Greg Abbott is an American politician currently serving as the 48th Governor of Texas since 2015. A Republican, he previously served as the Texas Attorney General from 2002 to 2015. Prior to that, he was a Justice on the Texas Supreme Court from 1996 to 2001. He is currently the longest-serving incumbent governor in the United States.
In 1956, the Cecil B. DeMille film "The Ten Commandments" inspired the Fraternal Order of Eagles to donate thousands of similar monuments across the nation.
On November 13, 1957, Gregory Wayne Abbott was born. He is an American politician, attorney, and jurist who has served as the 48th governor of Texas since 2015.
In 1981, Abbott earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance from the University of Texas at Austin. He also married Cecilia Phalen in 1981, whom he met while attending UT Austin.
In 1981, Greg Abbott married Cecilia Phalen Abbott in San Antonio.
On July 14, 1984, at age 26, Greg Abbott was paralyzed below the waist when an oak tree fell on him while he was jogging after a storm. Two steel rods were implanted in his spine, and he underwent extensive rehabilitation at TIRR Memorial Hermann in Houston.
In 1984, Abbott began working in private practice for Butler and Binion, LLP.
In 1984, Abbott earned his Juris Doctor degree from Vanderbilt University Law School.
In 1992, Abbott concluded his work in private practice for Butler and Binion, LLP.
In 1995, Abbott was appointed as a Justice of the Texas Supreme Court by then-Governor George W. Bush.
In 1996, Abbott was elected to the Texas Supreme Court for a two-year term, defeating Libertarian John B. Hawley.
In 1998, Abbott was re-elected to the Texas Supreme Court for a six-year term, defeating Democrat David Van Os.
In 1998, David Van Os was Abbott's Democratic opponent in the election for state Supreme Court.
In 2001, Abbott resigned from the Texas Supreme Court initially to run for lieutenant governor, then switched to campaign for attorney general.
In 2001, after resigning from the Supreme Court, Abbott returned to private practice and worked for Bracewell & Giuliani LLC, and he was also an adjunct professor at University of Texas School of Law.
On December 2, 2002, Abbott was sworn in as the Attorney General of Texas, succeeding John Cornyn.
In 2002, Abbott was elected as the Attorney General of Texas with 57% of the vote.
In 2003, Abbott supported the Texas Legislature's decision to cap non-economic damages for medical malpractice cases at $250,000, without adjustments for the rising cost of living.
In March 2005, Abbott argued before the U.S. Supreme Court defending the Ten Commandments monument on the Texas State Capitol grounds, asserting its historical significance. The Supreme Court ruled the display constitutional.
On December 21, 2005, Abbott added new allegations to his lawsuit against Sony-BMG, asserting that the MediaMax copy protection technology violated Texas's spyware and deceptive trade practices laws due to secretly installing spyware on computers, posing security risks and deceiving purchasers.
In 2005, as Attorney General, Abbott successfully advocated for the display of the Ten Commandments at the Texas State Capitol in the U.S. Supreme Court case Van Orden v. Perry.
On November 7, 2006, Abbott was re-elected as Attorney General of Texas for a second term, defeating civil rights attorney David Van Os with 60% of the vote.
In 2006, Abbott was re-elected as the Attorney General of Texas with 60% of the vote.
In 2010, Abbott was elected to his third term as Attorney General, defeating Barbara Ann Radnofsky with 64% of the vote, making him the longest-serving Texas attorney general.
In 2010, Abbott was re-elected as the Attorney General of Texas for a third term with 64% of the vote, becoming the longest-serving attorney general in state history.
In the first six months of 2011, Abbott raised $1.6 million for his campaign, surpassing all previous Texas politicians at the time.
In July 2013, Abbott announced his candidacy for governor of Texas in the 2014 election after Governor Rick Perry announced he would not seek a fourth term.
As of August 2013, Greg Abbott's monthly payment from his insurance settlement was US$14,000, all tax-free.
In 2013, Abbott criticized gun control legislation enacted by New York, threatening to sue if Congress passed a similar bill. His campaign targeted New York gun owners with ads suggesting they move to Texas.
In 2013, Abbott stated his job involved suing Barack Obama. He filed 31 lawsuits against the Obama administration on issues like the Environmental Protection Agency, the Affordable Care Act, and the U.S. Department of Education. Texas sued the Obama administration at least 44 times during Abbott's tenure as attorney general and governor.
In February 2014, Abbott argued against a lawsuit by the National Rifle Association of America (NRA) to expand concealed carry access, citing concerns for public safety.
On March 4, 2014, Abbott won the Republican primary for governor of Texas with 91.5% of the vote and then faced Wendy Davis in the general election.
In March 2014, Abbott filed a motion to intervene on behalf of Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Plano in lawsuits alleging the hospital allowed Christopher Duntsch to perform dangerous neurosurgery, citing the state's cap on malpractice cases.
In 2014, Abbott defended Texas's ban on same-sex marriage, arguing that it incentivized children being born in stable relationships.
In 2014, Abbott was elected as the Governor of Texas, becoming the first Texas governor to use a wheelchair.
In early 2014, Abbott participated in sessions to devise a legal strategy to dismantle climate change regulations.
On January 20, 2015, Greg Abbott was sworn in as the governor of Texas, succeeding Rick Perry. He became the first governor of Texas to use a wheelchair.
On March 15, 2015, Governor Abbott held his first meeting with a foreign prime minister when he met with the Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny to discuss trade and economic relations.
In April 2015, Greg Abbott directed the State Guard to monitor the military training exercise Jade Helm 15 amid conspiracy theories about a hostile military takeover.
In June 2015, Abbott signed a bill to enhance Texas's border security by hiring more state police, expanding technology use, and forming intelligence units.
On September 25, 2015, litigation resulted in a temporary injunction order barring the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (THHSC) from implementing therapy rate cuts that would have reduced the budget by $150 million by ending payments and coverage for various developmental therapies for children on Medicaid.
In November 2015, Abbott announced that Texas would refuse Syrian refugees following the Paris terrorist attack.
In December 2015, Abbott directed the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to sue the federal government and the International Rescue Committee to prevent refugee settlement, although a federal court dismissed the lawsuit.
In 2015, Greg Abbott became the 48th governor of Texas, marking a significant milestone in his career.
In 2015, Greg Abbott signed both the campus carry (SB 11) and open carry (HB 910) bills into law.
In 2015, Greg Abbott signed the Pastor Protection Act, allowing clergy to refuse to marry same-sex couples based on their beliefs.
In 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Obergefell v. Hodges that the 14th Amendment requires all states to recognize same-sex marriages, granting same-sex couples state and federal benefits tied to marriage.
On January 8, 2016, Greg Abbott called for a national constitutional convention to address abuses by justices of the United States Supreme Court.
On May 17, 2016, Abbott elaborated on his proposal for a constitutional convention in a public seminar at the Hoover Institute.
In October 2016, an explosive package was mailed to Greg Abbott. The package did not explode when opened.
As of December 2016, Abbott had $34.4 million on hand for his campaign, including $9 million raised during the second half of 2016 for his 2018 reelection bid.
In 2016, Abbott supported Scott Pruitt's appointment as head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), noting their past collaborations on lawsuits against the EPA.
In 2016, Abbott urged the Texas Supreme Court to limit the impact of the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, which had legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.
In 2016, Abbott's book "Broken But Unbowed" was published, recounting his personal story and political views.
In 2016, Governor Abbott spoke to the Texas Public Policy Foundation, advocating for a Convention of States to amend the U.S. Constitution. He proposed the Texas Plan, a series of new amendments aimed at limiting federal power and expanding states' rights.
In January 2017, it was reported that Abbott was raising funds for a 2018 reelection bid as governor.
During the weekend of January 21, 2017, Abbott said he intended to run for reelection as governor of Texas.
On January 27, 2017, a federal judge ruled against the Texas law requiring abortion facilities to bury or cremate fetal remains. The state of Texas vowed to appeal the ruling.
In February 2017, Abbott blocked funding to Travis County, Texas, due to its sanctuary city policy.
On March 28, 2017, Abbott confirmed his intention to run for reelection as governor.
In May 2017, Abbott signed Texas Senate Bill 4 into law, which targeted sanctuary cities by penalizing officials who don't cooperate with federal authorities and allowing police to question the immigration status of detainees.
On May 27, 2017, CEOs of 14 large technology companies, including Facebook, Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon, urged Abbott not to pass the "bathroom bill" that would require people to use the bathroom of the sex listed on their birth certificates.
On June 6, 2017, Governor Abbott called for a special legislative session to pass his legislative priorities.
On July 14, 2017, Greg Abbott formally announced his reelection campaign for governor of Texas.
Following the November 5, 2017, Sutherland Springs church shooting, Greg Abbott compared the evil present to earlier "horrific events" during the Nazi era, the Middle Ages, and biblical times, leading to criticism from the Anti-Defamation League.
In 2017, Abbott signed into law Senate Bill 24, preventing state and local governments from subpoenaing pastors' sermons, inspired by a Houston anti-discrimination ordinance.
In 2017, Abbott signed into law a bill that lowered the fees for handgun carry licenses in Texas.
In 2017, Abbott signed legislation allowing taxpayer-funded adoption agencies to refuse same-sex families from adopting children for religious reasons.
In 2017, Greg Abbott signed House Bill 3859, allowing faith-based groups working with the Texas child welfare system to deny services based on religious beliefs, leading to discrimination concerns and California's addition of Texas to a list of states to which it banned official government travel.
In March 2018, Byron Cook claimed that Abbott privately opposed the "bathroom bill", which the House State Affairs committee blocked. The bill was never signed.
In April 2018, a purge of nearly 100,000 registered voters from Texas voter rolls was canceled after challenges revealed that legal voters were wrongly flagged for removal.
As of 2018, Abbott rejects the scientific consensus on climate change, acknowledging climate change but not accepting that human activity is the main cause.
In 2018, after the Santa Fe High School shooting, Abbott consulted across Texas to prevent gun violence in schools.
In June 2019, Greg Abbott signed a bill allowing for more armed teachers in Texas schools, with school districts unrestricted as to the number they allow, while also creating "threat assessment teams".
In June 2019, emails revealed that Abbott was the driving force behind the effort to purge voters from Texas voter rolls.
In June 2019, the city of Austin introduced an ordinance that repealed a 25-year-old ban on homeless people camping, lying, or sleeping in public.
In August 2019, after a mass shooting at a Wal-Mart in El Paso, where a gunman killed 22 people, Greg Abbott convened a domestic terrorism task force but opposed a red-flag law and a special session to address gun violence.
In October 2019, Abbott criticized Austin's repeal of its camping ban and threatened to deploy state resources to combat homelessness.
In November 2019, Abbott directed the State of Texas to open a temporary homeless encampment on a former vehicle storage yard, which residents named "Abbottville".
In 2019, after numerous local prosecutors announced they would stop prosecuting low-level marijuana offenses, Abbott instructed them to continue enforcing marijuana laws, citing the need for a "hemp certificate" to distinguish legal hemp from marijuana.
In January 2020, Abbott made Texas the first state to decline refugee resettlement under a new Trump administration rule, a move condemned by the Catholic bishops of Texas.
On May 1, 2020, Greg Abbott ended the stay-at-home order that was issued during the COVID-19 pandemic. This order was one of the shortest implemented by any governor.
In July 2020, Greg Abbott directed counties with more than 20 COVID-19 cases to require masks in public places, reversing his previous prohibition of local mask mandates.
In September 2020, Abbott limited each Texas county to one early voting ballot drop-off location, citing prevention of "illegal voting" without providing evidence. Also, in September 2020, Abbott extended the early voting period for that year's general election due to COVID-19, a decision opposed by the Republican Party of Texas.
In December 2020, Greg Abbott directed Texas restaurants to ignore local curfews imposed to prevent the spread of COVID-19 during the New Years weekend.
In 2020, Abbott prioritized "election integrity" legislation after President Trump's attempts to overturn the 2020 election, which voting rights advocates denounced as disproportionately affecting voters of color and people with disabilities.
In 2020, John Scott aided Trump in his failed efforts to throw out election results in the 2020 presidential election.
In 2020, in the wake of the George Floyd protests, Greg Abbott called on candidates to "back the blue" and threatened state control of local police departments in response to funding redirection.
In February 2021, following a winter storm that caused a power crisis in Texas, Abbott called for reforms to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) and signed a bill mandating power plant weatherization.
On March 2, 2021, Greg Abbott lifted all COVID-19 restrictions in Texas, ending the mask mandate and allowing businesses to reopen "100 percent."
In March 2021, Abbott tweeted a claim that the Biden Administration was releasing illegal immigrants with COVID into Texas, which PolitiFact rated "Mostly False."
In April 2021, Greg Abbott signed an executive order banning state agencies and corporations that take public funding from requiring proof of vaccination against COVID-19.
On May 18, 2021, Greg Abbott signed the Texas Heartbeat Act, a six-week abortion ban, into law.
In June 2021, Abbott ordered Texas child-care regulators to revoke licenses from facilities housing unaccompanied migrant minors, citing negative impact on Texan children in foster care. He also announced plans to build a border wall with Mexico, allocating $250 million in state funds and soliciting public donations.
In June 2021, Greg Abbott signed a bill requiring power companies to be more prepared for extreme weather events, following the February 2021 winter storm.
In June 2021, Greg Abbott signed a bill that would punish businesses that require customers to have proof of COVID-19 vaccination for services.
In June 2021, Greg Abbott signed into law a permitless carry bill allowing Texans to carry handguns without a license or training.
In July 2021, Abbott advised Texas law enforcement to arrest illegal migrants for trespassing.
In July 2021, Democratic lawmakers in Texas fled to Washington, D.C., to block a bill reforming state election procedures, and Abbott threatened to have them arrested upon their return.
On July 27, 2021, Abbott ordered the National Guard to assist in arresting migrants.
On July 29, 2021, Greg Abbott issued executive order GA-38, reinstating earlier orders and imposing additional prohibitions on local governmental officials, state agencies, public universities, and businesses doing business with the state, to prohibit them from adopting measures such as requiring face masks or proof of vaccination status as a condition of service. The order also provides for a $1,000 fine for local officials who adopt inconsistent policies.
In August 2021, Greg Abbott emphasized personal responsibility over government restrictions and opposed government mandates. His spokesperson defended the ban on local government mandates by stating that "Private businesses don't need government running their business."
On August 17, 2021, it was announced that Greg Abbott had tested positive for COVID-19 but was in good health and experiencing no symptoms. He received Regeneron's monoclonal antibody treatment.
In September 2021, Abbott signed legislation allocating nearly $2 billion for Texas's border security, including $750 million for border wall construction.
In October 2021, Abbott appointed John Scott, who aided Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, as Texas Secretary of State to oversee Texas elections.
In October 2021, Greg Abbott issued an executive order that banned any entity, including a private business, from implementing a vaccine requirement for its employees.
In December 2021, Abbott announced that Texas would continue the U.S. Border Wall started by Donald Trump, using the same design.
In 2021, Governor Abbott vetoed a bipartisan criminal justice bill regarding parole eligibility for those convicted before 18 and an animal protection bill concerning chained dogs.
In 2021, Greg Abbott signed into law a bill that allowed Texans to carry guns without a license.
In 2021, after criticism from a Republican primary challenger, Texas's child welfare agency removed content regarding LGBTQ youths from its website, including a suicide prevention hotline.
In 2021, during Donald Trump's first presidency, Trump endorsed Greg Abbott for reelection as governor, choosing him over Republican primary rivals.
In April 2022, Abbott announced a plan to bus illegal immigrants from Texas to Washington D.C., citing concerns about a surge of immigrants after Title 42 provisions were rolled back. The first bus arrived later in April, and Abbott faced criticism and accusations of human trafficking. The White House responded that Texas was "helping them get to their final destination."
In early April 2022, Abbott announced increased inspections of commercial trucks entering from Mexico to seize illegal drugs and migrants. This caused significant backups and potential spoilage of produce, leading to protests and strong criticism from Texas business owners. Abbott reversed the policy on April 15 after agreements with Mexican state governors.
On May 24, 2022, Greg Abbott reported that an 18-year-old killed 19 students and 2 teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, carrying a handgun and possibly a rifle. He identified mental health as the root cause.
On September 15, 2022, Abbott sent two buses with 101 mostly Venezuelan migrants to Vice President Kamala Harris's residence at the Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C.
By his 2022 reelection campaign, Greg Abbott more prominently emphasized "culture war" issues and was compared to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
In 2022, Abbott instructed Texas state agencies to treat gender-affirming medical treatments for transgender youths as child abuse.
In 2022, Greg Abbott's lump sum payments from his insurance settlement concluded.
In 2022, a poll of Texas voters found that 55% of Texans either support or strongly support legalizing cannabis.
In January 2023, advisers close to Abbott stated in an Austin American Statesman article that he had not ruled out running for a fourth term as governor in 2026.
In June 2023, Abbott deployed floating barriers in the Rio Grande to deter illegal border crossings, leading to a lawsuit from the U.S. Justice Department after he refused to remove them.
By December 2023, nearly 10,000 migrants had been arrested on trespassing charges under Abbott's policy, with reports of imprisonment without legal help or formal charges.
In December 2023, Abbott signed three border-security-related bills into law, including one that made illegal immigration a state crime.
In 2023, after Daniel Perry was convicted of murder, Abbott said he would work swiftly for a pardon.
On March 1, 2024, Greg Abbott announced his candidacy for reelection to a fourth term as governor of Texas.
In May 2024, Greg Abbott granted a full pardon to former Army Sergeant Daniel Perry, who was convicted of fatally shooting Air Force veteran Garrett Foster during a Black Lives Matter protest.
As of November 2024, 93,390 COVID-19 deaths had been registered in Texas, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resources Center.
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