Denver, Colorado — At the 51st ALEC Annual Meeting in Denver, Texas Rep. Caroline Harris Davila, the youngest Republican ever elected to the Texas House of Representatives, shared her insights on the most pressing issues facing the Lone Star State. From the ongoing border crisis to education reform to historic property tax cuts, Davila offered insight into the challenges facing one of the most politically significant states in the nation.

Border crisis: “Every community is a border community”

The Round Rock congresswoman didn’t mince her words when addressing the crisis at the border, a topic that was front and center during the meeting, especially after a panel discussion led by Texas Senator Phil King. Davila reflected on her personal experiences and observations, emphasizing the severity of the problem.

“I visited the border before I ran for office because I wanted to understand how what was going on there affected the area I was running in,” she said. “Every community is a border community. It affects all of us, and I’ve been back to the border since then and it hasn’t gotten any better.”

She went on to explain the burden Texas has had to bear in the absence of stronger action from the federal government. While some states have struggled with the theoretical issues of immigration, Texas has faced it directly for decades.

“We spent over six billion in the last session alone to secure the border, and that’s just Texas,” Davila said. “The federal government should be paying for all of this and providing security, but nothing that happens at the border stays at the border.”

The impact of the crisis is particularly felt by Davila, who has reported on the tragic loss of young lives in her own community, where the flow of drugs like fentanyl continues to increase unchecked.

“Unfortunately, high school students in my district have died from fentanyl overdoses, and we’re seeing that across the country now,” she lamented, stressing how widespread the crisis is. “Securing the border and protecting my community is very important to me.”

Freedom of education: “An excellent education can save a child’s life”

Davila switched to education, pledging to improve educational opportunities for all children in Texas and helping the Education Freedom Alliance reach its goal of offering universal educational freedom in 25 states by 2025.

“If you’re rich, you get to decide where your child goes to school. If you’re not rich, your child has to live in a zip code and go to a school that may fail your child,” Davila explained. “We want to empower every child in Texas. I want Texas to be number one in education, whether it’s public or private.”

Davila refuted the notion that her support for educational freedom is an attack on public schools. Rather, it is an attempt to address the fact that students are not performing as expected due to a lack of supplies, a lack of teachers, or a lack of programs that specifically address their individual needs. By providing families with a variety of options, they can meet those needs and produce healthy, well-educated students. Without them, the consequences could be devastating.

“A good education can save a child’s life.”

Historic property tax cuts: “The greatest state, I would say”

Led by Senator Paul Bettencourt (ALEC’s 2023 State Legislator of the Year), Texas granted property tax relief totaling $18 billion in 2023. She explained that the state identified a surplus in the last legislative session and made it a priority to return that money to taxpayers, making this the largest tax relief in Texas history, if not the entire U.S.

“We’ve seen taxpayers pay up to $1,200 less in property taxes. That’s real money. That has real impact.”

She indicated that further tax relief would be possible thanks to another expected surplus.

Looking to the future: challenges and opportunities

As Texas continues to grapple with the border crisis, education reform and fiscal management, Davila remains optimistic about the state’s future. She strives to be a good steward of taxpayer money and is more focused on solving the problems facing her constituents than the stories being pushed by the mainstream media. With Texas at the center of many critical debates, the state’s approach to governance and policy will likely continue to dominate the national discussion.