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Texas History - Greg Abbott

When:

The 48th Governor of Texas is Gregory Wayne Abbott.
Accomplishments: Abbott presided over a period of economic growth, oversaw Hurricane Harvey relief, and promoted a socially conservative agenda. Abbott worked with the Texas Legislature to increase public education funding in 2019, including teachers’ salaries. In 2020-2021, he oversaw the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. His executive actions during the pandemic drew attacks from both the left and the right. Critics on the left accused him of not doing enough to protect the vulnerable and tying the hands of local officials. Critics on the right accused him of infringing too far on individual liberties, harming businesses, and overemphasizing the severity of the pandemic. As the pandemic wore on, Abbott increasingly took executive actions to ban local governments from enacting their own restrictive pandemic rules or precautions. He also issued a largely symbolic executive order attempting to ban vaccine mandates by private businesses. Abbott adopted an increasingly aggressive approach to border security, launching Operation Lone Star, which involved the deployment of National Guard and Department of Public Safety troopers in a show of force meant to deter migrants from crossing into Texas. Throughout his time in office, Abbott has advocated for laxer gun regulations. In June 2021, he signed into law HB 1927, a bill that eliminated the requirement for Texans to obtain a license to carry a handgun.
He was born on November 13, 1957 in Witchita Falls, Texas.