The Governor's Convention Speech: Text and Photos

Below are excerpts from the Governor's speech he gave to the convention yesterday. Also included are some pictures.

Like you, I’m a conservative because I want my children to live in a state where its leadership makes smart choices for future prosperity, applying conservative fiscal values like cutting taxes, reducing frivolous lawsuits and pursuing a sensible regulatory climate as we have.

The results speak for themselves.

Texas is the nation’s leading exporter and has become the home to more Fortune 500 headquarters than any other state. We’ve been identified as one of the top places in the country to start or run a biotechnology company. And CEOs across America point to Texas as the best state to do business. The Texas economy is attracting companies and jobs the way a porchlight draws junebugs.

These companies coming to Texas are bringing with them investment, innovation and, most importantly, jobs for Texans. Just last year, small businesses in Texas hired more than 150,000 people, meaning we now have more than 5.3 million people working for Texas small business owners.

Since 2003, our state has created more than 1.2 million net new jobs. That many people would fill up Reliant Stadium 17 times. Of all the jobs created in the United States over the past year, more than half of them were created right here in Texas.

No matter how you cut it, that’s great economic news, and none of it happened by accident.

For the rest of the text from the Governor's speech, please click here.