Gov. Abbott endorses Spiller

Gov. Greg Abbott turned out an enthusiastic crowd in Jacksboro to mark his endorsement of Texas Rep. David Spiller at a Feb. 1 fundraiser. Mr. Spiller, a Republican who represents Olney in the state House of Representatives, is running for re-election in House District 68 against Cooke County businesswoman Kerri Kingsbery.

Mr. Spiller worked closely with Gov. Abbott last year on an immigration bill that gives the state of Texas power to charge people who illegally cross the border with a crime, and to order those people to leave the U.S. for Mexico in lieu of prosecution. The measure faces legal challenges from civil rights groups and from the federal government, which is constitutionally in charge of national security and immigration policy.

Gov. Abbott, who greeted guests and posed for photos at J.R.’s Chophouse in Jacksboro, praised Mr. Spiller for stepping up to fix the state’s “broken border.” The governor spoke at length about “the massive effort” to shut the southern U.S. border to illegal migrants – about 300,000 who were processed by federal officials in December alone, according to Reuters.

“We have two Houstons coming across the border in just the past two years,” Gov. Abbott said, comparing the numbers of migrants to the population of the state’s largest city. “This is something that cannot be assimilated in the United States of America - and who knows who these people are?”

He lauded Mr. Spiller, an attorney, for authoring Senate Bill 4, the immigration legislation, and urged supporters to turn out for him at the March 4 Republican primary. “Texas has a law because of him that ensures the arrest by any law enforcement officer in the state of Texas of anyone coming across the border illegally … we are sending a message that you will not cross illegally into the state of Texas because of David Spiller,” the governor said.

Mr. Spiller praised Gov. Abbott for busing illegal migrants to other states to make them aware of the border problem, a political strategy the governor said he would continue to employ until the federal government halts the “invasion” of migrants.

“Every county is a border county in Texas,” Mr. Spiller said. “My position is that it disproportionately affects us in rural counties because we don’t have the resources of large urban counties to deal with it, whether it be health care, schools … with law enforcement,” Mr. Spiller said. “I would say it is the most important issue in House District 68. It is the most important issue in Texas …” The fundraiser was attended by several Young County officials, including Judge Win Graham, Sheriff Travis Babcock, District Judge Phillip Gregory, and District Attorney Dee Peavy. State Sen. Drew Springer, who is retiring next year, introduced Gov. Abbott.