State Representative Giovanni Capriglione
Texas State Representative HD 98 Colleyville, Grapevine, Keller, Southlake, Westlake, Trophy Club, Fort Worth and Haslet.
STRENGTHENING TEXAS’ ECONOMY – PRO-JOB/PRO-GROWTH STRATEGY
Giovanni is focused on issues critical to businesses, employees, taxpayers and families. The best way to increase overall revenue and employment opportunities in Texas is to radically improve the business climate in Texas.
Giovanni is a small business owner himself, focused on business lending and economic development. In his prior experience, Giovanni was a senior vice president for a small business investment company.
Mr. Capriglione believes that the “gross margins tax” on Texas business (which has been labeled as a business income tax) should be eliminated. During the past session, Giovanni co-authored and supported legislation that reduced the business margins tax 25% across the board. Giovanni is also in favor of incentives for businesses that keep their assets and employees in Texas. In the past year, with support from local officials and Giovanni, several businesses expanded in our district including Facebook in North Fort Worth and Kubota Tractor Corporation in Grapevine. During the regular session, Giovanni authored and passed legislation directed at local economic development specifically for our area.
Giovanni is a pro-business candidate and has worked on reforming the tax code, providing regulatory relief for small businesses and curtailing frivolous lawsuits. Giovanni has received the Texas Association of Business’ Free Enterprise Award and the Texas Conservative Coalition’s Courageous Conservative Award.
TAXES – NO INCREASE IN THE TAX RATE, NO NEW FEES
Mr. Capriglione has signed the Americans for Tax Reform Taxpayer’s Protection Pledge – committing to never raise taxes. During the session Giovanni co-authored and supported property tax relief, business tax reductions and the elimination of over a dozen occupational license fees.
Locally, Giovanni has been involved in various campaigns to oppose local tax increases. He helped manage campaigns by raising funds, designing marketing material and creating volunteer phone banks. The resounding victories of these campaign was felt state wide. These organization helped residents save nearly $20 million a year in extra property tax increases.
PROMOTING PRO-LIFE POLICIES – CHAMPION LIFE
Each year in Texas, approximately 80,000 unborn children’s lives are terminated. Giovanni believes that life is from conception to natural death.
Giovanni has donated to various Pro-Life advocacy groups and non-profits including Texas Right to Life, Texans for Life Coalition and Pregnancy Help 4 U, a local non-profit pregnancy center. Giovanni has attended pro-life rallies protesting Planned Parenthood and their abhorrent practices.
Giovanni will push to stop ALL taxpayer money from reaching Planned Parenthood or similar organizations. Giovanni co-authored and supported HB2 that, to date, has cut in half the number of abortion clinics in Texas.
PROMOTING QUALITY EDUCATION
Education is a cornerstone of our community and as such is one of the biggest responsibilities Giovanni will tackle. Over the last 40 years we have seen a dramatic shift in the way we deliver education in Texas. We have seen the percentage of taxpayer dollars that go into the classroom decrease. Giovanni will fight for parents, students, and teachers and will advocate for education dollars going towards direct teaching expenses.
Ending “Robin Hood” is a priority of the voters of District 98. For years we’ve seen dollars leave our school districts with no accountability of where/how that money is being used. Texas must tie grant money/state money to direct academic improvement and require accountability audits. Giovanni has worked diligently on this topic as a member of the House’s Public Education Finance Workgroup.
Giovanni would like to see more local control handed to the school districts – this means the removal of unfunded state mandates, more community involvement and less money sent to the State for redistribution.
Promoting charter schools and the Texas Virtual School program in order to allow opportunities to all children will improve statewide education. In the 83rd Session Giovanni worked to make sure that our local GCISD Virtual School program could thrive. Giovanni also supports the freedom to Home School in Texas and will champion parental rights in education.
INCREASING TRANSPARENCY OF GOVERNMENT
It is critical that taxpayers have the opportunity to quickly and easily review how and where the government spends their money. In the 84th session Giovanni passed HB 1295, which has been described by the San Antonio Express News as “the most significant ethics bill of this year’s legislative session.” HB 1295 requires a searchable database of all major state and local contracts, specifically detailing every business or person that profits from local contracts – including elected officials.
BORDER SECURITY AND IMMIGRATION
The federal government has refused to follow through on their responsibility to secure our border. As a result Texas must fill in the gap. We can’t wait for D.C. to fix a problem they refuse to address. We must continue to provide resources to our border in order to protect our economy and curb the flow of illegal immigration. Giovanni supported and co-authored HB 11 which funds additional DPS agents at the border, better technology, border checkpoints and centers of communication between multiple law enforcement agencies.
English should be the official language in Texas and we must repeal the student loan subsidy. Illegal immigrants getting taxpayer subsidized student loans is only one problem though, we must remove all benefits to those not in the US legally.
PROTECTING OUR RIGHT TO KEEP & BEAR ARMS
Giovanni is a member of the NRA and fully supports our rights to keep and bear firearms. He will always be on the side of gun owners and will support their constitutional rights.
ADDITIONAL LEGISLATION
Giovanni authored and passed the Texas State Bullion Depository bill which will better protect our state’s sovereignty by bringing gold and silver back to Texas. Giovanni has been interviewed with organizations across the world to discuss this bill including the Associated Press, CNBC, Fox Business News, Reuter’s, CNN Money and Bloomberg.
Giovanni authored and passed HB 983 which allows Texas’ $11 Billion of Rainy Day Fund money to be invested in low-risk securities. This change is expected to grow our state emergency reserves by ~ $100 million per biennium.
Giovanni authored and passed the “No Ten Fingerprint” law protecting the privacy of innocent Texans. Giovanni received the Dallas Morning News’ Watchdog Hall of Fame recognition upon passage of the law.