Greg Abbott

Greg Abbott
48th Governor of Texas
Assumed office
January 20, 2015
Lieutenant Dan Patrick
Preceded by Rick Perry
50th Attorney General of Texas
In office
December 2, 2002 – January 5, 2015
Governor Rick Perry
Preceded by John Cornyn
Succeeded by Ken Paxton
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Texas
In office
January 2, 1996 – June 6, 2001[1]
Preceded by Jack Hightower
Succeeded by Xavier Rodriguez
Personal details
Born Gregory Wayne Abbott
(1957-11-13) November 13, 1957
Wichita Falls, Texas, U.S.
Political party Republican
Spouse(s)
Cecilia Phalen (m. 1981)
Children 1
Residence Texas Governor's Mansion
Education University of Texas at Austin (BBA)
Vanderbilt University (JD)
Signature
Website Government website

Gregory Wayne Abbott (born November 13, 1957) is an American lawyer and politician who has served as the 48th Governor of Texas since January 2015. During the term of his predecessor, Rick Perry, Abbott was the 50th Attorney General of Texas.

A member of the Republican Party, Abbott was the second Republican to serve as Attorney General of Texas since Reconstruction. Prior to assuming the office of attorney general, he was a justice of the Texas Supreme Court, a position to which he was initially appointed in 1995 by then-Governor George W. Bush. He is noted outside of Texas for successfully advocating for the right of the state of Texas to display the Ten Commandments in front of the Texas State Capitol in Austin, in a 2005 United States Supreme Court case known as Van Orden v. Perry.

Early life, education, and early law career

Abbott was born on November 13, 1957, in Wichita Falls, of English descent. His mother, Doris Lechristia Jacks Abbott, was a homemaker, and his father, Calvin Roger Abbott, was a stockbroker and insurance agent.[2][3] When he was six years old, they moved to Longview, and the family lived in the East Texas city for six years.[2]

At the beginning of junior high school, Abbott's family moved to Duncanville. In his sophomore year in high school, his father died of a heart attack, and his mother went to work in a real estate office.[2] He graduated from Duncanville High School.[4] He was on the track team in high school and asserts that he won every meet he entered his senior year.[5] He was in the National Honor Society and was voted "Most Likely to Succeed."[5]

In 1981, he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance from the University of Texas at Austin, where he was a member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity and the Young Republicans Club. He met his wife, Cecilia Phelan, while attending UT Austin.[2] In 1984, he earned his J.D. degree from the Vanderbilt University Law School in Nashville, Tennessee.[2]

On July 14, 1984, at age 26, Abbott was paralyzed below waist-level when an oak tree fell on him while he was jogging following a storm.[6][7] He had two steel rods implanted in his spine, underwent extensive rehabilitation at TIRR Memorial Hermann in Houston, and has used a wheelchair ever since.[8][9] He sued the homeowner and negotiated an insurance settlement worth more than US$10 million dollars, resulting in payouts of US$14,000 a month.[10]

Abbott went into private practice, working for Butler and Binion, LLC between 1984 and 1992.[6]

Judicial career

Abbott's judicial career began in Houston, where he served as a state trial judge in the 129th District Court for three years.[6] Then-Governor George W. Bush appointed Abbott to the Texas Supreme Court, and he was then twice elected to the state's highest civil court — in 1996 (two-year term) and in 1998 (six-year term). In 1996, Abbott had no Democratic opponent but was challenged by Libertarian John B. Hawley of Dallas. Abbott defeated Hawley by a margin of 84% to 16%.[11] In 1998, Abbott defeated Democrat David Van Os by 60% to 40%.[12]

In 2001, after resigning from the Supreme Court, Abbott went back to private practice and worked for Bracewell & Giuliani LLC.[13] He was also an adjunct professor at University of Texas School of Law.[14]

Attorney General of Texas

Greg Abbott talks about the Harriet Miers nomination with President George W. Bush and former Texas Supreme Court Justices in 2005. From left: Eugene Cook, Raul Gonzalez, Abbott, John Hill, James Baker, Bush, and Craig Enoch

2002 election

Abbott resigned from the Texas Supreme Court in 2001 to seek the position of Lieutenant Governor of Texas.[2] His campaign for Lieutenant Governor had been running for several months when the previous attorney general, John Cornyn, vacated the post to run for the U.S. Senate.[2] He then switched his campaign to the open attorney general's position in 2002. Abbott defeated the Democratic nominee, former Austin Mayor and current State Senator Kirk Watson, 57% to 41%.[15] Abbott was sworn in on December 2, 2002, following fellow Republican Cornyn's election to the Senate.

Tenure

Abbott expanded the Attorney General's office's law enforcement division from about thirty people to more than one hundred.[2] He also created a new division called the Fugitive Unit to track down convicted sex offenders in violation of their paroles or probations.[2]

Abbott has spoken out against concerns such as voter fraud, the right to bear arms, and President Barack Obama's health care reform. When asked what his job entails, Abbott says: "I go into the office in the morning, I sue Barack Obama, and then I go home."[16] Abbott has filed suit against various U.S. agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Health and Human Services (including challenges to Obamacare), and the Department of Education, among many others.[2]

Abbott filed thirty one lawsuits against the Obama administration.[17] According to The Wall Street Journal, from Abbott's tenure as Attorney General through his first term as Governor, Texas sued the Obama administration at least forty four times, more than any other state over the same period; court challenges included carbon-emission standards, health-care reform, transgender rights, and others.[18] The Dallas Morning News compared Abbott to Scott Pruitt, noting that both Attorneys General had repeatedly sued the federal government over its environmental regulations.[19] The Houston Chronicle noted that Abbott "led the charge against Obama-era climate regulations."[20]

Abbott has said that the state must not release Tier II Chemical Inventory Reports for security reasons, but that Texans "can ask every facility whether or not they have chemicals or not."[21] Koch Industries has denied that their contributions to Abbott's campaign had anything to do with his ruling against releasing the safety information.[22]

In 2014, Abbott argued against a lawsuit brought by the National Rifle Association to allow more people access to concealed carry of firearms, as Abbott felt this would disrupt public safety.[23]

Lawsuit against Sony BMG

On November 21, 2005, Abbott sued Sony BMG.[24][25] Texas was the first state in the nation to bring legal action against Sony BMG for illegal spyware.[24][25] The suit is also the first filed under the state's spyware law of 2005.[24][25] It alleges the company surreptitiously installed the spyware on millions of compact music discs (CDs) that consumers inserted into their computers when they played the CDs, which can compromise the systems.[25][26] On December 21, 2005, Abbott added new allegations to his lawsuit against Sony-BMG. Abbott says the MediaMax copy protection technology violates the state's spyware and deceptive trade practices laws.[24][27] He says Sony-BMG offered consumers a licensing agreement when they bought CDs and played them on their computers.[24][27] But Abbott alleges in the lawsuit that even if consumers reject that agreement, spyware is secretly installed on their computers, posing security risks for music buyers.[24][27] Abbott said, "We keep discovering additional methods Sony used to deceive Texas consumers who thought they were simply buying music," and "[T]housands of Texans are now potential victims of this deceptive game Sony played with consumers for its own purposes."[24][27] In addition to violations of the Consumer Protection Against Computer Spyware Act of 2005, which allows for civil penalties of $100,000 for each violation of the law, the alleged violations added in the updated lawsuit, on December 21, 2005, carry maximum penalties of $20,000 per violation.[27][28]

Van Orden v. Perry

On March 2, 2005, Abbott appeared before the United States Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., where he defended a Ten Commandments monument on grounds of the Texas State Capitol. Dozens of similar monuments were donated to cities and towns across the nation throughout the 1960s by the Fraternal Order of Eagles, who were inspired by the 1956 epic The Ten Commandments; in doing so, they gained the support of the film's director Cecil B. DeMille.[29] The Supreme Court held in a 5–4 decision that the Texas display did not violate the First Amendment's Establishment Clause and was constitutional.

After Abbott's oral arguments in Van Orden v. Perry, Justice John Paul Stevens commented upon Abbott's performance while in a wheelchair, "I want to thank you … for demonstrating that it's not necessary to stand at the lectern in order to do a fine job."[5]

2006 election

In the November 7, 2006, general election, Abbott was challenged by civil rights attorney David Van Os, who had been his Democratic opponent in the 1998 election for state Supreme Court. He won re-election to a second term by a margin of 60% to 37%.[30]

2010 election

Abbott ran for a third term in 2010. He defeated the Democratic attorney Barbara Ann Radnofsky of Houston and the Libertarian Jon Roland once again. Radnofsky was also the unsuccessful Democratic candidate opposing U. S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison in the 2006 general election. Abbott defeated Radnofsky by a margin of 64% to 34%.[31] He was the longest-serving Texas attorney general in Texas history.[32]

In July 2013, the Houston Chronicle alleged improper ties and oversight between many of Abbott's largest donors and the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, of which he was a director.[33]

Governor of Texas

2014 election

Abbott speaking at FreePac in Phoenix, 2012

On July 8, 2013, Governor Rick Perry announced that he would not seek a fourth full term.[34]

On July 14, 2013, speaking near the Alamo on the 29th anniversary of the accident that left him a paraplegic, Abbott formally announced his intention to run for Governor of Texas in the 2014 Texas gubernatorial election.[35] In the first six months of 2011, he raised more funds for his campaign than any other Texas politician, reaching $1.6 million. The next highest fundraiser among state officeholders was Texas Comptroller Susan Combs with $611,700.[36]

In February 2014, while speaking on the dangers of corruption in law enforcement, Abbott compared the South Texas area to a Third World country[37] that "erodes the social fabric of our communities and destroys Texans' trust and confidence in government."[38] Abbott further said that he does not consider corruption "limited to one region of Texas […] My plan is to add more resources to eliminate corruption so people can have confidence in their government."[38]

Abbott criticized Ted Nugent's infamous "subhuman mongrel" comment directed at President Barack Obama by saying "This is not the kind of language I would use or endorse in any way. It's time to move beyond this, and I will continue to focus on the issues that matter to Texans."[39]

Abbott won the Republican primary on March 4, 2014, with 1,219,903, or 91.5% of the ballots cast. The remaining approximately 103,000 votes were divided among three minor candidates. He faced state Senator Wendy Davis of Fort Worth, who polled 432,065 votes (79.1%) in her Democratic primary contest against a lone opponent.[40]

Abbott promised to "tie outcomes to funding" for pre-K programs if elected governor,[41] but he said he would not require government standardized testing for 4-year olds, as Davis has accused him of advancing.[42] When defending his education plan, Abbott cited Charles Murray: "Family background has the most decisive effect on student achievement, contributing to a large performance gap between children from economically disadvantaged families and those from middle class homes."[43] A spokesman for Abbott's campaign pointed out that the biggest difference in spending is that Davis has proposed universal pre-K education while Abbott wants to limit state funding to only programs that meet certain standards.[43] Davis' plan could reach 750 million in costs and Abbott has said that Davis' plan is a "budget buster" whereas Abbott's education plan would cost no more than 118 million.[43] Overall, Abbott said the reforms that he envisioned would "level the playing field for all students [and] target schools which don't have access to the best resources." He has called for increased accessibility to technology in the classroom and mathematics instruction for kindergarten pupils.[38]

Abbott received 1.4 million in campaign contributions from recipients of the Texas Enterprise Fund, some of whose members submitted the proper paperwork for grants.[44] Elliot Nagin of the Union of Concerned Scientists observed that Abbott was the recipient of large support from the fossil fuels industries, such as NuStar Energy, Koch Industries, Valero Energy, ExxonMobil, Chevron, and ConocoPhillips.[45] Abbott received the endorsement of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram,[46] Dallas Morning News,[47] the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal[48] and the Tyler Morning Telegraph.[49]

Abbott defeated Davis by about 19 percentage points in the November general election.[50][51][52][53]

2018 election

In January 2017, Abbott was reportedly raising funds for a 2018 re-election bid as governor; as of December 2016, he had $34.4 million on hand for his campaign, of which he raised $9 million during the second half of 2016.[54][55] Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick had been mentioned as a potential challenger for governor but confirmed he would run for a second term as lieutenant governor.[55] During the weekend of January 21, 2017, Abbott stated he was intending on running for re-election.[56] He confirmed this on March 28, 2017.[57]

Abbott formally announced his re-election campaign on July 14, 2017.[58] He chose the Amtrak depot at historic Sunset Station in San Antonio for his formal announcement of candidacy: "I've proven that I'm willing to take on the liberals, I'm willing to take on Washington, D.C., and I'm counting on you to have my back." Several protesters were led out of the hall before Abbott began speaking.[59] The formal announcement came four days before the beginning of a special legislative session that could split the Republican Party into factions favoring Abbott and Lieutenant Governor Patrick, on one hand, and House Speaker Joe Straus, a Moderate Republican who opposes much of the Abbott-Patrick social conservative agenda.

Tenure

Abbott speaking at the 2016 World Travel and Tourism Council conference

Abbott was sworn in as the governor of Texas on January 20, 2015.[60][61]

Abbott declared February 2, 2015, as "Chris Kyle Day" in honor of the United States Navy SEAL who was the most lethal sniper in U.S. military history portrayed in the successful film American Sniper.[62][63][64] This came exactly two years after Kyle was shot and killed.[62] Abbott held his first meeting as governor with a foreign prime minister when he met with the Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny on March 15, 2015, to discuss trade and economic relations.[65]

Abbott on April 28, 2015, asked the State Guard to monitor the training exercise, Jade Helm 15, amid Internet-fueled suspicions that the war simulation is really a hostile military takeover.[66][67][68][69]

During the 2015 legislative session, initiated by officials at the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, the Texas Legislature placed a rider in the Texas budget to cut $150 million from its budget by ending payments and coverage for various developmental therapies for children on Medicaid. A lawsuit has been filed against the state on behalf of affected families and therapy providers, claiming it can cause irreparable damage to the affected children's development.[70] The litigation obtained a temporary injunction order on September 25, 2015, barring THHSC from implementing therapy rate cuts.[71]

Unlike his two immediate predecessors Bush and Perry, Abbott has said he has no intention of running for U.S. President.[72] The Trump Administration appointed several former appointees of Abbott to federal court positions, something some media outlets attributed to Abbott's influence on the administration.[73]

His 2016 book, Broken But Unbowed is a reflection on his personal story and views on politics.[74]

In October 2016, explosive packages were mailed to Abbott, President Obama, and the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration. The governor's package did not explode when he opened it as he opened the package incorrectly.[75]

On June 6, 2017, Abbott called for a special legislative session in order to pass several legislative priorities for Abbott,[76][77] something supported by Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick.[78] Abbott vetoed 50 bills in the regular 2017 session, the most vetoed in a session since 2007.[79][80]

Abortion

In late November 2016, the State of Texas, at Abbott's request, approved new rules that require facilities that perform abortions either to bury or cremate the aborted, rather than dispose of the remains in a sanitary landfill.[81][82] The rules were intended to go into effect on December 19,[81] but on December 15 a federal judge blocked the rules from going into effect for at least one month after the Center for Reproductive Rights and other advocacy groups filed a lawsuit.[83] On January 27, 2017, a federal judge ruled against the law, but the State of Texas vowed to appeal the ruling.[84]

On June 6, 2017, Abbott signed a bill into law banning dismemberment and partial-birth abortions and requiring either the cremation or burial of the aborted.[85][86][87] The law was also blocked by a federal judge; the state said it would appeal.[88][89]

Convention of States proposal

Governor Abbott with President Donald Trump during Hurricane Harvey emergency

On January 8, 2016, Abbott called for a national constitutional convention to address what he sees as abuses by justices of the United States Supreme Court in "abandoning the Constitution."[90] Abbott proposed passing nine new amendments to the Constitution, intended to limit the power of the federal government and expand states' rights.[91] Speaking to the Texas Public Policy Foundation, Abbott said, "We the people have to take the lead to restore the rule of law in the United States."[92]

In 2016 Abbott spoke to the Texas Public Policy Foundation, calling for a Convention of States to amend the U.S. Constitution. In his speech, he released a plan that includes nine proposed amendments to "unravel the federal government's decades-long power grab "to impose fiscal restraints on the federal government and limit the federal government's power and jurisdiction."[93] Abbott elaborated on his proposal in a public seminar at the Hoover Institute on May 17, 2016.[94]

Gun laws

On June 13, 2015, Abbott signed the campus carry (SB 11) and the open carry (HB 910) bills into law.[95] The campus carry law went into effect on August 1, 2015 and allows the licensed carrying of a concealed handgun on public college campuses, with private colleges being able to opt out.[95][96] The open carry bill went into effect on January 1, 2016 and allows the licensed carrying of handguns openly in all locations that allow concealed carry.[95][96][97] Texas is the 45th state to have open carry.[98]

On May 26, 2017, Abbott signed a bill into law lowering handgun carry license fees.[99]

After the Santa Fe High School shooting on May 18, 2018, Abbott said that he would begin working with state lawmakers and communities across Texas on proposals to prevent gun violence in schools.[100]

On June 11, 2015, Abbott signed the "Pastor Protection Act," which allows pastors to refuse to marry couples if they feel doing so violates their beliefs.[101]

On May 21, 2017, Abbott signed Senate Bill 24 into law, preventing state or local governments from subpoenaing pastors' sermons.[102][103] This bill was inspired by an anti-discrimination ordinance in Houston, where hundreds of sermons from five pastors were subpoenaed.[102]

On June 15, 2017, Abbott signed House Bill 3859 which allows faith-based groups working with the Texas child welfare system to deny services "under circumstances that conflict with the provider's sincerely held religious beliefs." Democrats and civil rights advocates said the adoption bill could allow such groups to discriminate against those who practice a different religion or who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender, and LGBT rights groups said they would challenge the bill in court.[104][105] In response, California added Texas to a list of states in which it banned official government travel.[106]

Sanctuary cities

Abbott speaks at the Texas gubernatorial debate at the LBJ Presidential Library in 2018

On February 1, 2017, Abbott blocked funding to Travis County, Texas, due to its recently implemented sanctuary city policy.[107][108] On May 7, 2017, Abbott signed Texas Senate Bill 4 into law, targeting sanctuary cities by charging county or city officials who refuse to work with federal officials and by allowing police officers to check the immigration status of those they detain if they choose.[109][110]

Environmental issues

Abbott believes that Earth's climate is changing, but he thinks that further study is necessary to determine human role in such changes.[111][112]

In early 2014, Abbott participated in strategy sessions held at the headquarters of the United States Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D. C. devising a legal strategy for dismantling climate change regulations.[113]

In 2016, Abbott supported the appointment of Scott Pruitt to head the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), noting "He and I teamed up on many lawsuits against the EPA."[114]

Other issues

In a letter dated May 27, 2017, the CEOs of 14 large companies, including Facebook, Apple, Microsoft and Amazon, urged Abbott not to pass discriminatory legislation.[115] At issue was the so-called "bathroom bill," which would require transgender people to use the bathroom of the sex listed on their birth certificates, not the one of their choice. The bill was revived by Abbott and supported by Republican lieutenant governor Dan Patrick.[116] In March 2018, Byron Cook, the chairman of the House State Affairs committee who blocked the bill, claimed that Abbott privately opposed the bill.[117]

On June 6, 2017, Abbott signed a bill into law enacting a statewide ban on texting while driving.[118]

Election history

On November 4, 2014, Abbott defeated Wendy Davis by 21 points. According to exit polls he received 44 percent of the Hispanic vote and 50 percent of Hispanic men, a majority (54 percent) of women voters, and 62 percent of the votes of married women (75% of women in Texas are married).[119][120][121]

A week after his election, Abbott announced that Carlos Cascos, of Brownsville, the county judge since 2007 of Cameron County in far South Texas, will become the Secretary of State of Texas. In the same election in which Abbott defeated Wendy Davis, Cascos, a Republican, won a third term as county judge but resigned in January 2015 upon confirmation by the Texas Senate, to become secretary of state.[122]

Personal life

Abbott, a Roman Catholic, is married to Mexican-American Cecilia Phalen Abbott, the granddaughter of Mexican immigrants.[125][126][127] His election as governor of Texas makes her the first Latina to be the First Lady of Texas since Texas joined the union.[126][128] They have one adopted daughter, Audrey.[13][125][126] They were married in San Antonio in 1981.[2] Cecilia is a former school teacher and principal.[6] He is the first elected governor of a U.S. state to use a wheelchair since George Wallace of Alabama, 1983–87.[129]

Abbott knows some Spanish but is not fluent in the language, although he is currently learning.[130][131]

Abbott suffered second and third degree burns on his legs after coming in contact with scalding water while on vacation in Wyoming in July 2016, which caused him to miss the Republican National Convention.[132][133]

References

  1. ↑ "TJB | SC | About the Court | Court History | Justices Since 1945 | Justices, Place 5". www.txcourts.gov. Retrieved 2018-05-22.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Sweany, Brian D. (October 2013). "The Overcomer". Texas Monthly. Austin, Texas. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  3. ↑ "Person Details for Gregory Wayne Abbott, "Texas, Birth Index, 1903–1997"". FamilySearch.org. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
  4. ↑ vote-smart.org. Archived October 23, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
  5. 1 2 3 Wilson, Reid (October 30, 2014). "The likely next governor of Texas is full of Lone Star swagger. Don't be surprised if he runs for president". The Washington Post. Washington, D.C. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "oag.state.tx.us". oag.state.tx.us. Archived from the original on October 17, 2013. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  7. ↑ Accident set Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott on a path toward politics, May 31, 2010, The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved October 27, 2010
  8. ↑ Fernandez, Manny. "Candidate Draws Support and Critics for Talk of Disability" July 22, 2013. The New York Times.
  9. ↑ Ackerman, Todd. "Houston rehab giant ready for Giffords." Houston Chronicle. January 20, 2011. http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Houston-rehab-giant-ready-for-Giffords-1687205.php
  10. ↑ "Lawsuit brought Abbott $10 million settlement", October 8, 2002, Austin American-Statesman
  11. ↑ "TX Supreme Court Justice (Place 5) Race". Our Campaigns. November 5, 1996. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  12. ↑ "TX Supreme Court Justice (Place 5) Race". Our Campaigns. November 3, 1998. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  13. 1 2 Mildenberg, David and Laurel Brubaker Calkins. Grit Drives Abbott to Follow Perry as Texas Governor, Bloomberg Businessweek, September 19, 2013.
  14. ↑ "Attorney General Greg Abbott's Biography". Project VoteSmart.org. November 13, 1957. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  15. ↑ "TX Attorney General Race". Our Campaigns. November 5, 2002. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  16. ↑ "Greg Abbott shares views with local Republicans". SAST. February 19, 2013. Archived from the original on April 24, 2013. Retrieved June 25, 2016.
  17. ↑ Satija, Neena; Carbonell, Lindsay; McCrimmon, Ryan (January 17, 2017). "Texas vs. the Feds — A Look at the Lawsuits". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved October 4, 2017.
  18. ↑ Frosch, Dan; Gershman, Jacob (June 24, 2016). "Abbott's Strategy in Texas: 44 Lawsuits, One Opponent: Obama Administration; Former Attorney General, Now Governor, has Led a Red-State Revolt Against the White House". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
  19. ↑ "Trump's EPA pick sued Obama's agency early and often with anti-climate change ally Greg Abbott". dallasnews.com. December 7, 2016. Retrieved February 18, 2018.
  20. ↑ "Why the blue states' climate alliance may not work". houstonchronicle.com. Retrieved February 18, 2018.
  21. ↑ Root, Jay (July 1, 2014). "Abbott: Ask Chemical Plants What's Inside". The Texas Tribune. texastribune.org. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
  22. ↑ Slater, Wayne (July 3, 2014). "Koch Industries says gifts, Abbott's chemical ruling not linked". The Dallas Morning News. The Dallas Morning News Inc. Retrieved July 8, 2014.
  23. ↑ Poppe, Ryan (February 26, 2014). "Supreme Court Won't Hear NRA's Case For Lowering Conceal-Carry Age Limit". tpr.org. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
  24. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Texas Sues Sony BMG Alleging Violation of Texas Spyware Statute". Tech Law Journal. November 20, 2005. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  25. 1 2 3 4 Texas Attorney General's Office (November 21, 2014). "Attorney General Abbott Brings First Enforcement Action In Nation Against Sony BMG For Spyware Violations". State of Texas. Austin, Texas. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  26. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on October 28, 2007. Retrieved October 14, 2013. , oag.state.tx.us.
  27. 1 2 3 4 5 "AG throws more allegations at Sony BMG". The Business Journals. December 21, 2005. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  28. ↑ "Attorney General ups the ante in lawsuit against Sony BMG". The Business Journals. December 22, 2005. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  29. ↑ Greenhouse, Linda (February 28, 2005). "The Ten Commandments Reach the Supreme Court". The New York Times. Retrieved February 10, 2010.
  30. ↑ "TX Attorney General Race". Our Campaigns. November 7, 2006. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  31. ↑ "TX Attorney General Race". Our Campaigns. November 2, 2010. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  32. ↑ Root, Jay (November 4, 2014). "Greg Abbott Crushes Wendy Davis in GOP Sweep". Texas Tribune. Austin, Texas. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
  33. ↑ "Abbott's role at cancer agency under fire". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved July 27, 2013.
  34. ↑ "Rick Perry Won't Run for Re-election". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  35. ↑ https://archive.is/20130714224947/http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/07/14/5000079/ag-abbott-set-to-formally-begin.html. Archived from the original on July 14, 2013. Retrieved July 14, 2013. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  36. ↑ "Greg Abbott and the Quiet Spot at the Top". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  37. ↑ "Third-world implications". themonitor.com. February 7, 2014. Retrieved February 8, 2014.
  38. 1 2 3 "Texas Gubernatorial Candidate: Greg Abbott speaks about state issues, Laredo Morning Times, May 16, 2014, pp. 1, 14A
  39. ↑ "Ted Nugent's comments may hurt Greg Abbott's campaign". Fox News Channel. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
  40. ↑ "Republican primary election returns, March 4, 2014". team1.sos.state.tx.us. Archived from the original on March 7, 2014. Retrieved March 6, 2014.
  41. ↑ Alexander, Kate (March 31, 2014). "Greg Abbott promotes improving quality of pre-K over expanding access, full-day classes". statesman.com. Retrieved April 7, 2014.
  42. ↑ Smith, Morgan; Ura, Alexa (April 8, 2014). "Abbott Campaign: Pre-K Plan Does Not Mean More Tests". The Texas Tribune. texastribune.org. Retrieved April 14, 2014.
  43. 1 2 3 Hoppe, Christy (April 1, 2014). "Greg Abbott's education plan cites controversial thinker on race, gender". The Dallas Morning News. Archived from the original on April 7, 2014. Retrieved April 8, 2014.
  44. ↑ Slater, Wayne (September 28, 2014). "Greg Abbott shielded problem-plagued business fund by withholding applications that didn't even exist". The Dallas Morning News. The Dallas Morning News Inc. Archived from the original on October 3, 2014. Retrieved September 30, 2014.
  45. ↑ Negin, Elliott (June 9, 2016). "After the Deluge: Texas and France Split on Climate Science". huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved February 18, 2018.
  46. ↑ Editorial Board (October 19, 2014). "For governor, Abbott holds promise". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Retrieved October 20, 2014.
  47. ↑ "Editorial: We recommend Greg Abbott for Texas governor". Dallas Morning News. Dallas, Texas. October 16, 2014.
  48. ↑ Editorial Board (October 18, 2014). "Our View: Attorney General Greg Abbott is the best gubernatorial candidate". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Lubbock, Texas. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  49. ↑ Editorial Board (October 18, 2014). "Greg Abbott ready to be our governor". Tyler Morning Telegraph. Tyler, Texas.
  50. ↑ Root, Jay (November 4, 2014). "Abbott Crushes Davis in GOP Sweep". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
  51. ↑ Hoppe, Christy (November 5, 2014). "Greg Abbott Tops Wendy Davis in Texas Governor's Race". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
  52. ↑ Herskovitz, Jon (November 4, 2014). "Republican Greg Abbott Wins Texas Governor's Race". Reuters. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
  53. ↑ Root, Jay (November 6, 2014). "Wendy Davis Lost Badly. Here's How it Happened". The Washington Post (from The Texas Tribune). Retrieved April 21, 2018.
  54. ↑ Svitek, Patrick (January 12, 2017). "Greg Abbott Builds Big War Chest Ahead of 2018". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  55. 1 2 Peggy Fikac, "Abbott adds $9 million to campaign war chest", San Antonio Express-News, January 13, 2017, p. A4
  56. ↑ Whitely, Jason (January 22, 2017). "Abbott to Run for Re-Election, Explains Position on Bathroom Bill". WFAA. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  57. ↑ Jeffers Jr., Gromer (March 28, 2017). "Gov. Greg Abbott Remains Coy About 'Bathroom Bill,' Says He'll Run for Re-Election". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved March 28, 2017.
  58. ↑ Root, Jay (July 14, 2017). "With No Opposition in Sight, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Formally Launches 2018 Re-Election Bid". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved July 30, 2017.
  59. ↑ Peggy Fikac, "Abbott to seek second term: Governor says in S.A. he's ready to fight liberals," San Antonio Express-News, July 15, 2017, pp 1, A2.
  60. ↑ Fernandez, Manny (January 20, 2015). "Texas’ New Governor Echoes the Plans of Perry". The New York Times. Retrieved January 24, 2015.
  61. ↑ Whitely, Jason (January 20, 2015). "Abbott, Patrick Sworn in as new Texas Leaders". WFAA.com. Retrieved January 24, 2015.
  62. 1 2 Holley, Peter (February 2, 2015). "Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Declares ‘Chris Kyle Day’ As ‘American Sniper’ Continues to Surge". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 7, 2015.
  63. ↑ "Greg Abbott Declares Feb. 2 'Chris Kyle Day'". US News. January 30, 2015. Archived from the original on January 10, 2016. Retrieved January 2, 2016.
  64. ↑ Howell, Kellan (January 30, 2015) - "Gov. Abbott Declares ‘Chris Kyle Day’ in Texas: ‘We Honor Our Military Heroes’". The Washington Times. Retrieved February 7, 2015.
  65. ↑ "Abbott Discusses Trade With Irish Prime Minister". Texas Tribune. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
  66. ↑ "Texas Republican decries 'pandering to idiots'". MSNBC.
  67. ↑ "Greg Abbott Tells Texas National Guard to Monitor U.S. Military Exercises". US News & World Report.
  68. ↑ "Texas Governor Deploys State Guard To Stave Off Obama Takeover". NPR. May 2, 2015.
  69. ↑ "Former GOP lawmaker blisters Abbott for 'pandering to idiots' over military exercises". Trail Blazers Blog.
  70. ↑ "Texas to Move Forward With Cuts to Children's Therapy". The Texas Tribune. August 26, 2016. Retrieved 2016-01-02.
  71. ↑ "Citing 'irreparable injury' to kids, judge blocks deep..." mystatesman.com. Retrieved December 14, 2015.
  72. ↑ "Texas Governor Greg Abbott to release first book, following Bush, Perry". mysanantonio.com. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
  73. ↑ Platoff, Emma (April 3, 2018). ""A Friendly Vote on the Court": How Greg Abbott's Former Employees Could Help Texas from the Federal Bench". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
  74. ↑ Abbott, Greg (2016). Broken But Unbowed. Threshold Editions. ISBN 9781501144899.
  75. ↑ Helmore, Edward. "Would-be Obama assassin identified by cat hairs, authorities say". theguardian.com. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
  76. ↑ Grinberg, Emanuella (June 6, 2017). "Texas Special Legislative Session: What's on the Agenda". CNN. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  77. ↑ "Greg Abbott: Texas Governor Revives 'Bathroom Bill' for Special Session". Fox News (from the Associated Press). June 6, 2017. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  78. ↑ Svitek, Patrick (June 6, 2017). "Gov. Abbott Calls Special Session on Bathrooms, Abortion, School Finance". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  79. ↑ McGaughy, Lauren (June 15, 2017). "Gov. Greg Abbott Vetoes 50 Bills, the Most Killed by a Texas Governor in a Decade". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  80. ↑ Svitek, Patrick (June 15, 2017). "Abbott Vetoes 50 Bills Passed by Legislature". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  81. 1 2 Stack, Liam (November 30, 2016). "Texas Will Require Burial of Aborted Fetuses". The New York Times. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
  82. ↑ Perchick, Michael (December 1, 2016). "New Texas Provisions Require Burial or Cremation of Aborted Fetuses". USA Today (from KVUE). Retrieved December 1, 2016.
  83. ↑ "Judge Blocks Texas Rules Requiring Burial of Fetal Remains". Fox News. December 15, 2016. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  84. ↑ Evans, Marissa (January 27, 2017). "Federal Court Blocks Texas Fetal Remains Burial Rule". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
  85. ↑ Mekelburg, Madlin (May 26, 2017). "Sweeping Anti-Abortion Bill Heads to Gov. Greg Abbott's Desk". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  86. ↑ Grasso, Samantha (June 7, 2017). "Texas Bans Common Abortion Procedure, Requires Fetal Remains Burial with New Law". The Daily Dot. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  87. ↑ Gryboski, Michael (June 7, 2017). "Texas Governor Signs Abortion Dismemberment Ban Into Law". The Christian Post. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  88. ↑ Young, Stephen (January 30, 2018). "Federal Judge Blocks Texas' Controversial Fetal Burial Requirement". dallasobserver.com. Retrieved February 18, 2018.
  89. ↑ "Judge halts Texas law requiring burial or cremation of fetal tissue". January 29, 2018. Retrieved February 18, 2018 – via Reuters.
  90. ↑ "Texas Gov. Abbott Calls for Convention on Constitution, Proposes Amendments". Fox News. January 9, 2016. Retrieved February 10, 2016.
  91. ↑ Walters, Edgar (January 8, 2016). "Abbott Calls on States to Amend U.S. Constitution". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved February 10, 2016.
  92. ↑ Peggy Fikac, "Governor seeks to crimp high court: Abbott wants constitutional convention," San Antonio Express-News, January 10, 2016, pp. A3, A4
  93. ↑ Grissom, Brandi (January 8, 2016). "Texas Gov. Greg Abbott calls for Convention of States to take back states' rights". Dallas News.
  94. ↑ Robinson, Peter (May 17, 2016). "The Texas Plan With Governor Greg Abbott". Uncommon Knowledge. Hoover Institution. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  95. 1 2 3 "Gov. Abbott signs open carry, campus carry into law". Kvue.com. June 16, 2015. Retrieved 2016-01-02.
  96. 1 2 "At Shooting Range, Abbott Signs "Open Carry" Bill". The Texas Tribune. June 13, 2015. Retrieved 2016-01-02.
  97. ↑ "Texas Open Carry Gun Law". The New York Times. Retrieved 2016-01-02.
  98. ↑ "Texas becomes 45th state to pass open carry law". Abc13.com. June 8, 2015. Archived from the original on January 4, 2016. Retrieved January 2, 2016.
  99. ↑ Samuels, Alex (May 26, 2017). "Texas Governor Jokes About Shooting Reporters After Signing Gun Bill". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved May 28, 2017.
  100. ↑ Greenwood, Max (May 18, 2018). "Texas gov calls for action after shooting: 'We need to do more than just pray'". Retrieved May 19, 2018.
  101. ↑ Crampton, Liz (June 11, 2015). "Abbott Signs "Pastor Protection Act" Into Law". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved September 29, 2016.
  102. 1 2 Svitek, Patrick (May 21, 2017). "Abbott Signs Bill Protecting Sermons from Subpoenas". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved May 22, 2017.
  103. ↑ "Abbott Signs Bill Preventing Government From Subpoenaing Sermons". CBS DFW. May 21, 2017. Retrieved May 22, 2017.
  104. ↑ Evans, Marissa (June 15, 2017). "Abbott OKs Religious Refusal of Adoptions in Texas". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  105. ↑ Herskovitz, Jon (June 15, 2017). "Texas governor approves adoption bill that critics contend discriminates". Reuters. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  106. ↑ Watkins, Matthew (June 22, 2017). "Citing Religious Refusal of Adoption Rule, California Bans State Travel to Texas". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  107. ↑ "Texas Gov. Abbott Cuts Funding to Austin Over Sanctuary City Policies". Fox News. February 2, 2017. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
  108. ↑ Svitek, Patrick (February 2, 2017). "In "Sanctuary" Fight, Abbott Cuts Off Funding to Travis County". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
  109. ↑ "Texas Governor Signs Bill Targeting Sanctuary Cities". Fox News. May 7, 2017. Retrieved May 7, 2017.
  110. ↑ Carter, Brandon (May 7, 2017). "Texas Governor Signs Law Banning Sanctuary Cities". The Hill. Retrieved May 7, 2017.
  111. ↑ "FEMA's Climate Change Carrot to Texas". texasmonthly.com. March 24, 2015. Retrieved February 18, 2018.
  112. ↑ "EPA chief: carbon dioxide not primary cause of climate change". statesman.com. Retrieved February 18, 2018.
  113. ↑ Davenport, Coral; Hirschfeld Davis, Julie (August 3, 2015). "Move to Fight Obama's Climate Plan Started Early". The New York Times. Retrieved October 4, 2017.
  114. ↑ Dennis, Brady; Mooney, Chris (December 8, 2016). "Pruitt, Trump's EPA pick, has both sides of climate divide girding for a major fight". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 4, 2017.
  115. ↑ McGaughy, Lauren, "Mark Zuckerberg, Tim Cook to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott: Don't pass discriminatory laws", Dallas News, May 28, 2017, retrieved June 19. 2017
  116. ↑ "Greg Abbott: Texas governor revives 'bathroom bill' for special session," Fox News/Associated Press, June 6, 2017, retrieved June 19, 2017.
  117. ↑ Platoff, Emma (March 13, 2018). "Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Opposed Controversial "Bathroom Bill," State Legislator Says". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
  118. ↑ Platoff, Emma (June 6, 2017). "Gov. Abbott Signs Statewide Ban on Texting While Driving". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  119. ↑ Thorburn, Wayne (November 17, 2014). "How the Democrats Lost Texas". Politico. Washington, D.C. Retrieved November 18, 2014. According to the NBC exit poll, Abbott and Davis split the 18- to 29-year-old cohort evenly, while married women went 62 percent for Abbott (he received 54 percent from all female voters), and a near-record 44 percent of Hispanics cast their ballots for the Republican gubernatorial candidate.
  120. ↑ Hoppe, Christy (November 5, 2014). "Greg Abbott tops Wendy Davis in Texas governor's race". Dallas Morning News. Dallas, Texas. Retrieved November 5, 2014.
  121. ↑ Carney, Dave (February 6, 2015). "How We Won Texas". Politico. Washington, D.C. Retrieved February 7, 2015. The exit polls showed Greg Abbott won 54 percent of women, 50 percent of Hispanic men and won 44 percent of Hispanics overall—all of which are traditionally strong Democratic groups.
  122. ↑ John Reynolds and Reeve Hamilton (November 11, 2014). "Abbott Says He Will Name Cascos as Secretary of State". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved December 4, 2014.
  123. ↑ "2014 General Election". Office of the Secretary of State (Texas). Archived from the original on January 9, 2014. Retrieved January 2, 2007.
  124. 1 2 3 4 Archived November 8, 2006, at the Wayback Machine.
  125. 1 2 "Cecilia Abbott". gregabbott.com/. Greg Abbott for Governor. Retrieved October 22, 2014.
  126. 1 2 3 Ura, Alexa (March 16, 2014). "Unknown to Most, Cecilia Abbott Could Make History". Texas Tribune. Austin, Texas. Retrieved October 22, 2014.
  127. ↑ "'Words Matter.' On Ted Nugent, Greg Abbott and the 'subhuman mongrel' who is president of the United States". Statesman.com. Retrieved 2016-01-02.
  128. ↑ "New first lady of Texas advocates for Hispanic population". Retrieved November 8, 2014.
  129. ↑ "Greg Abbott's election in Texas opens possibilities for disabled". OnPolitics. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
  130. ↑ MacLaggan, Corrie (September 5, 2013). "Many Texans Choosing TV en Español". Retrieved June 13, 2015.
  131. ↑ Sweany, Brian (July 15, 2013). "Greg Abbott Makes His Move". Retrieved June 13, 2015.
  132. ↑ "Texas Governor Burned in Accident, Could Miss GOP Convention". star-telegram.com. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
  133. ↑ "Abbott Recovering From Skin Graft Procedure". nbcdfw.com. Retrieved July 21, 2016.

Further reading

Legal offices
Preceded by
Jack Hightower		 Associate Justice of the Texas Supreme Court
1995–2001		 Succeeded by
Xavier Rodriguez
Preceded by
John Cornyn		 Attorney General of Texas
2002–2015		 Succeeded by
Ken Paxton
Party political offices
Preceded by
Rick Perry		 Republican nominee for Governor of Texas
2014, 2018		 Most recent
Political offices
Preceded by
Rick Perry		 Governor of Texas
2015–present		 Incumbent
Current U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by
Mike Pence
as Vice President		 Order of Precedence of the United States
Within Texas		 Succeeded by
Mayor of city
in which event is held
Succeeded by
Otherwise Paul Ryan
as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by
Rick Scott
as Governor of Florida		 Order of Precedence of the United States
Outside Texas		 Succeeded by
Kim Reynolds
as Governor of Iowa
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