The Texas Senate passed a $1.8 billion border security bill that will allow Republican Gov. Greg Abbott to implement a plan to curb illegal immigration from Mexico and install more than 700 miles of border barrier.
The Senate passed H.B. 9 by a vote of 23-8 Wednesday afternoon, after reaching an agreement on changes to the House version of the bill. The emergency supplemental bill is the largest-ever border security package of its kind to clear the state Legislature and will now head to the governor’s desk for signing.
"It is a historic, huge effort by the state of Texas," said Ken Oliver, senior director of the Texas Public Policy Foundation's Right on Immigration initiative.
The $1.8 billion is in addition to the $1 billion that the Legislature approved this spring for border security operations over the next two years. The previous two-year budget had been for $800 million, making the emergency bill equivalent to normal funding for a four-year period.
Rep. Greg Bonnen, a Republican who represents a Houston suburb, introduced the bill as a way to fund Abbott’s proposals made in June. It unanimously passed the Senate Finance Committee this week and was supported by all three Democratic members. --->READ MORE HERE
Private donations to build a wall along Texas's border with Mexico surpassed $54 million dollars in August, according to an official fundraising website for the effort.
As of Aug. 31, private donations totaled $54,260,182.
The Texas Tribune reported that at the beginning of August, fundraising for the wall was at around $1 million and it was not immediately clear what accounted for the surge or where the donations came from. Donations jumped to $19 million in the first half of August and then increased even faster to $54 million by the end of the month, according to the Tribune.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) announced in June he would solicit private donations to build a wall and the state would put down a $250 million "down payment."
"We are grateful for the outpouring of support from across our state and the entire country as Texas fills the gap created by President Biden and steps up to secure our southern border, Renae Eze, press secretary for Abbott, told The Hill in a statement. --->READ MORE HERE
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