that right). Protestors marched dressed up as abortion pills. It seems that no longer is the Democrat battle cry simply to protect and preserve abortion, but to brazenly promote and celebrate the taking of the most innocent life imaginable – an unborn child. Quite honestly, this breaks my heart and I pray for the future of our country.

Conversely, under Republican leadership, Texas has taken a different approach, one that values and encourages life. Along with protecting unborn children, we have worked to provide solutions to mothers facing unplanned pregnancies. For example, Texas was the first state to pass the Baby Moses Law which provides an avenue for women in crisis to give up their babies without fear of prosecution. Mothers can take their babies (if healthy and under 60 days old) to certain fire stations, hospitals and urgent care centers that have EMTs on site around the clock, with no questions asked. In 2005, Texas launched the Alternatives to Abortion Program, allocating state funding to non-profit agencies that provide pregnant women life-affirming alternatives to abortion, such as pregnancy help centers, maternity homes, and adoption agencies.  I am proud to have worked to provide full support to moms who, for whatever reason, feel they cannot parent their child but wish to choose life. 

I am incredibly proud that Texas has promoted a culture of life, and that includes supporting women who find themselves in crisis after an unplanned pregnancy. Every unborn baby is worth protecting!

Tarrant County Federal Judge Upholds Texas Common Sense Laws, Blocks Biden/Harris Gender Identity Mandate in Title IX Laws
Back in the 1970s, Congress passed amendments to Title IX’s sex discrimination provisions with a goal to provide girls and women equal access to education and sports programs. These provisions have been on the books for over 50 years and have helped expand scholarship opportunities for women in collegiate sports. Unfortunately, on April 19th, the Biden/Harris Department of Education issued new regulations to prohibit discrimination based on a person’s “gender identity.” Since institutions who don’t comply with Title IX risk losing federal funding, this is another example of the federal government holding funding hostage to promote a woke, liberal agenda. This social experimentation undermines fairness in women’s sports, and increases risks to safety by potentially forcing men and women to share facilities. These new rules, which affect K-12 schools, colleges and universities, were scheduled to go into effect on August 1st. Thankfully, implementation of the Biden/Harris overreach has been blocked in Texas.  Federal Judge Reed O’Connor ruled on August 5th, stating in his opinion:

“To allow Defendants’ unlawful action to stand would be to functionally rewrite Title IX in a way that shockingly transforms American education and usurps a major question from Congress. That is not how our democratic system functions,” adding that, “the Department lacks authority to redefine sex in a way that conflicts with Title IX.” Approximately 26 other states have also successfully fought this unlawful and wrongheaded mandate from being forced upon their citizens. 

Is Unclaimed Money Waiting for You?

More than $4 billion in unclaimed funds are sitting in the state treasury waiting on Texans to claim what is rightfully theirs. This could include utility deposits or other refunds, insurance proceeds, payroll checks, cashier’s checks, dividends, mineral royalties, dormant bank accounts and abandoned safe-deposit box contents. It only takes a few minutes for a quick search, and who knows – you may have something long forgotten coming your way. Do a search at https://www.claimittexas.gov/app/claim-search.

If you find money that is yours, the claim process is handled online.  This FAQ link will provide you with answers to most of your questions about this program, which is administered by the Texas Comptrollers Office:  https://www.claimittexas.gov/app/faq-ucp. Happy Hunting!

Out and Around the District: Tarrant County Republican Assembly, Arlington Republican Club, North Side Baptist
Summer is wrapping up and fall is approaching, and that means the various clubs and organizations are resuming their meetings. This past week, I had the opportunity to speak to the Tarrant County Republican Assembly on Tuesday night. Earlier that day, I spoke to a large group of engaged seniors at North Side Baptist Church in Weatherford, and Thursday evening took me to the Arlington Republican Club, who generously presented us with a $2000 campaign contribution.

On Thursday, August 15th, I participated in a legislative panel hosted by the Texas Tribune at Tarrant County College’s Trinity River campus with State Representatives Nicole Collier and Salman Bhojani. We discussed a wide range of topics, including the current budget surplus and my support for further property tax cuts to ensure more homeownership opportunities and provide tax relief. During the discussion, I was challenged on my support for ending DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) policies in higher education. I emphatically stated my belief that any time that government or individuals judge people by their group – which is what DEI policies do – it is a fundamentally dangerous approach.Last session, Texas banned DEI programs at our state’s colleges and universities, and it was the right thing to do.

I appreciated the chance to speak to the Tarrant County Republican Assembly.

I was honored to join the Texas Electricity Panel at the Texas Association of Manufacturers annual meeting. We discussed the need to ensure reliable power as the Texas economy continues to grow.

In Closing

I enjoy getting out and connecting with grass roots Republicans and community organizations. In the coming weeks, I’ll have more appearances in Brown, Johnson, Tarrant, Parker and Palo Pinto counties. If you have an event you’d like me to consider attending, please email [email protected]. Finally, if you have a friend who might enjoy receiving these updates, please forward this email and encourage them to sign up for our updates at www.PhilKing.com.