Dennis Quaid, Matthew McConaughey, and Woody Harrelson Drop By the Texas Capitol!                                                                                                                                      


[[link removed]][link removed]


Dennis Quaid, Matthew McConaughey, and Woody Harrelson Drop By the Texas Capitol!


[[link removed]]


[[link removed]]


[[link removed]]


Why did these three Texas-born actors come to the Capitol? Because they support my initiative to make Texas the Film Capital of the World. We are not trying to make Texas the next Hollywood – we don’t like Hollywood. We want to export Texas values.


After a long dinner meeting with Taylor Sheridan in 2023, we dramatically increased our film incentives. Based on the new incentives, Taylor moved virtually all his productions to Texas. Small towns in Texas suddenly had movie crews and millions of dollars spent in their economy. Fort Worth has become an active movie set almost every week. And, according to the Texas Film Commission records, for every dollar invested in the incentives, Texas received $4 of new money into our economy. That is in addition to the significant sales tax, hotel tax, and gas tax they spend producing their shows in Texas.


This session, we are going to increase our incentives once again to achieve our goal of Texas becoming the #1 filming location in America and in the world. Texas has every type of town for every era and every landscape, so no movie has to go anywhere else to shoot. And, we are creating new courses in our colleges to teach Texas students who want to enter the film industry.


So that everyone understands, the incentives do not go to actors, producers, writers, or directors. It goes to all the people who work behind the scenes, including those who build the sets, those who haul the equipment needed to film, the makeup artists, the electricians, etc. On any given large shoot, hundreds of people are employed with minimum salaries that start near $50,000 for the newest person learning their trade.


On Wednesday evening, I hosted an event for Senate and House members to hear from these Texas-born actors to learn about the movie and television industry and how we can become the #1 producer of films, television shows, and commercials in the world.


It Has Been One Year, Five Months, and 18 Days Since I Called for an Audit of All Impeachment Spending by the Texas House and Senate


[[link removed]][link removed]


It has been one year, five months, and 18 days since I called for an audit of all impeachment spending by the Texas House and Senate. I promptly turned over the Senate’s records to the State Auditor right after the trial.


Former Speaker Dade Phelan failed to comply with the audit and refused to release the House’s expenses to the State Auditor despite multiple calls for him to do so on behalf of taxpayers. Taxpayers have a right to know how their money was spent on an impeachment and trial that should never have taken place. Dade officially left the speaker’s office two months ago and still had not released the records.


I asked the new Speaker Dustin Burrows to release the documents. On Wednesday, he handed me two boxes of detailed expenditures, which I turned over to the State Auditor today.


The Senate spent taxpayer funds as prudently as possible, only spending roughly $435,000 on the entire impeachment trial. That included $135,000 spent to print every word in the journal, which was required of the Senate.


As I suspected, former Speaker Phelan was hiding the millions of dollars he wasted on outside attorneys to avoid this issue from being brought up in his bid for re-election.


I want to thank Speaker Dustin Burrows for releasing the Texas House’s impeachment costs and for his commitment to transparency, unlike the former speaker.


We will await the State Auditor’s final report, but by the House’s own count in the documents, Speaker Phelan spent over $4.4 million. That is ten times more than what the Senate had to spend on the House’s failed impeachment of our attorney general.


What a total waste of taxpayer money!


Texas Has the Potential to Become a World Leader in Combating Alzheimer’s


[[link removed]][link removed]


Currently, over 500,000 Texans suffer from some form of Dementia, including horrible diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Vascular Dementia, and related dementias. Dementia affects more than just the afflicted, it impacts entire Texas families.


After hearing countless stories of Texans whose lives were shattered by this silent killer, I felt it was time to create the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (DPRIT) to bring world-class Dementia researchers to our state. Texas, with our vast resources, has an opportunity to make a positive difference in the lives of millions.


I am proud that legislation creating DPRIT has passed the Texas Senate. Sen. Joan Huffman has been an influential leader in carrying this legislation, and Rep. Tom Craddick, R-Midland, will carry this vital bill in the House.


Once SB 5 and SJR 3 pass the Texas House and are signed by Gov. Abbott, voters must approve the creation of DPRIT at the ballot box as a constitutional amendment in November.


Click here to learn more about Senate Bill 5 and Senate Joint Resolution 3, Establishing the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (DPRIT), both by Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston [[link removed]].


God Bless Texas and God Bless the Rodeo!


[[link removed]][link removed]


I had a great time helping open the Houston Rodeo with my friend and fellow Houstonian, actor Dennis Quaid on Tuesday evening. He was in town to help promote Texas as the new movie capital of the world. Here’s a short video of us kicking off the festivities [[link removed]].


[[link removed]]


[[link removed]]


We visited with the star of the night, Reba McEntire, about moving her productions to Texas. The Houston Rodeo has raised over $600 million for students and education and continues to make a massive difference in the lives of Texans and our future generations. God bless Texas, and God bless the Rodeo!


Creating the Texas Bitcoin Reserve Is a Bold Step for Other States to Follow


[[link removed]][link removed]



President Trump has stated unequivocally that he intends to make the United States the cryptocurrency capital of the world. His visionary leadership on Bitcoin and digital assets has paved the way for rapid American innovation, and Texas is leading the way.


I promised to make a Texas Bitcoin Reserve a priority to solidify Texas’ leadership in the digital age. On Thursday, the Texas Senate delivered on that promise by passing SB 21 to create the Texas Bitcoin Reserve.


I stand with President Trump and hope to make Texas the epicenter of America’s digital future.


Click here to learn more about Senate Bill 21, Establishing the Texas Bitcoin Reserve, by Sen. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown [[link removed]].


Nueces County GOP Dinner


[[link removed]]


On Thursday night, I had the honor of speaking at the Nueces County GOP Dinner. It was great to be among passionate conservatives who are working hard to keep Texas red!


Thank you for all your support over the years and for everything you do to keep Texas red. May God bless you and your family, and may He continue to bless the greatest state of all—Texas.


Sincerely,


Dan Patrick [[link removed]]


Dan Patrick

Lieutenant Governor of Texas


P.S. Feel free to forward this email to your friends and family who may not be on our email list — they can also click here to sign up for future updates. [[link removed]]


"Whomever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant."

Matthew 20:26 (NLT)


Follow us on Facebook [[link removed]], Twitter [[link removed]], and Instagram [[link removed]] for alerts and updates.


This e-mail has been sent to [email protected], click here to unsubscribe [link removed].