Border Security

The federal government has failed to secure the southern border so Texas stepped up to implement a solution to protect Texans and our border communities. Dade witnessed the impacts of D.C.’s failed policies firsthand and is committed to securing the border. In 2021, the Legislature appropriated more than $3 billion in state funding for the border, the highest amount of funding for border security in Texas history. This funding will help with DPS operations and additional personnel needed for border protection efforts. It’s time to secure our border.

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Disaster Mitigation

Born and raised in Southeast Texas, Dade is no stranger to the impacts of weather disasters and flooding events. In 2019, he took steps to pass legislation that created a framework for disaster mitigation by establishing the Flood Infrastructure Fund and the Texas Resiliency Fund. Thanks to those efforts, Texas now has the necessary cooperation and organization among local government entities when planning resiliency projects to help our state deal with disasters in a cohesive and united way for years to come. Dade was honored as the 2020 Newsmaker of the Year by the Press Club of Southeast Texas for his outstanding leadership on these statewide efforts.

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Protecting All Life

As a dedicated Christian family man, Dade is pro-life and believes in the sanctity of ALL life, from conception to the grave. He is committed to taking every step to protect the lives of the most vulnerable in our state, unborn children. He supports prohibiting an abortion the moment a baby’s heartbeat is detected in the mother’s womb. He also helped allocate funding to the state’s Alternative to Abortion and women’s health programs. Dade was an advocate for expanding healthcare access by six months for new mothers and two consecutive six-month periods for children. Dade will never stop fighting for your right to life.

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Championing Public Education

Dade is a champion for higher education in Southeast Texas and has worked tirelessly to help secure significant tuition reductions and millions of dollars in funding, which have had positive impacts on Lamar University and Lamar State Colleges. These efforts will build an environment for students to enter the workforce and raise their families in the community. He also supported banning critical race theory from being taught in our public schools, preserving core civic values in social studies education and teacher training. Dade has been recognized by the Texas State University System for his public education efforts.

 

Safeguarding Religious Freedoms

Our country was founded on the principle of religious freedom and no government should ever infringe upon that right. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, governmental entities overstepped their authority and forced houses of worship to shut down. Dade passed legislation to protect your right to worship and strengthened religious freedoms for all Texans. He will continue to stand up for faith and protect your First Amendment rights.

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Supporting Law Enforcement

Having built relationships with local law enforcement officials in Southeast Texas, Dade understands our law enforcement is essential for public safety. When radical cities made budgetary cuts to defund their police departments, jeopardizing public safety, he joined the voices in the Texas House to pass legislation penalizing those cities. Texas is a law-and-order state, and Dade strongly supports our law enforcement officials.

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Defending 2nd Amendment Rights

Our founding fathers recognized the importance of ensuring “the right of the people to keep and bear arms” without government infringement. Dade took a bold stand by passing landmark Constitutional Carry legislation allowing law-abiding citizens 21 and older to carry a handgun without a license, for personal protection. He supported making Texas a 2nd Amendment Sanctuary State to protect Texans against federal overreach. He will continue to maintain a strong stance to guarantee 2nd Amendment rights for all Texans. Dade is endorsed by the National Rifle Association (NRA).

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Lowering Property Taxes

As a real estate developer, Dade knows that one of the biggest roadblocks for homeowners is high property taxes. He is committed to lowering property taxes and helped pass legislation that allows homebuyers to receive their homestead exemption immediately after purchasing their property. Additionally, the legislature delivered on property tax relief for Texas homeowners by proposing a constitutional amendment increasing the residence homestead exemption from property taxes levied for public school purposes to $40,000. Dade will continue to be a voice for lower property taxes.

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Balancing the State Budget

A fiscal conservative, Dade worked to ensure the state of Texas tightened its belt by passing a balanced budget that stayed below all Constitutional spending limits and reduced spending from the previous biennium. The state budget for the 2022-23 biennium will help fund health care, education, and border security. Dade will ensure state government is smart with taxpayer dollars.