The Top Issues for 2004 have been loud and clear:

          #1  Immigration:

“The most important issue facing Texas in 2004 and beyond is our open border. The "correct" thing by the liberal courts is to allow Texas and the other states to become the working part of Mexico . It seems that we have the federal law that any child born on U.S. soil is an American Citizen with all rights and privileges, and since the newborn cannot support itself, then the birth mother, father and all siblings are welcome to come here and care for the infant ... go to school, get a drivers license, be on welfare ………

E. H. from Hopkins County

“Do we want our state to become another Mexifornia? Native Californians are leaving their state in droves, taking their businesses with them. So many of their problems can be traced back to their massive invasion of illegal aliens. We Texans need to launch a major lobbying effort asking President Bush to resume the enforcement of our existing immigration laws…………If Mexico can seal their southern border, why can't we?”

M.W. from Austin

          #2   School Finance and Education

          #3   Water Rights

Watch for the next few issues. Your responses have been great. Hope you don't mind if we share some of your comments. We will to cover what is important to you and welcome your input.

Watch for Trial Lawyers Loose on the Campaign Trail

by Janelle Shepard

After announcing the 2003 True Texan would go to State Representative Joe Nixon, I received feedback from many personal injury and medical malpractice attorneys. Most messages had to be deleted before my monitor melted. Yes, their lives have drastically changed. One friend told me that every personal injury lawyer he knew was hunting for the one ca$e that would $et him up for a lifetime. (Can you say: “the Texas Tobacco 5?”)

Some trial lawyers are so mad about “Ten Gallon Tort” they are running for office. All across Texas there is huge increase in lawyers filing for office as Republicans. Even the Texas Republican Chairwoman, Tina Benkiser is being challenged by a medical malpractice lawyer, Gina Parker, who declared her determination to take over the GOP months before the June convention. How uncomfortable is that? In years past the Democrats were synonymous with trial lawyers. (note: Benkiser is an attorney that heartily supports tort reform)

As the population of trial lawyers in the state legislature dwindled along with the Democrats, the chances of tort reform have increased. The population of regular citizens in the legislature has increased with the new majority of Republicans in Austin . small business owners, retirees, farmers, ranchers, insurance agents, doctors and teachers are running the state now. The attorney population is an estimated 40%. After decades of making laws that made their profession wealthy at the expense of other professions, some Texas trial attorneys will have to make an honest living like everyone else.

The cover of Newsweek magazine in December declared:  Lawsuit Hell Civil Wars

Doctors. Teachers. Coaches. Ministers. They all share a common fear: being
sued on the job.     continued