Bob Hall (politician)
Robert Lee Hall, known as Bob Hall, is an American politician who is a Republican member of the Texas State Senate. Aligned with the Tea Party movement, he succeeded fellow Republican Bob Deuell, whom he unseated by three hundred votes in the Republican runoff election held on May 27, 2014.
Early life and education
Hall graduated in 1960 with honors from George D. Chamberlain High School in Tampa, Florida. He is an Eagle Scout. In 1964, Hall received a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina. At The Citadel, he was cited in Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities. Hall was a captain in the United States Air Force. From 1984 to 2013, he operated a business, Professional Proposal Management, Inc., which assisted companies in obtaining government contracts.Political career
Hall's run against incumbent State Senator Bob Deuell was his second run for public office. Hall had previously filed and campaigned for the same seat in 2012, but was subsequently disqualified due to failure to meet constitutional residency requirements.Hall received endorsements from various conservative individuals and organizations including former Texas Republican State Chairman Cathie Adams, who praised Hall's commitment. Hall unseated Deuell in a runoff election, 18,230 votes to 17,930.
Deuell had led a three-candidate field in the primary on March 4, with 23,847 votes. Because he fell short of a majority, he was placed in the runoff with the number-two candidate, Bob Hall, who in the primary polled 19,085 votes. The remaining 6,240 votes went to a third candidate, Mark Thompson. With his nomination in hand, Hall defeated Libertarian Party nominee, Don Bates, in the November 4 general election.
One January 23, 2019, the chairmanship of the Agriculture committee was given to Hall after the chairmanship was taken from Kel Seliger, who had made a lewd comment to a female staff member of Lt. Governor Dan Patrick.
Voting record and political positions
Education
Hall consistently votes against unfunded mandates on local public schools. He supported numerous pieces of legislation regarding unfunded mandates in education including SB 1068, which amends Chapter 38.101 of the Education Code so that an assessment of the physical fitness of a student may only be done at the request of the student's parents, and SB 1309, which removes all mandates for teacher training and student instruction on internet safety, teen dating violence, bullying, parenting and paternity, child abuse, and bus safety.Abortion
During his tenure as a Senator, Hall has consistently supported pro-life legislation. Examples of supported legislation by Hall include SB 10, which created stricter abortion requirements at Health Care Facilities; SB 258, which authorizes burial or cremation of fetal tissue after abortion or miscarriage; and SB 20, which prohibits coverage of abortion from taxpayer funded health insurance plans.Gun rights
Hall has been described as a Second Amendment advocate, regularly voting against restrictions on gun ownership. He voted in favor of HB 910, which authorizes open carry of handguns; SB 16, which reduces the fee for firearm carry licenses; and SB 11, which authorizes concealed carry of firearms on college campuses.Property tax
Hall has voted on several pieces of property tax reform legislation. SB 1 would require cities and counties to hold an election if they plan to increase their property tax revenues by 6%, regardless of whether they are increasing the actual tax rate or just taking advantage of rising property values. Hall also voted for the 2015 budget bill, which put billions of dollars into property tax relief funds to buy down local property taxes for 2015.Legislative ratings
| Year | Texans for Fiscal Responsibility | Texas Values Action "Family & Faith" | Texas State Rifle Association | Texas Right to Life |
| 2017 | 100 | 98 | 100 |
2018 reelection
In the 2018 Republican primary, Hall was challenged by state representative Cindy Burkett, who ran as a politically moderate alternative to him. Hall defeated her in the March 6, 2018, primary election.Hall won his second state Senate term in the general election held on November 6, 2018. With 152,659 votes, he defeated Kendall Scudder, who finished with 104,528.