Issues

Protecting Texans During Hurricane Harvey

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Attorney General Ken Paxton sued companies who engaged in price gouging and those taking advantage of Texans in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.

Preserving the Constitution

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The United States of America is an exceptional country, the first in the world founded on an idea – that of individual liberty. We fought a revolution to win independence from England to form a republic in which the people directly elect their representatives. “We the People” established the Constitution of the United States to prohibit the government from seizing our liberties and our God-given rights.

In recent years, the U.S. Constitution has been under assault from liberals that seek to centralize power, expand government, and disregard the rights and privileges that the Constitution seeks to protect; this document empowers citizens and limits the government’s power and authority.

Texas has been on the front lines of this battle as the “Texas Model” seeks to limit government, expand economic opportunity, protect the sanctity of life and honor traditional family values. The success of Texas is a direct threat to the liberals who seek to expand government for their purposes. The liberals in Washington have placed a bullseye on our state. We need to stand up for the U.S. Constitution and the individual liberties it protects.

The Constitution must be interpreted in the manner in which our Founding Fathers intended and not based on the whims of individuals in power. As Attorney General, not only do I pledge to defend the Constitution which I am sworn to protect, but I also promise to have the courage to advance the principles it stands for.

 

Securing Our Border

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As threats from violent drug cartels creep across our borders, it’s a stark reminder that securing our borders is not very high on our federal government’s list of priorities.

As Attorney General, I am making it a top priority to work with the Department of Public Safety, local law enforcement officials, and the executive cabinet to determine the strategic needs to secure our international border and how to achieve our goals for border security to protect Texans. I am also working to achieve operational control of our border.

I oppose amnesty and while in the Legislature voted to prohibit sanctuary cities, filed bills to stop illegal immigrants from receiving in-state tuition, and voted against providing driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants.

 

Help us secure our border!

Protecting the Sanctity of Life

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I’m pro-life, and my commitment to the sanctity of life is deeply personal. Because of a courageous decision by her birth mother, my wife Angela was placed for adoption. Because her birth mother chose life, I met the woman of my dreams and have been blessed with a wonderful life with Angela and our family. Together, Angela and I have four children: Tucker, Abby, Madison, and Katie.

Paxton family cropped

I’m honored to have been named a “Pro-Life All Star” by Texas Right to Life and to have been endorsed by Texas Right to Life PAC. Protecting the lives of unborn children has been one of my major priorities throughout my public service:

  • I co-authored and passed House Bill 15 in the 78th Legislature (2003) which prohibits an abortion except by the voluntary and informed consent of the mother.
  • I co-authored and passed House Bill 15 in the 82nd Legislature (2011) which requires an expectant mother to view a sonogram and hear her unborn child’s heartbeat prior to consenting to an abortion.
  • I co-sponsored and passed House Bill 2 in the Second Called Session of the 83rd Legislature (2013). HB 2 is the landmark legislation to protect the lives of unborn children that prohibits abortions after 20 weeks of gestation, requires abortion clinics to have the same standard of care as an ambulatory surgical clinic, and requires doctors to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of the abortion clinic for emergency care for a patient if necessary.

As Attorney General, I am working to promote a culture of life in Texas, and ensure that laws passed by the legislature to protect the lives of unborn children are fully implemented and legally protected.

 

Help us protect life!

Second Amendment

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As Attorney General, I am fighting to protect our Second Amendment rights at every turn.

While in the Legislature, I had a solid voting record in support of our Second Amendment rights, and since my first session earned a consistent “A” rating from the NRA and TSRA. The Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prevents the government from infringing upon our right to personally keep and bear arms.

I signed an amicus brief on the McDonald v. Chicago case to the U.S. Supreme Court in defense of our right to keep and bear arms and to prevent local ordinances from infringing on that right. The McDonald case extends the constitutional protection of individual rights to state and local government laws as well to ensure that no government entity may set local policies that infringe upon our right to personally keep and bear arms.

 

Help us honor the Second Amendment!

Defending Voter ID

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Safeguarding the integrity of our elections is a primary function of state government and is one of my top priorities as Attorney General.

In 2011, I co-sponsored Senate Bill 14 which requires a person to show photo identification when voting. The bill passed the Texas House with 68% of the vote and bi-partisan support. To prevent fraud, government entities currently require photo identification at public libraries, to receive a passport, to qualify for a homestead exemption, and to pick up mail at a post office box – just to name a few examples. Photo ID is needed when visiting the U.S. Department of Justice and is even required at the Democratic National Convention. Voting, one of the most important of our democratic processes, should be no different.

And then in April of 2018, we successfully defended the Voter ID law against liberal lawsuits against our state! A panel of the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Texas’ law to defend voting integrity and Voter ID was preserved through the November elections.

 

Help us defend Voter ID!

Guarding Religious Freedom

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The Office of the Attorney General is not only able to fight back, but I believe it has a moral obligation to defend the rights of citizens who choose to peacefully observe their faith traditions.

The Founders knew citizens must be allowed to believe and practice their faith without fear of persecution from their government, so it should not be surprising that the first line of the First Amendment reads: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”

For generations, Americans have enjoyed this freedom and the opportunities it affords, such as openly celebrating Christmas and public prayer, but today we are experiencing active anti-religion hostility from the Left.

I’m honored to have previously earned the endorsement of national and state leaders who are on the front lines of defending our religious freedoms including:

  • Kelly Shackelford, President and CEO, Liberty Institute*
  • Cathie Adams, President, Texas Eagle Forum*
  • Ann Hettinger, Former State Director of Concerned Women for America of Texas*
  • Jonathan Saenz, President, Texas Values*
  • Rick Green, Former Texas State Representative and Host of WallBuilders Live*
  • Penny Nance, President of Concerned Women for America*

*organizations listed for identification purposes only

 

Help us guard religious freedom!

Ensuring State Sovereignty

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“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”
– 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

During the Obama Administration, Washington had a bullseye on Texas, and we boldly held the line against the out-of-control federal government as it continually attempted to encroach on our rights and liberties.

The states were designed to be the laboratories of democracy, not entities to be wholly ruled by the federal government. In a day and age where state sovereignty is perpetually under attack from the radical Left, Attorneys General are on the front lines battling for states’ freedoms. As your Attorney General, I guarantee that I am fighting every day to preserve the integrity and purpose of the Tenth Amendment.

 

Help us ensure state sovereignty!

Standing with Law Enforcement

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The Office of the Attorney General serves as a major support agency for Texas prosecutors and local law enforcement. Whether through police officer training and reports initiatives at schools or litigation in the courtroom, the Attorney General plays an important role in keeping Texans safe.

Human trafficking and sexual assault crimes are violations of individual liberties in the most malicious and violent ways. I am working with district attorneys and law enforcement across the state to aggressively prosecute crimes against individuals that rob victims of their fundamental rights and freedoms.

 

Help us stand with law enforcement!

Keeping Texas Jobs

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Texas’ job creators are being attacked in a very real way. Employers are put at risk from the job-killing regulations of the EPA, mountains of regulations, health care fines, and more. Increasingly, business owners are making more and more of their hiring decisions based on potential government regulation. This is wrong. Government should encourage – not restrict – economic opportunity.

As Attorney General, I am advocating for hard-working Texans by keeping the heavy hand of government at bay. I believe government should be limited to its core functions and then perform those core functions well. I will defend the free market economic model that has made Texas the economic envy of the country and not succumb to pressure from the federal government or other elected officials that seek to increase government regulations.

 

Help us keep Texas jobs!

Protecting Taxpayers

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The Attorney General plays a lead role in protecting taxpayers through investigating waste, fraud, and abuse, by reviewing and approving local bond packages, and through reviewing large state contracts. As a legislator I had a record of scrutinizing state budgets, creating transparency for state and local funds, and opposing tax increases.

As Attorney General, I am reviewing contracts and bond proposals to ensure our tax money is spent wisely. In reviewing waste, fraud, and abuse, Texas will aggressively investigate and prosecute Medicaid fraud to ensure your tax dollars are not wasted.

 

Help us protect taxpayers!