For Immediate Release: March 10, 2010
Contact: Cindy Mallette, (512) 476-5905

Senator Dan Patrick & Peggy VenableState Senator Dan Patrick (R-Dist. 7) was presented the Defender of the American Dream award Tuesday in Houston at the Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce meeting.

The award, presented by Peggy Venable, Texas director of Americans for Prosperity, was given with high praise for Sen. Patrick’s work in the 2009 Texas Legislative session.

Sen. Patrick scored an “A” on the taxpayer report card, earning him the Defender of the American Dream award, the highest honor given legislators by the citizen group

“Thanks to the good work of Sen. Patrick and his fellow award winners, Texas is a beacon of fiscal sanity for the country,” said Venable. “Texas is No. 1 in job creation, the state budget is balanced and we have almost $9 billion in a rainy day fund.”

Venable pointed out that most other states are experiencing budget shortfalls and no other large state is in the black. Texas has more Fortune 500 companies than any other state, and Texas has an employment rate less than two percent below the national average.

Venable said that leadership from fiscal conservatives has helped keep Texas No. 1 in job creation, business relocation, government transparency,

“Taxpayers should be able to quickly assess how their elected officials represented them, and our report card allows them to see the votes we counted and how legislators voted on each of those issues,” said Venable. “The 2011 legislative session will present new challenges. Texans would be well served to have more legislators like Sen. Patrick in the Texas legislature.”

“Our mission is to empower citizens to reduce the size and scope of government as the best safeguard to ensuring individual productivity and prosperity for all Americans,” said Venable.

Americans for Prosperity is a grassroots organization of taxpayer advocates and citizen leaders committed to advancing every individual’s right to economic freedom and opportunity. AFP educates and engages citizens in support of restraining state and federal government growth, and returning government to its constitutional limits.