Rep. Springer hosts Jacksboro Town Hall

Drew Springer spends more time on the road now than he ever has in his life.

The District 68 Representative said he used to drive 25,000 miles a year going to different events and meetings in his district. As the Chair of the House Agriculture Commission, he said he will easily eclipse that this year.

“I now drive 254 counties,” Springer joked, as part of his 90-minute town hall meeting Oct. 7 at the Faith Community Hospital Board Room. “I’ve gone from representing my district, which I still do, to becoming the voice of the state in agriculture.”

Springer has been working on the issue of eminent domain during the recent session, which has gotten bogged down. Springer said much of the political process has gotten tied up due to a small minority.

“I’d say 90 percent of Republicans think like we do,” Springer said. “There’s the middle two percent that want to stir the pot on everything and are keeping a lot of things from getting done.”

Springer said those two percent are keeping 1,400 oil wells in the Permian Basin from becoming operational which means the U.S. has to rely more on the Middle East for its oil. It also lowers the tax base in Texas.

Democratic presidential candidate Julian Castro wants to end the oil and gas tax in Texas. Springer said that can’t happen. 

“He wants to end the oil and gas tax here by 2035,” Springer said. “Beto (O’Rourke) wants to take your guns. That would be devastating here. Texas makes cheap energy.”

Springer said rural Texas is Republican country. Former President Barack Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder vow to flip nine House seats in the next election.

“If that happens, Texas would be Democratic for the next decade,” Springer said. “Republicans need to get the vote out as well.”

Sen. Ted Cruz won by 200,000 votes in the last election of O’Rourke, 35,000 of those came from Springer’s district, the representative said.

Redistricting could cost rural areas a representative in the next redistricting as the big cities continue to grow and grow. Spring said he and fellow representative Phil King, who represents Parker County, each have too many people in their district the way they are right now.

“There’s a good chance we can take back 6-12 seats we lost in 2018,” Springer said. “Folks need to know you can still vote straight ticket but you have to click and vote on every race. It used to be you could just click once and that was it.”