Greg Abbott in 2022 TX Governor's race
On Abortion:
Abortions unnecessary except for woman's life or health
Attorney General Ken Paxton said that all clinics in the state must stop providing abortions unless a woman's life or health are in danger. He said abortion providers were included under Abbott's emergency order that banned medically unnecessary
surgeries to conserve medical supplies. Abortion rights advocates called the ban bad policy and accused Paxton and Abbott of using the crisis to issue a de facto ban on a procedure strongly opposed by the two Republican leaders.
Source: USA Today on 2022 Texas gubernatorial race
Mar 25, 2020
On Abortion:
Bans mail-order abortion drugs
Abbott signed Senate Bill 4 into law, which bans mail-order abortion drugs and prevents physicians from providing abortion drugs to women who are more than seven weeks pregnant."Texas continues to lead the way in protecting
unborn children and fostering a culture of life, which is why I am proud to join Texas Values, members of the legislature, and pro-life leaders to sign Senate Bill 4 into law," Abbott said.
Source: KSAT-TV ABC-2 on 2022 Texas Gubernatorial race
Sep 24, 2021
On Abortion:
No abortions for rape, claims he'll "eliminate all rapists"
Abbott was asked about a new abortion law in the state that bans the procedure even for cases of rape or incest. "Let's make something very clear: Rape is a crime,"
Abbott said. "And Texas will work tirelessly to make sure that we eliminate all rapists from the streets of Texas by aggressively going out and arresting them and prosecuting them and getting them off the streets."
Source: KSAT-TV ABC-2 on 2022 Texas Gubernatorial race
Sep 8, 2021
On Environment:
Vetoed bill protecting dogs, then backtracked
Earlier this year, the governor of Texas vetoed legislation that would protect dogs. State lawmakers passed Senate Bill 474, which said, in part: "An owner may not leave a dog outside and unattended by use of a restraint."
The governor added the issue to the agenda of the third special session of the Legislature.
Source: Texas Tribune on 2022 Texas Gubernatorial race
Sep 8, 2021
On Government Reform:
No "heavy hand of regulation" attracts business to Texas
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott told CNBC that the number of companies deciding to move their headquarters to the Lone Star State has accelerated due in part to the coronavirus pandemic.In addition to the pandemic demonstrating the feasibility of more
widespread remote work, Abbott said there are other characteristics attracting companies to Texas. "Cost of business means a lot. No income tax means a lot, but also the freedom to operate without the heavy hand of regulation means a lot," he said.
Source: CNBC analysis of 2022 Texas gubernatorial race
Dec 11, 2020
On Government Reform:
Increased penalty for illegal voting & 2020 election audit
Abbott called for lawmakers to increase the penalty for illegal voting--less than a month after he signed a bill that lowers the maximum punishment. The crime of illegal voting was scheduled to go from a second degree felony to a
Class A misdemeanor. "The State of Texas has made tremendous progress in upholding the integrity of our elections," Abbott said. "By increasing penalties for illegal voting, we will send an even clearer message that voter fraud will not be tolerated in
Texas."Abbott has pushed an audit of the general election of 2020 in four Texas counties--Harris, Collin, Dallas and Tarrant--after former President Donald Trump urged him to add audit legislation to the special session agenda. Local officials said
they were in the dark about the process, which Abbott later claimed had already begun as the audit's guidelines covered some of the standard post-election procedures local officials are already required to undertake.
Source: Texas Tribune on 2022 Texas Gubernatorial race
Sep 30, 2021
On Health Care:
Texas will hire fired unvaccinated Border Patrol officers
[On COVID vaccine mandates]: "If there is any Border Patrol officer who gets fired or has to quit, whatever the case may be, because of the vaccine mandate imposed by the Biden administration, Texas would be honored to have them come work for us.
I have worked side by side with these Border Patrol officers for years now. I admire them. I respect them. They are courageous and they are needed and if The Biden administration doesn't want them. By God, the state of Texas does."
Source: FOX News Radio on 2022 Texas Gubernatorial race
Sep 29, 2021
On Government Reform:
Congratulated Biden 2020 victory, but supported state audit
Abbott spoke positively about the lawsuit that sought to overturn the results in four states (which was filed by the Texas Attorney General)--saying in December 2020 that the lawsuit "tries to accelerate the process, providing certainty and clarity
about the entire election process."Abbott congratulated Biden on his inauguration in January 2021. In the fall of 2021, after pressure from Trump, he supported a state audit of the 2020 election in four counties in Texas, a state Trump won.
Source: CNN on 2020 Election Denial in 2022 Texas Governor race
Sep 9, 2022
On Gun Control:
No red-flag laws: they violate due process
Gun control became a major issue following the deadly shooting at a Uvalde elementary school in May. Before the debate, a group of about 35 family members of the victims of the Uvalde shooting held a news conference with O'Rourke, announcing their
support for him. They criticized Abbott for not taking action after the shooting and for refusing their call for the governor to call a special session to change gun laws to raise the legal age for purchasing an assault-style rifle from 18 to 21.
Abbott has said he believes such a change to the law would be unconstitutional. At the debate, Abbott reiterated that he opposed the change in law "purely from a legal position" and said other states that had passed such laws--like Florida--would have
to deal with legal battles. Abbott also said he was opposed to red flag laws because they would deny "lawful Texas gun owners their constitutional right to due process." The Uvalde families have called for the passage of red flag laws.
Source: Texas Tribune on 2022 Texas Gubernatorial race
Sep 30, 2022
On Immigration:
$4 billion and 1000s of troops for border security
Gov. Greg Abbott touted the $4 billion the state has allocated toward border security, including funding to deploy thousands of National Guard troops and Department of Public Safety troopers to the southern border to apprehend the large number of
migrants crossing into the state. But he noted that the state shouldn't be paying any money because the federal government should be stepping up to secure the border. "What we're doing is making sure that we are keeping our community safe,
and this is completely different than the way things would be under Beto because he said months ago, 'There is no problem on the border.' He said that he would reduce immigration enforcement," Abbott said.Democratic challenger Beto O'Rourke
immediately went on the attack, saying Abbott was trying to deflect the blame on immigration as he would on other issues. He noted that Abbott's expensive border mission has not had the impact of deterring border crossings.
Source: Texas Tribune on 2022 Texas Gubernatorial race
Sep 30, 2022
Page last updated: Mar 09, 2024