Reforming Healthcare
High quality health care should be accessible to everyone, especially our children. That is why Ed passed legislation that improves access to medication for our children and ensures hospitals can function at full capacity. Ed also increased funding for health programs for low-income women because life-saving and preventative care should never be seen as a luxury.
Ed is committed to continuing to lower healthcare costs and wait times through free market solutions and bringing full transparency to medical billing so patients are never surprised.
Championing Education
Strengthening our schools is always one of Ed’s top priorities. This last session Ed increased public education funding by $5 billion—one of the largest increases in education funding in the history of Texas. Ed also drastically reduced recapture for school funding to keep more of our tax dollars in-district, ensuring that our local schools remain strong and the future bright. Ed was also a voice for our retired teachers. Last session he added over five hundred million dollars to the teacher retirement fund.
Next session he will keep fighting to fully secure our teachers’ healthcare and retirement plans and ensure our new school finance system is efficiently delivering all the resources our local classrooms need. Texas made a promise to take care of our educators and students. Ed intends to keep that promise!
School Safety
Ed believes that every child should feel safe in the classroom, that is why he passed a $200 million school safety bill that improves security in our schools, increases mental health resources for students, and allows law enforcement to intervene before violence occurs in the classroom.
Eliminate Regulations and Red Tape/Support Small Business
As a small business owner, Ed Thompson understands families and businesses are struggling. While some states continue to raise taxes and regulations, Ed is working to eliminate the regulations and red tape that harm our businesses. Ed supports policies that will allow our families and small businesses to recover and thrive.
Cut Property Taxes
After the devastating effects of this pandemic, it has never been more important to fight taxes to reduce the burden on seniors, veterans, and families. Last session, Ed cut $5 billion in property taxes and passed reforms that require cities to seek voter approval before making big hikes to our property taxes.
No one should be forced out of their home by property taxes, so as we look toward the next session Ed is seeking a permanent fix to reform property taxes and the appraisal process so we can bring long-lasting relief for deserving homeowners across Texas.
Flood Infrastructure Fund
Ed passed legislation last session that was overwhelming approved by 78% of voters to create a new Flood Infrastructure Fund – using existing resources, not raising your taxes at all. Floods affect every part of our state and Hurricane Harvey proved that we have room for improvement in mitigating the effect of floods.
With the new fund Ed started, Brazoria County will now be able to engage in streamlined regional flood planning and have access to new matching funds that will allow for new flood control infrastructure. Ed is committed to making sure Texas is prepared for future floods and stronger for the next storm.
Better Transportation
Texas has a reputation for excellent roads, and Ed intends for us to live up to it. As a member of the powerful House Committee on Transportation, Ed has spearheaded efforts to build and maintain the roads and infrastructure necessary to alleviate traffic and meet the needs of our growing population. Ed is our strongest voice for Brazoria County infrastructure funding in the Texas House.
Responsible Environmental Stewardship
Managing our natural resources in a way that protects our economy while protecting our health is what Ed strives to do every day as a member of the House Environmental Regulations Committee.
Locally, Ed has been on the front lines of addressing the air quality issues of the Blue Ridge Landfill, communicating personally with state agencies to solve the awful odor problem and make sure residents’ voices are fully heard. While he gets local results, Ed’s commitment statewide is making sure our water, oil and gas, and energy policies are built with a growing population and growing needs in mind.
Protecting Our Border
The humanitarian crisis at our border has led to an epidemic of human trafficking, drug traffic, and crime that threatens Texans. This past session, Ed helped Governor Abbott send 1,000 additional troopers and $800 million in new high-tech security measures to strengthen our border. He knows reforming our national immigration system starts with securing the border here at home. While Congress refuses to act, Ed has ensured Texas takes the steps to protect our families.
With the cartels slowing taking over Mexico, Ed is determined to prevent the flow of drugs and criminals across our border, protect human rights, and ensure our communities are safe places to live, work, and raise a family.
Balancing the State Budget
Don’t spend more money than you have and save for the future—it’s a simple principle that too many governments can’t seem to understand. Every time we have sent him to Austin, Ed has passed a balanced budget – guaranteeing that our state doesn’t make promises we can’t keep without ever raising taxes. He also ensures that our Rainy Day Fund has maintained a high savings balance (projected to hit $15 billion by 2020) so we can be prepared to address any emergency in the future.
Unlike Congress, Ed Thompson is working to make sure our kids don’t get stuck paying the bill for our bad choices. Balancing our state budget is key to a healthy economy and a prosperous future!
Defending Our Constitution
Ed takes his oath of office seriously. Protecting the rights to freedom of speech, freedom of religion, the right to keep and bear arms, the right to due process, protection from illegal search and seizure and the right to life are always a top priority for Ed.
Our Constitution is at the heart of what made this nation great and our nation will remain great as long as we uphold it. Ed will continue to ensure our Constitution is upheld at our state capitol.
Capitol Office:
- Room 4S.3
- P.O. Box 2910
- Austin, TX 78768
- 512-463-0707
- 512-463-8717 Fax
District Office:
- 2341 N. Galveston Ave., Suite 120
- Pearland, TX 77581
- 281-485-6565
Campaign Address:
- Friends of Ed Thompson
- P.O. Box 3453
- Pearland, TX 77588