A party chair’s view; standing against BESS

Being the Kendall County Republican Party Chair is a real privilege. It allows me to represent, arguably, the most conservative county in Texas. Here’s a recap of some of the events I have been able to attend over the past 30 days because of that role.

I attended the Texas House Speaker’s vote on Jan. 14. Dustin Burrows received 86 votes in the second round, which was more than enough to give him the victory. Unfortunately, 49 of the 85 votes came from Democrats, but 36 Republicans also went against the wishes of the Republican caucus.

I have researched Speaker Burrows’ voting record and was pleased to see how conservative it was. I may not agree with the tactics, but he is our Speaker and we need conservative legislation passed, so I will move my focus to that.

Next I was off to Washington, D.C., to see President Trump’s inauguration. It was the trip of a lifetime. The cold was not going to stop the enthusiasm and joy of taking our country back.

I attended the victory rally, which was highlighted by President Trump’s introduction by Lee Greenwood singing “I Am Proud to Be an American” and the finale by the Village People.

I attended the Texas Boots and Black-Tie Ball, the hottest ticket in town. Texas did not disappoint, and it was great to see so many people from Senate District 25 in attendance.

After the inauguration came the Texas Business Forum in Austin. We heard senators and industry experts talk about some of the key issues facing Texas, such as the electric grid, property tax reform, water and artificial intelligence. I want to thank Sen. Donna Campbell’s office for my invitation.

Last week was the State of the State, where Gov. Greg Abbott spoke about the strength of our economy, including being ranked number one in the country for new jobs. Our economy is so strong, we will become the financial capital of the country with the implementation of the Texas Stock Exchange.

He spoke about Operation Lone Star and his success in combating the destructive policies of the failed Biden administration. He laid out his emergency items for the coming legislative session. They included property tax relief of $10 billion, generational investment in water, increased teachers’ pay, life-changing career training, school choice, bail reform and the creation of the Texas Cyber Command.

The Kendall County Republican Party’s Executive Committee meeting is Feb. 20. I am finishing this article with a draft of a resolution I will introduce at that meeting in support of our fellow residents in Comfort against the location of the proposed Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS).

“Be it resolved, The Kendall County Republican party requests the House and the Senate of the 89 th Texas Legislature adopt legislation such as HB 1343 and SB 819 to protect Texas counties from the rapid expansion of battery energy storage systems (BESS) and the potential harm they create, especially to our rural counties.

Whereas several hundred “BESS” plants are being built or being considered in Texas including three in Kendall County: and Whereas the volatile nature of lithium batteries has and potentially could result in many catastrophic runaway fires; and Whereas the rapid expansion of the BESS plants has made it very difficult to adopt safety standards, with many of our rural counties either ill-prepared or not having the resources to provide adequate protection; and Whereas many of these BESS plants are owned or are on land that is leased by foreign entities whose interests may not be aligned with Texas; and Whereas the batteries contain software that is susceptible to cybersecurity threats from foreign adversaries that could result in overheating, fire and explosions causing catastrophic harm to our citizens, environment, drinking water and the electric grid; and Whereas the proximity of BESS plants to residential areas can cause safety concerns for residents and severe loss in property values.

Now, therefore, be it resolved, that the Kendall County Republican Party formally requests the House and the Senate of the 89th Legislative session adopt bills such as HB 1343 and SB 819 to protect the citizens of our 254 counties from the dangers of battery energy storage systems.”