ABILENE Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – Whether local or from counties around, hundreds packed into the event space at Front Porch Coffee in Downtown Abilene Monday afternoon, all waiting in anticipation to hear Governor Greg Abbot speak on the issues that matter most to them.

“We just wanted to come and see that he actually was representing the message of the Abilene people, to see if he was going to ring true to those values. He addressed a lot of the core issues and I feel like he did a good job advocating for himself,” said Tyler Lineweaver of the Abilene Freedom league.

“Well the border, inflation, schools….and crime,” said Dee and Tim Utassi of Abilene.

All of these topics were covered in the Governor’s 20 minute speech, which can be viewed in full on Bigcountryhomepage.com.

The governor spoke on police funding, immigration, education, oil and gas dependency, and even promised a portion of the states surplus to lower homeowner taxes.

“To make sure we use at least half of that money by giving it back to you with the largest property tax cut in the history of this state,” Abbott said.

By far the topic most covered was the security of the Southern Border, Abbott talking not of asylum seekers or migrants but of cartels and crime.

“One pill kills with Fentanyl. 2 milligrams of fentanyl, which is 2 grains of salt is a deadly dose, which is why just last month I declared the Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations and we are going after them,” said Abbott.

The Governor also touted he and Governor Desantis’ of Florida’s handling of the migrant situation though the busing of Mexican citizens from the southern border to Washington D.C., even taking that a step further to put the sanctuary cites to the test as he put it.

“I felt a calling to be educational about it, and that’s why they’re now being dropped off at the residence of the vice president of the United States of America,” Abbott said.

The afternooon was closed with a call to action from Abbott.

“Speeches don’t win elections – votes win elections…after we take a picture go out there and vote,” said Abbott.