FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Hood County Republican Party Endorses Bond Proposal to Expand Jail Capacity
Granbury, Texas – August 20, 2025
At its regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, August 19, the Hood County Republican Party Executive Committee (“HCRP” or “The Party”) voted overwhelmingly to support a proposed bond measure to expand the Hood County Jail by an additional 161 beds. Recognizing the urgent need for enhanced detention infrastructure, The Party believes the measure will ensure public safety, eliminate the need to house inmates at neighboring counties’ jails, and enable Hood County to better meet standards set by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards.

Key Points of the Bond Proposal:

Capacity Improvement:
The current Hood County Jail, built in 1995, holds 192 beds. By adding 161 beds (with room for an additional smaller expansion), the current proposal would nearly double and significantly improve the facility’s capacity to serve the county’s growing population.

Public Safety and Operational Efficiency:
Local officials—including Sheriff Roger Deeds and the Commissioners Court—haverepeatedly emphasized the importance of a jail expansion. Discussions and cost analyses of this specific proposal have taken place from March through July 2025.

Planning and Strategy:
The County earlier explored larger expansions with significantly higher price tags. Those proposals were not aligned with the taxpayers’ best interests. This current plan represents a more responsible, fiscally conservative approach, ensuring Hood County meets its public safety needs without placing an undue burden on taxpayers.

Why the HCRP Supports This Measure:
Ensuring Community Safety Expanding the jail enhances the County’s ability to detain individuals safely and will ensure the justice system will be free to confine offenders during the justice process.

Compliance and Standards
With oversight from the Texas Commission on Jail Standards, expanding capacity helps th County avoid violations tied to limited space and outdated facilities.

Cost Savings for Taxpayers:
By eliminating the need to house inmates in neighboring counties—an expense that costs Hood County taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars annually—the expansion will deliver measurable long-term savings.

Responsible Fiscal Governance:
Unlike previous high-cost bond proposals, this measure is a more practical and affordable solution that balances public safety with fiscal responsibility. The HCRP supports this bond as a wise investment in Hood County’s future.

Support for Law Enforcement:
The Republican Party of Hood County has always stood firmly behind law enforcement. From providing the tools officers need to do their jobs effectively to ensuring safe and adequate jail facilities, The Party remains committed to backing those who protect and serve our community.

HCRP’s Call to Action:
“We believe in principled, conservative, forward-thinking governance,” said Greg Harrell, Chair of the Hood County Republican Party. “Supporting this bond measure demonstrates our commitment to public welfare, fiscal responsibility, and safe communities. It’s the right plan, at the right time for Hood County.”

The Hood County Republican Party urges voters to support the jail bond measure in the upcoming November 4 election, helping secure the infrastructure needed for effective law enforcement and County operations.
- - - - -

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Why is this bond different from past jail proposals?
A: Previous proposals came with much higher price tags and larger expansions than necessary. This bond is carefully tailored to Hood County’s actual needs, representing a more affordable, fiscally responsible solution.

Q: How does this bond save taxpayers money?
A: By expanding our own jail, Hood County will no longer have to pay neighboring counties to house inmates—a practice that currently costs taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars each year.

Q: Will this bond raise taxes?
A: All bonds are tax increases. The Commissioners Court has reviewed multiple financing strategies to ensure the burden on taxpayers is minimized. The focus is on responsible planning that balances community safety with fiscal stewardship. It will add to the County's debt, but it will not increase the tax rate homeowners will pay.

Q: Why now?
A: Hood County is one of the fastest-growing areas in Texas. Planning ahead now avoids greater costs and risks later, ensuring the County has the capacity to meet its needs before problems worsen.
For more information, please see HCRP’s website at hcrptexas.com

###

One of the most frustrating things any of us will ever experience is unabashed and unapologetic hypocrisy. Think back to the time as a kid that you heard the phrase “Do as I say, not as I do!” uttered by one of your parents.  

And so it is with the feigned outrage from Democrats over Texas’ efforts to realign Congressional Districts. Even a cursory look at blue state Congressional District boundaries tell the story that Democrats are experts in creatively carving up a state to produce favorable outcomes in general elections. A quote from the linked article:

“This issue has Democrats in an outright panic and it’s easy to see why. They thought that they were the only ones allowed to do this.”

Read more:
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/08/republican-strategist-slams-democrats-tx-redistricting-they-like/

The Texas Energy SCAM

A series on energy and related issues in Texas, and how they impact We The People 

Part 4 - Storm warning!

Texas is facing a perfect storm of exponentially increasing electric power demand at the same time that generating capacity is bridled. On Texas’ demand side, contributing factors include data centers, cryptocurrency mining facilities, an influx of refugees from liberal states, and an increase in the number of electric vehicles on our roads. Capacity constraints will likely continue for years due to the wrong-minded and subsidized deployment of unreliable renewable energy sources while at the same time decommissioning some of our highly reliable and efficient coal fired power plants. 

In its 2024 Platform, the Republican Party of Texas supported both a return to conventional electric power generation (coal and gas); and the deployment of new nuclear power technology such as small modular reactors (SMRs). It should be noted that the first SMRs in the United States are currently under construction and should be online as early as 2030.

In the interim, however, Texas citizens can unfortunately expect to pay higher prices for electricity. In many ways, our regulators and politicians have literally put “the cart before the horse” by aggressively pursuing high energy consumption projects to be located in Texas while neglecting to ensure our grid has sufficient capacity to support these large scale projects. For example, the so-called Stargate Project under construction in Abilene (billed as the world’s largest data center) is expected to consume 5 GIGAWATTS of electricity - and this is only one of many similar facilities under construction or planned for the Lone Star State. 

So, the “Great Texas Power Crunch” is quickly approaching - and until we are able to remedy this shortfall, everyday Texans will be facing sticker shock each month when their electric bill arrives. 

What can you do? Contact your Texas State elected officials, including Gov Greg Abbott and Lt Gov Dan Patrick. Let them know that you are concerned about the impact of data centers and cryptocurrency mining on Texas’ fragile power grid. Let them know that you want lower electric bills, and that you don’t want to compete with large corporations in order to purchase power for your home. Get involved with your local Republican Party - grassroots Republicans are taking up this fight, and we need your help!

For additional reading:
https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/electric-bills-rise-evidence-mounts-data-centers-share-124503792

https://www.zerohedge.com/ai/power-bill-crisis-here-stay-few-years

A series on energy and related issues in Texas, and how they impact We The People 

Part 3 - How did we get here?

As referenced earlier in this series, the badly misnamed Inflation Reduction Act foisted on our nation by the Biden/Autopen Administration and the Democrats in 2022 provided over three-quarters of a Trillion dollars in tax credits and incentives to support so-called green energy. But, as Texas learned in a big way during Winter Storm Uri a few years ago, wind turbines and solar farms are pretty well useless at the exact time when electricity demand is at its highest. 

Here’s the foundational problem - renewable sources of electricity are not readily “dispatchable” and they have been proven to be unreliable during periods of grid stress. Texas should NEVER incorporate these vulnerable power sources as part of the base capacity of our independent power grid (ERCOT). To protect Texas and Texans, our grid operators should require a maximum level of redundancy in the form of conventional (coal/gas/nuclear) electric power production behind these so-called green energy sources. 

A few decades ago, the Texas power grid was built on a foundation of large coal-fired plants accompanied by a couple of massive nuclear facilities. Within this framework, smaller gas turbine “peaker” power plants were regularly being commissioned to supplement this base capacity to provide reliable power during periods of high demand. These gas turbine plants were relatively easy to spin up or shut down based on load factors - in other words, they provided an easily dispatched source of power and a ready reserve of electricity for the Texas grid.

Unfortunately, due to poor public perception and pressure from special interests (including the Federal government) coal fell into disfavor as a fuel source, and many of Texas’ largest coal fired power plants have been decommissioned. Much of this (highly efficient and highly reliable) lost coal-fired electric power production capacity was replaced by…

1 - operating the “peaker” gas turbine generating stations at much higher levels/longer periods than anticipated in their original design specifications (and outside the parameters of their original permitting) 

2 - commissioning a few new gas-fired power stations

3 - government subsidized wind turbines

4 - government subsidized solar farms

So Texas now finds itself with a stand-alone power grid that is heavily dependent on power sources that are unreliable and with very little reserve capacity available. And this at a time where energy demand is increasing exponentially due to a growing population accompanied by new power-hungry data centers and cryptocurrency mining facilities. 

What does this mean for We The People? In Texas’ mostly deregulated electricity marketplace, you may again find yourself competing with large corporations to purchase a limited resource called electric power, just as happened during Winter Storm Uri in February 2021. During that event, Texas electricity prices spiked to a maximum of $9,000 per megawatt-hour. Effectively, the retired couple on a fixed income trying to stay warm in their home found themselves buying electricity at record prices while large energy users with fixed price contracts (like crypto miners) sold power back to the Texas grid operators at a massive profit.

A series on energy and related issues in Texas, and how they impact We The People 

Part 2 - Texas is the ENERGY GIANT of the US

    •    By far, Texas is the nation’s largest net energy supplier.

    •    Texas leads the nation in energy production, providing about one-fourth of the country's domestically produced primary energy.

    •    Texas is the top crude oil and natural gas-producing state in the nation. In 2023, Texas accounted for 43% of the nation's crude oil production and 27% of its natural gas gross withdrawals.

    •    One-fourth of U.S. proved natural gas reserves and about 30 of the nation's 100 largest natural gas fields are located, in whole or in part, in Texas.

    •    Texas accounts for more than two-fifths of the nation's crude oil proved reserves and has more than one-fourth of the nation's 100 largest oil fields as measured by reserves.

    •    Texas has the most crude oil refineries and the most refining capacity in the nation. The state's 34 refineries can process nearly 6.3 million barrels of crude oil per calendar day—about one-third of the nation's total refining capacity.

    •    Texas has about 9 billion tons of estimated recoverable coal reserves, almost 4% of the nation's total.  The state is the second-largest lignite (a special type of fuel coal) producer in the United States.

    •    In 2023, Texas produced more electricity than any other state and generated more than twice as much as second-place Florida. Texas accounted for 13% of the nation's total electricity net generation that year.

    •    Texas is the largest energy-consuming state and is the largest net supplier of energy to other states. 

    •    Unlike other states, most of Texas is not connected to the nation's regional power grids.

SOURCE:  US Energy Information Administration

For all of the above reasons, the Republican Party of Texas has adopted Plank 47 of its 2024 Platform, which states:

“47.   Energy Production: We support free-market solutions and the immediate removal of government barriers and direct subsidies to the production, transportation, reformulation, refining, and distribution of energy. We oppose federally directed plans and proposals that favor renewable energy sources that may constitute a nuisance, or otherwise have a substantially negative impact on neighboring landowners, including harming property values of our neighborhoods, farms, and ranch areas. We fully support and encourage greater energy production in the Permian Basin and throughout Texas, as well as the necessary policies and infrastructure investment in roads, pipelines, and ports. These steps will support Texas workers and help America’s energy security, instead of increasing our reliance on foreign governments that do not benefit America or our allies. We urge the state to require minimum firebreak setbacks on solar and battery facilities for wildfire prevention mitigation.”

Simply stated, Texas Republicans recognize that Texas has been blessed with massive energy resources, and we support the (safe and clean) development of those resources, without federal government interference or subsidies.  As Republicans, we believe Texas energy will “support Texas workers and help America’s energy security, instead of increasing our reliance on foreign governments that do not benefit America or our allies.”.  By developing Texas’ in ground resources, without subsidizing so-called green energy, we can eliminate dangerous Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS); unreliable and inefficient wind turbines; and unsightly solar farms while enhancing the security and reliability of the Texas electrical grid.

The Texas Energy SCAM

A series on energy and related issues in Texas, and how they impact We The People 

Part 1

For the most part, renewable energy (a/k/a clean energy or green energy) is a SCAM that is even now being foisted upon the ENERGY GIANT that is the Great State of Texas by liberals, foreign corporations, and special interests who have little to no regard for rank and file Texans. 

Some of what we are currently experiencing in Texas, especially rural Texas, is rooted in initiatives with titles like “The Green New Deal” and the World Economic Forum’s “Build Back Better”. But in 2022, a Democrat-controlled Congress working with the support of whoever was running the Biden Administration, passed into law the badly misrepresented “Inflation Reduction Act”. 

The so-called Inflation Reduction Act contained Federal freebies totaling $783 BILLION for energy and climate change initiatives, including investment tax credits of between 30 and 70 percent - direct subsidies from the Federal government to:

“1 - Encourage the development and deployment of energy storage technologies

2 - Enhance grid stability and supply the integration of renewable energy sources

3 - Make energy storage more economically viable, promoting a transition to cleaner energy solutions”

The 3 points above are directly quoted from an internet search asking “Are BESS (Battery Energy Storage Systems) facilities federally subsidized?” - obviously, the answer is yes, and in a BIG way. 

So, the Federal government created a rush to spend the giveaway dollars doled out through their much touted Inflation Reduction Act - keep in mind, this is your money. And the corporations, many of them foreign entities that couldn’t discern a bluebonnet from a brangus, were more than willing, even eager, to profit from these handouts. 

These companies saw their opportunities in the mostly unregulated, free-market and wide open rural areas of Our Texas, including Hood County.