Gregory Wayne Abbott was born on November 13,1957 and is an American politician, attorney, and former jurist serving as the 48th governor of Texas since 2015.
104 Facts About Greg Abbott
2.
Greg Abbott was involved in numerous lawsuits against the Barack Obama administration, seeking to invalidate the Affordable Care Act and the administration's environmental regulations.
3.
Greg Abbott was born on November 13,1957, in Wichita Falls, Texas, of English descent.
4.
Greg Abbott's mother, Doris Lechristia Jacks Abbott, was a housewife and his father, Calvin Rodger Abbott, was a stockbroker and insurance agent.
5.
Greg Abbott graduated from Duncanville High School, where he was on the track team, in the National Honor Society, and was voted "Most Likely to Succeed".
6.
In 1981, Greg Abbott earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance from the University of Texas at Austin, where he was a member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity and the Young Republicans Club.
7.
Greg Abbott met his wife, Cecilia Phalen, while attending UT Austin.
8.
Greg Abbott went into private practice, working for Butler and Binion, LLP between 1984 and 1992.
9.
In 1996, Abbott had no Democratic opponent but was challenged by Libertarian John B Hawley of Dallas.
10.
Greg Abbott resigned from the Texas Supreme Court in 2001 to run for lieutenant governor of Texas.
11.
Greg Abbott had been campaigning for several months when the previous attorney general, John Cornyn, vacated the post to run for the US Senate.
12.
Greg Abbott then switched his campaign to the open attorney general's position in 2002.
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Greg Abbott was sworn in on December 2,2002, following Cornyn's election to the Senate.
14.
Greg Abbott expanded the attorney general's office's law enforcement division from about 30 people to more than 100.
15.
In 2003, Greg Abbott supported the Texas Legislature's move to cap non-economic damages for medical malpractice cases at $250,000, with no built-in increases for rising cost of living.
16.
The Houston Chronicle noted that Greg Abbott "led the charge against Obama-era climate regulations".
17.
Greg Abbott has said that the state must not release Tier II Chemical Inventory Reports for security reasons, but that Texans "can ask every facility whether they have chemicals or not".
18.
Koch Industries has denied that its contributions to Greg Abbott's campaign had anything to do with his ruling against releasing the safety information.
19.
Greg Abbott cited the Texas legislature's cap on malpractice cases and the statute's removal of the term "gross negligence" from the definition of legal malice as reasons for defending Baylor.
20.
On December 21,2005, Greg Abbott added new allegations to his lawsuit against Sony-BMG.
21.
Greg Abbott said the MediaMax copy protection technology violated Texas's spyware and deceptive trade practices laws.
22.
Sony-BMG offered consumers a licensing agreement when they bought CDs and played them on their computers; in the lawsuit, brought under the Consumer Protection Against Computer Spyware Act of 2005 and other laws, Greg Abbott alleged that even if consumers rejected that agreement, spyware was secretly installed on their computers, posing security risks for music buyers and deceiving Texas purchasers.
23.
In March 2005, Greg Abbott delivered oral argument before the United States Supreme Court on behalf of Texas, defending a Ten Commandments monument on grounds of the Texas State Capitol.
24.
In February 2014, Greg Abbott argued against a lawsuit brought by the National Rifle Association to allow more people access to concealed carry of firearms, as he felt this would disrupt public safety.
25.
Greg Abbott backed legislation in Texas to limit "punitive damages stemming from noneconomic losses" and "noneconomic damages in medical malpractice cases" at $750,000 and $250,000, respectively.
26.
Greg Abbott was the longest-serving Texas attorney general in Texas history.
27.
In July 2013, the Houston Chronicle alleged improper ties and oversight between many of Greg Abbott's largest donors and the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, of which he was a director.
28.
In July 2013, shortly after Governor Rick Perry announced that he would not seek a fourth full term, Greg Abbott announced his candidacy for governor of Texas in the 2014 election.
29.
Greg Abbott faced State Senator Wendy Davis in the general election.
30.
Greg Abbott promised to "tie outcomes to funding" for pre-K programs if elected, but said he would not require government standardized testing for 4-year-olds, as Davis accused him of suggesting.
31.
Davis's plan could reach $750 million in cost and Greg Abbott said that her plan was a "budget buster", whereas his education plan would cost no more than $118 million.
32.
Greg Abbott received $1.4 million in campaign contributions from recipients of the Texas Enterprise Fund, some of whose members submitted the proper paperwork for grants.
33.
Elliot Nagin of the Union of Concerned Scientists observed that Greg Abbott was the recipient of large support from the fossil fuels industries, such as NuStar Energy, Koch Industries, Valero Energy, ExxonMobil, Chevron, and ConocoPhillips.
34.
Greg Abbott was endorsed by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the Dallas Morning News, the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal and the Tyler Morning Telegraph.
35.
Greg Abbott formally announced his reelection campaign on July 14,2017.
36.
Greg Abbott ran for a third term and faced challengers from within his own party, including former Texas Republican Party chair Allen West and Don Huffines.
37.
Greg Abbott was challenged by the Democratic nominee, former US Representative Beto O'Rourke.
38.
Greg Abbott began with a large campaign funding advantage over his opponents, but was outraised by O'Rourke, who raised $81.6 million to Greg Abbott's $78.5 million.
39.
Greg Abbott was sworn in as governor of Texas on January 20,2015, succeeding Rick Perry.
40.
Greg Abbott is the first governor of Texas and the third elected governor of a US state to use a wheelchair, after Franklin D Roosevelt of New York and George Wallace of Alabama.
41.
Greg Abbott held his first meeting as governor with a foreign prime minister when he met with the Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny on March 15,2015, to discuss trade and economic relations.
42.
Greg Abbott's book Broken But Unbowed recounted Greg Abbott's personal story and views on politics.
43.
On June 6,2017, Greg Abbott called for a special legislative session in order to pass several of his legislative priorities, an agenda supported by Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick.
44.
Greg Abbott vetoed 50 bills in the regular 2017 session, the most in a session since 2007.
45.
Greg Abbott appointed multiple judges to various judgeships, including several GOP-affiliated judges who had recently lost local judicial elections.
46.
In November 2016, the State of Texas, at Greg Abbott's request, approved new rules that require facilities that perform abortions either to bury or cremate the aborted, rather than dispose of the remains in a sanitary landfill.
47.
On June 6,2017, Greg Abbott signed a bill into law banning dismemberment and partial-birth abortions and requiring either burial or cremation of the aborted.
48.
On May 18,2021, Greg Abbott signed the Texas Heartbeat Act, a six-week abortion ban, into law.
49.
In 2016, Greg Abbott spoke to the Texas Public Policy Foundation, calling for a Convention of States to amend the US Constitution.
50.
In 2021, Greg Abbott spearheaded legislative efforts to financially penalize cities in Texas that reduce spending on police.
51.
In 2021, Greg Abbott vetoed a bipartisan criminal justice bill that would have made people convicted of certain crimes before the age of 18 eligible for early parole and created panels to consider inmates' age and mental status at the time of their crimes when evaluating parole eligibility.
52.
Greg Abbott vetoed legislation to prohibit police from using statements made under hypnosis in criminal court.
53.
Greg Abbott vetoed an animal protection bill that would have made it illegal to chain up dogs without giving them access to drinkable water and shade or shelter.
54.
In 2015, Greg Abbott signed the campus carry and the open carry bills into law.
55.
In 2017, Greg Abbott signed into law a bill lowering handgun carry license fees.
56.
From September 1,2021, Texans are able to carry handguns without a license or training after Greg Abbott signed a permitless carry bill into law in June 2021.
57.
On May 24,2022, Greg Abbott said that an 18-year-old carrying a handgun and possibly a rifle killed 19 students and 2 teachers at the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde.
58.
Greg Abbott said that mental health in the community was the root cause of the event.
59.
Greg Abbott did not mention the sale of assault rifles, but said that gun laws have not been effective, noting that the shooter broke two gun laws the day he committed the multiple murders.
60.
In 2018, former director of the CIA and NSA Michael Hayden said that Russian intelligence organizations had propagated the conspiracy theory and that Greg Abbott's response convinced them of the power such a misinformation campaign could have in the United States.
61.
In 2015, Greg Abbott signed the Pastor Protection Act, which allows members of the clergy to refuse to marry same-sex couples if they feel doing so violates their beliefs.
62.
In 2017, Greg Abbott signed into law Senate Bill 24, preventing state or local governments from subpoenaing pastors' sermons.
63.
In November 2015, Greg Abbott announced that Texas would refuse Syrian refugees following the Paris terrorist attack that occurred earlier that month.
64.
In December 2015, Greg Abbott ordered the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to sue the federal government and the International Rescue Committee to block refugee settlement, but a federal district court struck the lawsuit down.
65.
On February 1,2017, Greg Abbott blocked funding to Travis County, Texas, due to its recently implemented sanctuary city policy.
66.
In January 2020, Greg Abbott made Texas the first state to decline refugee resettlement under a new rule implemented by the Trump administration.
67.
In June 2021, Greg Abbott ordered Texas child-care regulators to take the licenses of child-care facilities that housed unaccompanied migrant minors.
68.
Greg Abbott said that housing unaccompanied minors in child-care facilities had a negative impact on facilities housing Texan children in foster care.
69.
In July 2021, Greg Abbott advised state law enforcement officers to begin arresting illegal migrants for trespassing.
70.
Migrants arrested under Greg Abbott's policy were imprisoned for weeks without legal help or formal charges.
71.
In 2021, Greg Abbott announced that Texas would continue the US Border Wall started by Donald Trump.
72.
Greg Abbott came under fire for both buses, with one American Enterprise Institute scholar suggesting Greg Abbott be federally prosecuted for human trafficking.
73.
In early April 2022, Greg Abbott announced that Texas would increase inspections of commercial trucks entering from Mexico with the goal of seizing illegal drugs and illegal migrants.
74.
Greg Abbott said the reversal was because the governors of adjacent Mexican states had agreed to exercise stronger vigilance against human trafficking, drugs, and guns.
75.
Greg Abbott has said that the climate is changing, but does not accept the consensus that human activity is the main reason.
76.
In early 2014, Greg Abbott participated in sessions held at the headquarters of the United States Chamber of Commerce to devise a legal strategy to dismantle climate change regulations.
77.
Greg Abbott pressed for a purge of nearly 100,000 registered voters from Texas voter rolls.
78.
Greg Abbott claimed that he played no role in the voter purge, but emails released in June 2019 showed that he was the driving force behind the effort.
79.
In September 2020, Greg Abbott issued a proclamation that each Texas county could have only one location where voters could drop off early voting ballots.
80.
Greg Abbott justified the decision by claiming it would prevent "illegal voting" but cited no examples of voter fraud.
81.
Also in September 2020, Greg Abbott extended the early voting period for that year's general election due to COVID-19; the Republican Party of Texas opposed his decision.
82.
Greg Abbott made "election integrity" a legislative priority after President Trump's failed attempts to overturn the election results of 2020 United States presidential election by using baseless claims that the results were fraudulent.
83.
Greg Abbott threatened to have the lawmakers arrested upon their return to Texas.
84.
In October 2021, Greg Abbott appointed John Scott as Texas Secretary of State, putting him in a position to oversee Texas elections.
85.
In 2014, Greg Abbott defended Texas's ban on same-sex marriage, which a federal court ruled unconstitutional.
86.
The bill was revived by Greg Abbott and supported by Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick.
87.
In March 2018, Byron Cook, the chairman of the House State Affairs committee who blocked the bill, claimed that Greg Abbott privately opposed the bill.
88.
The bill was never signed; Greg Abbott later said, "it's not on my agenda" in a debate with Lupe Valdez, the Democratic nominee for governor in 2018.
89.
In 2017, Greg Abbott signed legislation to allow taxpayer-funded adoption agencies to refuse same-sex families from adopting children for religious reasons.
90.
Shortly thereafter, the agency, whose members Greg Abbott appoints, removed the webpage that included a suicide prevention hotline and other resources for LGBT youths.
91.
In 2022, Greg Abbott instructed Texas state agencies to treat gender-affirming medical treatments for transgender youths as child abuse.
92.
In October 2019, Greg Abbott sent a widely publicized letter to Austin Mayor Steve Adler criticizing the camping ban repeal and threatened to deploy state resources to combat homelessness.
93.
In 2019, when numerous local prosecutors announced that they would stop prosecuting low-level marijuana offenses, Greg Abbott instructed them to continue enforcing marijuana laws.
94.
Greg Abbott has said that legal hemp products come with a "hemp certificate".
95.
Greg Abbott said that Texans should wear face masks but refused to issue a statewide mandate.
96.
In December 2020, Greg Abbott directed Texas restaurants to ignore local curfews that had been imposed to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
97.
On May 18,2021, Greg Abbott issued an executive order banning mask mandates in public schools and governmental entities, with up to a $1,000 fine for non-compliers.
98.
Greg Abbott emphasized personal responsibility over government restrictions, and resolutely opposed government mandates in August 2021.
99.
Greg Abbott called for investigation and reform of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the electric grid operator for most of Texas.
100.
In June 2021, Greg Abbott signed a bill requiring power companies to be more prepared for extreme weather events.
101.
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.
102.
Greg Abbott sued the homeowner and a tree service company, resulting in an insurance settlement that provided him with lump sum payments every three years until 2022 along with monthly payments for life; both are adjusted for inflation.
103.
Greg Abbott has said he relied on the money to pay for nearly three decades of medical expenses and other costs.
104.
On November 4,2014, Greg Abbott defeated Wendy Davis by 20 points in the Texas gubernatorial election.