Governor Greg Abbott used a campaign stop in Houston to draw attention to the state’s fight against human trafficking.
Speaking at the Houston Police Officers’ Union headquarters, Abbott said there are more than 300,000 victims of human trafficking in Texas. “We are here today to say emphatically that Texas is not going to tolerate the growing scourge of human trafficking anymore,” the governor said.
Abbott commended efforts by the Legislature and transportation companies both to help victims and catch traffickers.
“Earlier this year,” he said, “I also unveiled new plans to increase penalties for human traffickers and to create regional human trafficking squads. And last month, I proposed a new law to crack down on human trafficking stash houses.”
Sitting alongside the governor, State Senator Joan Huffman said she will introduce the bill in the next Legislature.
Governor Abbott is ramping up his campaign against former Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez, with Election Day just over a month away.