Our country is at a turning point. The governor and I both spoke on how critical it is that citizens elect good, conservative leaders—at all levels of government—to make sure America gets back on the right track.

I want to thank all the friends and supporters who came out to this event, and I’d like to extend a special thank you to all of our volunteers and participants, such as David Barton, Sean Mitchell, Chloe Steinhagen, Maurice Simpson and many, many others. I am humbled by the outpouring of support the citizens of Senate District 22 continue to give me. As long as you choose to elect me into this position of leadership subordinate to you, it will my distinct honor to continue serving as your conservative voice in Austin.

To see more photos from this event, please visit my Facebook page. While you’re there, be sure to “like” us and follow us on Twitter.

“The ruling of the Supreme Court today was clear: the federal government has no direct constitutional authority to force the purchase of health insurance on individual Americans. Unfortunately, the Court also ruled that the federal government will be allowed to tax people for not having that insurance.

“This ruling so clearly highlights both the continued political deceptions of the Obama administration and our critical need within the judicial, legislative and executive branches of government to be served by those who share the Founders original intent of the limits imposed upon the federal government by the Constitution.

“Now more than ever, we must remember that we are the masters of our own individual liberties – not the federal government, not the Supreme Court—but We the People. Those who we elect to represent us in Washington must be charged not only with correcting this travesty, but also with preventing similar failures in the future.

“We’ve heard that old saying so many times: ‘This is the most important election of our lifetime.’ In light of today’s decision and for so many other clear reasons, I think we are all too aware that the November election will, in fact, be the most pivotal in our history—for us, for our children and for the keeping of this republic.”

What a privilege it was for our family to be surrounded by so many of the tireless grassroots-conservatives that make SD-22 the district that it is. I hope you’ll visit my Facebook page and check out some of the great photos from our time at Convention.

For the second time, Sen. Birdwell received these endorsements with the organizations’ highest possible scores—two ‘A’ ratings—and letters of encouragement from NRA and TSRA representatives.

“The NRA is proud to endorse Senator Birdwell for re-election,” said NRA State Liaison Tara Mica. “As a Benefactor Life NRA member and Concealed Handgun Licensee, Brian well knows firsthand the importance of protecting the Second Amendment and preserving our right to self-defense. His outstanding record in his first term in the Texas Senate demonstrates his strong commitment to both.”

“Texas gun owners could not have a better friend in the Texas Senate than Brian Birdwell,” said TSRA Legislative Director Alice Tripp.

Pleased with the news, Sen. Birdwell considers these endorsements a call to action to continue fighting for firearms rights on behalf of Texas citizens.

“I’m honored that these two organizations have again acknowledged my ardent commitment to the Second Amendment,” said Birdwell. “I was satisfied with our successes in this past session, but there is still much work to be done to protect the constitutional rights of law-abiding Texans.”

During the 82nd legislative session, Sen. Birdwell partnered with his Republican colleagues to co-author or sponsor an array of pro-gun legislation, including:

• SB 321 (Commuter Protection Bill)—Allowing Texans to store legal firearms in their locked, private vehicles on their employer’s property
• SB 766 (Shooting Range Protection Act)—Protecting owners and members of safe, legal firing ranges from frivolous lawsuits
• SB 354 (Campus Carry Bill)—Ensuring CHL-holders are legally allowed to posses their concealed firearm on the premises of public college campuses

While I covered some of the southern parts of the SD-22,  my wife, Mel, and my campaign manager, Ben Stratmann, spent their day visiting with the Republicans in some of our northern counties of SD-22. Mel started in the section of Tarrant County that is now part of our district, speaking with an energetic group in Arlington. While Mel went on to represent me in our home county of Hood, Ben went on to Johnson County and visited with the large group of Republicans at their convention in Cleburne. When I finally did make it to Hood County, I had just enough time to say hello to some of our party leadership, including the young-but-active Ben Harris—who I just learned would be attending Baylor Law School in the fall. Congrats to Ben and Sic ‘em Bears! We had the quite the busy day, as did so many of our grassroots citizens and volunteers. I want to thank all those who attended and worked at the conventions this weekend, including those I got to join in Ellis County for their convention last Saturday. Their devotion to advancing conservative principles and governance inspires me every day.

REGARDING VOTER REGISTRATION
As a result of on-going redistricting litigation, the mailing of new voter registration certificates was delayed. In the absence of approved interim redistricting maps, voter registration officials in many counties were unable to finalize electoral precincts. All previously-issued voter registration certificates expired on December 31, 2011, but only the cards expired—voter registrations remain valid. Specifically:

• Voters who are currently registered but have no changes to their voter registration (i.e. haven’t moved or changed name) should take no action; their cards will be automatically renewed and mailed to them.
• Voters who are currently registered and remain in their county of registration, but, have changed their address or name, will need to submit their updated information to their local voter registrar.
• Voters who are currently registered but have changed their county of residence will need to submit a new voter registration application no later than the 30th day before Election Day.

REGARDING ELECTION DATES
As ordered by the United States Western District Court, the 2012 primary elections will be held on Tuesday, May 29, 2012. Per that order, the runoff for the May 29 election is scheduled for Tuesday, July 31, 2012. Additional dates for the primary election cycle that voters should be aware of:

• Voter Registration Deadline for Primary Election: April 30, 2012
• Deadline to Mail Military and Overseas Ballots for Primary Election: April 14, 2012
• Early Voting Period for Primary Election: May 14, 2012 – May 25, 2012

For information on how to register to vote or to determine if you are already registered, please visitwww.VoteTexas.gov or contact the office of Secretary of State at 512-463-5701