'We're already great' says Abbott lavishing praise on Texas

HOUSTON (FOX 26) - If you somehow dropped onto this corner of downtown Houston littered with protesters, you might just think Texas was a pretty screwed up place. Left wingers screaming at gun toting right wingers and vice versa.

But inside the high end hotel above the fray, the governor of Texas was telling a much different story about an economy that's the tenth biggest on earth.

"Get this, the Texas economy is larger than Russia and that makes me more powerful than Putin," joked Greg Abbott.

The governor had plenty more chest puffing material -- Texas is tops in U.S. exports. Texas is tops in transplantation, with 6 million new citizens since the turn of the century.

"There is a new person moving to Houston every four minutes," said Abbott.

A burgeoning population and workforce Abbott says the legislature is working to accommodate with $70 billion in road improvements and less regulation.

As for the current legislative session, the Governor says public Pre-K in Texas will be expanded, and the catastrophically inept child welfare system completely overhauled.

"If we pass only one bill, if I sign one bill this session, it must be legislation that reforms CPS so that no more children lose their lives," said Abbott.

Noticeably absent from the Governor's presentation was talk of SB 4, the punitive Sanctuary City measure he supports but a majority Houstonians oppose.

Outside the swanky hotel, back on the street corner, Erin Garcia hopes the governor will hear the collective outcry.

"He wants to target sanctuary cities and start separating families and I don't feel that's what America was built on," said Garcia.