Somewhere between four thousand and five thousand showed up, which is not unimpressive. The convention indeed showed a state party moving back to the right after a brief period, in 2018 and 2020, in which it inched ever so slightly to the center over concerns that Democrats might be getting more competitive in elections here. Inside the Bro-tastic Party Mansions Upending a Historic Austin Community, The Campaign to Sabotage Texass Public Schools. The party planks specify what the Texas GOP believes students should and should not be taught in the classroom about gender and sex, signaling further shifts to the right. Theres An App for That. One reason might be that years ago the convention was a place where factions of the party would come together and vigorously contest ideas. March 03 2023 4:32 PM EST. Oh, and why not regress even further by repealing all hate crime laws? . U.S. senator John Cornyn, the longest-serving statewide elected official in Texas, was booed and shouted down during his speech, while attendees denounced his role leading Senate negotiations and helping craft an agreement for modest measures that might help prevent school shootings. "The Texas Republican Party is raising record funds for election integrity, and we've made election integrity a top priority to ensure Texas never goes the way of Pennsylvania, Georgia, or. In February, Texas Gov. Taken together, the events of the convention had one message, he continued. At a convention where several of its more prominent lawmakers were harassed and. The book bans often have targeted young adult literature with racial and LGBTQ+ themes. They are again voted on by that body, and if passed, continue up the chain to the platform committee at the state convention. On Saturday, thousands of Texas Republicans approved a new platform at the 2022 party convention in Houston, and it immediately caused a furor. Imagine the mess it would create if Texas was limited to holiday shopping over three days in December, with no online options available - many people would just skip it. Votes on the platform were collected at the end of the party's three-day convention in which party activists moved to add multiple items to the official Texas GOP platform. U.S. Rep. Jodey Arrington, of Lubbock, described an unprecedented, unmitigated, self-inflicted disaster that is creating the worst humanitarian and national security threat to the American people in the history of our southern border, adding, this is an invasion, folks.. The denunciation of Cornyn represented a remarkable rebuke to a Republican who has served in the Senate since 2002. c. Support repeal of the 16th Amendment (Federal Income Tax). Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. From Steve Bannon to Newt Gingrich to Matt Gaetz to Marjorie . Over eight years as governor, hes carefully catered to, and sought acceptance from, the kinds of folks who attend these conventionsadopting many right-wing issues of the day as his own, from Jade Helm to his attempt to build a Texas border wall. And yet he cant show his face on stage at the partys premier biennial party without being booed and heckled.Cornyn and Abbott werent the only politicians at the convention who had reason to fear the state partys activists. We Texans cannot and we will not allow this to happen.. Support term limits of twelve years for federal and state offices. Texas Lege Watch: A House Republican Fights for Chicken Freedom. June 20, 2022 at 6:36 p.m. EDT A Donald Trump cutout stands at Patriot Mobile display at the Republican Party of Texas convention at George R. Brown Convention Center on Thursday, June 16,. Join us Sept. 22-24 in person in downtown Austin for The Texas Tribune Festival and experience 100+ conversation events featuring big names you know and others you should from the worlds of politics, public policy, the media and tech all curated by The Texas Tribunes award-winning journalists. It is not a Trumpian idea in Texas, however. The Texas GOP argues in their platform that hate crime laws should be repealed because there are already plenty of other laws covering crimes against other persons on the books. And its full of great reads, yall. Ricardo Martinez, the CEO of Equality Texas, a statewide LGBTQ advocacy group, called the platform "extreme, but not necessarily new. The word grooming has long been associated with mischaracterizing LGBTQ people, particularly gay men and transgender women, as child sex abusers. Heres proof: They want NO gun free zones, unrestricted Constitutional Carry, and entirely reject the bipartisan gun reform agreement thats going through Congress as we speak. How Florence ButtNot Her SonLaunched the H-E-B Empire, Jimmy Carters Peanut-and-Egg Taco Made Quite the Impression on San Antonians, The Top 50 Texas BBQ Joints: 2021 Edition. Heres proof: They want NO gun free zones, unrestricted Constitutional Carry, and entirely, reform agreement thats going through Congress as we speak. Paid for by the Republican Party of Texas and not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. Thousands of the Texas Republican party faithful voted yesterday on a state GOP platform that calls being gay an "abnormal lifestyle choice," declares the 2020 presidential election results. 94 - Why Texas Cities Need YOU To Run For Office: Steven Monacelli of The Texas Observer, Ep. Can College Sports Get More Absurd Than SMU Joining the Pac-12? ), so of course the Republican Party of Texas is overwhelmingly against it. Party platforms are often more aspirational than practical and, in Texas, they have long reflected the opinions of the most activist wings of the parties. Here they are: a. "Homosexuality is an abnormal lifestyle choice," the 40-page resolution reads. It shouldnt need to be said, but the Confederacy was racist and those who fought for the Confederacy were insurrectionist traitors (much like the current GOP). On the fringes of the convention, Congressman Dan Crenshaw, from Houston, got in a much-publicized scuffle with some right-wing provocateurs, led by online troll Alex Stein. 16), the Texas Republican Party victory chairman for 2022. The Texas Republican Party isnt just ignoring science, theyre pushing against it. Our country is on a trajectory to self-destruct, unless we change the direction.. The Republican Party of Texas released its 2022 platform today. The themes ran dark, and activists spoke in apocalyptic, even cataclysmic, terms about the state of the country. Two themes are clear this year: From formally rejecting President Bidens 2020 win to outlawing LGBTQ+ marriage, the Texas GOP has unabashedly solidified their swing to the far-right. That elected officials dont enact the platform is among the most common criticisms youll hear from those who draft it. For more information, please see our In addition, Texas Republicans called for the ban of gender-affirming care including the distribution of puberty blockers or hormone-suppressing therapies, and the performance of gender-affirming surgeries for anyone under the age of 21. The GOP is hacking away at our autonomy by controlling our uteruses, our identities, and our access to healthcare, as if the ability to control our own bodies isnt intrinsic to the idea of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness that they ceaselessly invoke. The proceedingsclarified how party grandees feel about the platform. Bylaws; . The new platform, which thousands of GOP activists in Texas agreed to at the state party convention over the weekend, is a veritable piata bursting with far-right extremist fantasies.It states . In the words of Progress Texas President Ed Espinoza: Normally what happens is, when theres crazy in a party, people try to soften it. The Texas Republican Party officially rejected the results of the 2020 presidential election over the weekend, passing a resolution in its platform that falsely blames election fraud in. (1) "The laws of nature and nature's God," and we support the strict adherence to the original 93 - The State Of Police Reform, Part 2 - San Antonio City Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez, Events celebrating Black History Month across Texas in 2023, Ep. The issue of gender has nothing to do with education, said Cindi Castilla, president of the Texas Eagle Forum and who served on the party platform committee. The 2022 platform now calls homosexuality an abnormal lifestyle choice. The language is more emotive and forceful than in the past couple of years. In 2022, the Texas GOP still says President Joe Biden didnt legitimately win the 2020 election, and the new platform supports the Texas Attorney Generals continued investigation of voter fraud claims. Nevertheless, the Texas GOP platform also supports repealing the 16th amendment or the Federal Income Tax, which gives Congress the power to collect taxes from states. Fleeing for Your Life? The Texas Republicans are trying to rewrite history with a party platform that calls for the restoration of any confederate monuments that have been removed anywhere in Texas. The same blueprint applies in 2022, and to an even greater degree. Oher platform priorities include limiting how much a citizen can donate to their favorite politicians. She does everything from covering crime beats, Texas politics, and community activism. City Employees Are Heading for the Exits. The display at the Texas Alliance for Life booth illustrates the development of a fetus during the Texas State Republican Convention at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston on Friday. The GOPs new platform also requires teaching students that life begins at fertilization and requires students to learn about the Humanity of the Preborn Child. Moreover, Texas Republicans suggest students watch and listen to live ultrasounds, the growing stages of fetal development, the Miracle of Life, and more. Weve previously shot down Republican talking points on guns, yet it seems no matter how many Texans lose their lives, young or old, the GOPs guns will remain more important than life itself. We believe in: 3. At a time when newsroom resources and revenue across the country are declining, The Texas Tribune remains committed to sustaining our mission: creating a more engaged and informed Texas with every story we cover, every event we convene and every newsletter we send. The pickups falseness is appropriate for a political movement that is becoming more and more radical in pursuit of what it likes to call traditional values. But it would be tough for even the most ideological legislators to adopt the planks wholesale: they are always a jumble of often-contradictory messages. But their platform calls for the Texas Legislature to put secession up for vote in 2023. June 24, 2022. The Texas Republican Party rejected the results of the 2020 election, labeled being gay as "abnormal" and vowed to protect access to guns in its . Last week, the president signed an executive order that will direct federal health and education agencies to expand access to gender-affirming care and advance LGBTQ-inclusive learning environments at American schools. "This is not surprising, but it certainly is painful for LGBTQ people who live here in Texas. So are we, thats why were fighting back against the right-wing lie machine. Perhaps it goes without saying but producing quality journalism isn't cheap. when he took the floor for even proposing it. 2022 Republican Primary Ballot Propositions, 88th Session Legislative Priorities Talking Points, Republican Party of Texas Officially Censures Rep. Tony Gonzales, Resolution Urging Support for the Keep Nine Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, Texas Republican wins state House seat in runoff election - KYMA, Republican Gary Gates Wins Texas House District 28 Special Election Runoff, Texas Republican wins state House seat in runoff election - KVIA, Texas Republican wins state House seat in runoff election - KRDO, Update from Chairman Dickey, December 2019 James Dickey, Update from Chairman Dickey, December 2019, Update from Chairman Dickey, November 2019 James Dickey, Update from Chairman Dickey, November 2019. During the last regular legislative session, Rep. Steve Toth, R-The Woodlands, filed a bill that defined personhood at fertilization and would provide due process to a fetus. Link to 2020 Platform. What is even more infuriating is the unwillingness of our party leaders, including Chairman Matt Rinaldi, to even look us in the eye and seek understanding of our values and principles.. The Texas Republican Party spent Juneteenth weekend, ironically, finalizing one of the most racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, and ageist platforms weve seen in recent years. Show us with your support. Republicans have controlled every statewide elected office in Texas since 1999 and both houses of the Legislature since 2003, so the wishes of the partys populist, pro-Trump base inevitably affect actions taken in Austin. The mascot of the convention this year, if not its star, wasnt a politician at all, but Lieutenant Governor Dan Patricks pickup truck, which got a berth of honor in the gatherings trade show. There simply arent limits now on what the base might ask for.. Parents may try to restrict what their own kids read or who they love, but they do not have the right to restrict others, Capo said, not in a truly free society.. Consider, for example, the proceedings in 2014, when convention delegates got ready to pass a platform that endorsed net neutrality, a regulatory measure supported by internet companies and opposed by telecom companies. Donald Trump Jr. put out a statement in support of the Log Cabin Republicans getting a booth. Christopher Hooks writes mostly about Texas politics and occasionally about more serious subjects. 3. Patrick is from Baltimore, of course, and his childhood home probably saw more delivery vans than pickup trucks. A difference of degrees is still a difference, however, and those degrees can add up over the years. Everything is topsy-turvy. But its worth pointing out how deeply weird it is. Here's the Republican platform for 2022. Kennedy is a recent graduate of the University of St.Thomas in Houston where she served as Editor-in-Chief of the Celt Independent. The Republican Party of Texas is considering censuring a GOP congressman from the state for his votes in favor of marriage equality and gun control. Find a complete list of them here. Encourage the building and operation of nuclear power plants. Updated: 5 PM Central. 2022, 10:41 AM. What we put in the standards is factual and balanced, Patricia Hardy, a Republican board member from Fort Worth, told the Tribune Saturday after the platform vote. A Federal Judge in Amarillo Could Effectively Ban the Abortion Pill. Thats saying a lot, because many of the planks are repeats from their 2016 and 2018 platforms. I believe that in the sovereignty of God, you and I were purposely born into this moment, into this confusing time that we face, Campbell said. Some womens health advocates and public education leaders criticized the policies as harmful and discriminatory and questioned the legality of barring the teaching of gender and sexuality in schools. Oh but the bigotry doesnt stop there! Ohio, Nebraska, Kansas and Texas are all pursuing legislation that would prevent men who identify as women from competing in womens' sports. The state also has seen a push from far-right lawmakers and conservative parents to remove obscene content from school libraries and classrooms. The 37-year-old Republican presidential candidate, who confirmed he has a net worth of approximately $600 million, told Garrett that he intends to self-finance his campaign. If not for the rise of Trump , some of the discriminatory language used by the Republican Party may have receded. ", "I'm glad that they're being really explicit in their words because these words now match their actions," Martinez said. Back then, speakers would describe it as the largest gathering of its kind in a free country, or some such boast. They want to get to the point where we can say, Well, no, this is a person. Put lives at risk by defending the NRA. The platform plank also states that students should witness a live ultrasound and watch a Miracle of Life type video. The 1982 film documents the human reproductive process from conception to birth. The Texas Republican Party spent Juneteenth weekend, ironically, finalizing one of the most racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, and ageist platforms weve seen in recent years. Texas Republicans did well in the 2020 elections even though Biden won 46.5% of the Texas vote, the highest proportion for a Democrat since 1976 and this year, culture-war issues were once again at front and center. What happened on, Secession is ridiculous, never going to happen, and. . shift the party further to the right on Saturday. https://texassignal.com/author/kennedysessions/, Texas lawmaker proposes age-appropriate book bill, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo wins re-election race. Finally, the platform committee presents a draft document to the entire State Convention, and delegates are given the opportunity to vote yes or no on each individual plank. As a result, the 2022 GOP feels free to veer to the right to its hearts content, confident that it wont come back to haunt the party in November, except perhaps in a half dozen races, Jones said. The bill died in committee. 433. Eight mass shootings in 13 years has only led them to call for more guns blazing in every nook and cranny that Texas has to offer. Follow. In recent months, conservative lawmakers, television pundits and other public figures have accused opponents of anewly enacted Florida education legislation which critics have dubbed the Dont Say Gay law of trying togroom or indoctrinate children. Texas Republicans, who hold a majority of both chambers, want to do the exact opposite. Buy tickets. End of sentence. Axioss write-up concurred: Texas GOP goes full MAGA.. And Texas Republicans wont stop there. by Kate McGee According to the platform, it is the landmark civil rights legislation itself that needs to be cleared out: We support equal suffrage for all United States citizens of voting age. To save you the queasiness that comes from reading all 40 pages of hateful text, heres a brief rundown of their 2022 platform: 1. But a decade or so ago the convention regularly boasted ten thousand or more attendees. Texas Republicans refuse to consider common sense gun laws, even if it means sacrificing the lives . The Log Cabin Republicans have never been allowed to participate in the convention. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. As the convention closed, two separate sets of ballots one allowing delegates to choose eight of 15 legislative priorities and another allowing delegates to vote on the 275 platform planks were gathered. 27.4K views. Thank you for subscribing - we will be in touch soon! Therefore, federally mandated legislation that infringes upon the 10th Amendment rights of Texas should be ignored, opposed, refused, and nullified. Observers cite the partys convention as evidence that state Republicans have gone full MAGA. But if anything, MAGA folks are following Texas. by Kennedy Sessions | Jun 20, 2022 | News, Republican Party. Its like they havent been on the same plane of reality as the rest of us. Abbotts reticence to talk to anyone, including right-wingers, outside of carefully controlled venues isnt news. 1,106 Following. Eleanor Dearman. We are here to break down the latest news from the Texas Legislative session in Austin. They approved measures declaring that President Joe Biden was not legitimately elected and rebuking Sen. John Cornyn for taking part in bipartisan gun talks. In the, Ep. The, Texas GOP argues in their platform that hate crime laws should be repealed. Some people are very susceptible to conspiracy theory, and that appears to be a higher percentage the deeper you go into the Republican Party of Texas. BJA:L(<5p`$dm >jgar *r2RXVh+Te$$zV=+wpuYO#Cu. Greg Abbott's anti-refugee policies on November 22, 2015 in Austin, Texas. The Republican Party of Texas wrapped up its biennial convention on Saturday, after thousands of delegates voted on the party's legislative priorities, as well as its latest platform . FollowNBC OutonTwitter,Facebook&Instagram. The final platform is the culmination of work by grassroots delegates who are the lifeblood of the Texas Republican Party. A February survey from the University of Texas at Austin found that 22 percent of Republican respondents . According to the proposal, the Texas GOP declared homosexuality an abnormal lifestyle choice, opposes same-sex marriage, and believes in repealing the Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court decision. The convention was noteworthy for the relatively low profile of top officeholders. Week in Review Another Nearly no other issue has embodied the backward obsessions of the modern-day Texas GOP more than the fight for transgender rights in Texas. The additions to the state GOP platform related to teaching Texas students about sex and sexuality come months after Gov. What this weekend's festivities in Texas make clear is that there is an active and ongoing effort to purge the Republican Party of anyone and everyone who a) criticizes Donald Trump or his. They will have a heavy presence in Texas with mobile billboards in Austin, Dallas, and Amarillo, which is the site of a For press releases, tips, and pitches, email editor@texassignal.com. The Texas Republican Party unveiled its official position on LGBTQ issues over the weekend, defining homosexuality as an "abnormal lifestyle choice" and also opposing "all efforts to validate transgender identity.". Austin, TX texasgop.org Born July 4 Joined May 2009. We believe in: 83 3. ", "President Trump, who historically expanded the GOPs coalition, made clear that LGBT conservatives are welcome in the America First movement and the Republican Party," the organization said in a statement last week. If not for the rise of Trump , some of the discriminatory language used by the Republican Party may have receded.