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. 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,. One reason might be that years ago the convention was a place where factions of the party would come together and vigorously contest ideas. Jones said that Republican redistricting has made incumbents safer and less inclined to appeal to moderates. The Texas Republican Party on Saturday voted on two new party platform planks aimed at barring the teaching of sex and sexuality in schools while simultaneously calling on Texas schools to teach the dignity of the preborn human and that life begins at fertilization. 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. But the difference from prior conventions was one of degrees. Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. Were meant to be alive, at this time, right now, and here in this state.. Fire Ants Have Unleashed Chaos in Texas for Decades. 95 - The State Of Abortion Care in Texas with AVOW and Jane's Due Process, Ep. According to the GOP, its not the failing grid, the winter storms, or the bass-ackwards policy making that has impaired Texas, but the U.S. government. A more aggressive party platform sends a clear message to politicians about where the base is going, Rottinghaus said. Thousands of Republican activists met at the partys biennial convention in Houston on Saturday to agree to the party's platform on a range of issues, including the rejection of the 2020 election results and a call to repeal of the 1965 Voting Right Act, which was enacted to prevent discrimination against Black voters. In case there was any doubt where Texass organised Republicans stand, they have included in their platform the following resolution: We believe that the 2020 election violated Article 1 and 2 of the US Constitution, that various secretaries of state illegally circumvented their state legislatures in conducting their elections in multiple ways, including by allowing ballots to be received after November 3, 2020. Unfortunately, the ball is already rolling in their direction. Ricardo Martinez, the CEO of Equality Texas, a statewide LGBTQ advocacy group, called the platform "extreme, but not necessarily new. Republican House Speaker Jason Stephens noted at a press conference that the legislation aims to "protect . Now theres little to contest. Do you value our journalism? Welcome to the Texas Legislative Round-up! "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. Paid for by the Republican Party of Texas and not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. Look up the definition of sore loser in any dictionary and you might find a red elephant. We report on vital issues from politics to education and are the indispensable authority on the Texas scene, covering everything from music to cultural events with insightful recommendations. FollowNBC OutonTwitter,Facebook&Instagram. Party platforms are often used as a cudgel in party primaries. The Texas Republican platform was once considered the musings of the most fringe elements of the party, mocked or ignored by elected leaders and most others. The Texas Republican Party's new platform also counters President Joe Biden's recent efforts to expand LGBTQ rights through the executive branch. The group included self-identified Proud Boys and Alex Stein, a social media activist from North Texas. Texas Republicans ended a three-day convention Saturday with votes on a swath of proposed changes to their platform that would pull the party further right. The Republican Party of Texas refuses to recognize the legitimacy of President Biden's election win. 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. Texas Republicans have included a plank in their platform urging the legislature to allow Texans to vote on whether the state should secede from the United States. Mon 20 Jun 2022 11.28 EDT Last modified on Mon 20 Jun 2022 17.35 EDT The Republican party in Texas has officially adopted a series of extreme-right positions that includes claims Joe. Yes, the 2022 Texas GOP Platform Is Extreme. The 2022 platform adopted all planks presented in the Committee Report at the statewide convention, plus 2 planks presented on the floor of the convention. Texas GOP goes full MAGA at 2022 convention. The Texas Republican Party isnt just ignoring science, theyre pushing against it. The Republican Party of Texas released its 2022 platform today. 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 . 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 . Texas retains the right to secede from the United States, and the Texas Legislature should be called upon to pass a referendum consistent thereto. Take for example, LGBTQ issues. Video posted online showed far-right activists physically accosting U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw, calling the conservative Republican eye-patch McCain over his criticism of Russia. Protesters swarmed Crenshaw and his entourage, peppering him with questions about his globalist ties and calling him eyepatch McCain. (Crenshaw is a former Navy SEAL who lost an eye in Afghanistan, and the reference to the late U.S. senator John McCain of Arizona was intended, and heard, as an insult in a party whose members now share Trumps disdain for the late war hero.) Deeming gender identity disorder a genuine and extremely rare mental health condition, requiring official documents to adhere to biological gender, and allowing civil penalties and monetary compensation to de-transitioners who have received gender-affirming surgery, which the platform calls a form of medical malpractice. The platforms authors describe homosexuality as an abnormal lifestyle choice and declare that they oppose all efforts to validate transgender identity while also calling for an end to any restriction on people practicing the harmful counselling methods widely referred to as conversion therapy for LGBT+ people. Its free. 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. Party conventions are supposed to win a public spotlight for the party in question. They benefit from causing us to question the foundations that this country was built upon. The Republican Party of Texas released its 2022 platform today. c. Support repeal of the 16th Amendment (Federal Income Tax). Another indication of dysfunction was who didnt speak. However, the hardline nature of the platform is nonetheless indicative of where the states Republican base stands. A political party platform (US English), party program, or party manifesto (preferential term in British & often Commonwealth English) is a formal set of principal goals which are supported by a political party or individual candidate, in order to appeal to the general public, for the ultimate purpose of garnering the general public's support and votes about complicated topics or issues. Every week, well give you the honest take on the news that impacts you without pretending it doesnt. So they require legal protections, criminal protection, constitutional protections. Thats saying a lot, because many of the planks are repeats from their. The group rebuked the party's decision to bar it from participating, calling on the state's GOP to "expand the tent. Folks aren't laughing anymore. Before delegates voted on the platform, party activists delivered fiery speeches attacking Democrats. including by many of his own former aides, treated COVID patients with unapproved drug therapies. The state GOPhas called for the VRAs repeal in every platform in the past decade, well predating Trumps appearance on the scene. Consider donating today to help us stay in this fight. Christopher Hooks writes mostly about Texas politics and occasionally about more serious subjects. But their platform calls for the Texas Legislature to put secession up for vote in 2023. Our Republican-led state legislature has done nothing but tear Texas to shreds in the last two years and the federal government has done little to help. In addition to a number of controversial policy planks, it also called on the state legislature to authorize a referendum on secession from the United States. Paid for by the Republican Party of Texas and not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. Considering hate crime rates are higher than they have been in over a decade, we think otherwise. The Republican Party of Texas passed its latest platform on Saturday, including two sections of anti-LGBT beliefs. 16), the Texas Republican Party victory chairman for 2022. 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. 27.4K views. 91 - Mesquite City Council Member Jeff Casper and TX House Rep. Venton Jones, Ep. 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. David Faris. In the words of Progress Texas President Ed Espinoza: Normally what happens is, when theres crazy in a party, people try to soften it. Can College Sports Get More Absurd Than SMU Joining the Pac-12? The platform-drafting process at the Texas Republican convention is a sort of day-care program for the grassroots. 5. We are here to break down the latest news from the Texas Legislative session in Austin. Dan Patrick, who effectively controls the state Senate, addressed the convention, but House Speaker Dade Phelan only spoke at a luncheon, not to the main body of delegates. Donald Trump radicalized the party and accelerated the demands from the base. On another note, the party also reignited its obsession with seceding from the United States, urging Texas lawmakers to create a referendum for Texas voters in the 2023 general election. In the platform voted on by . 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 platform, meanwhile, always contains ludicrously extreme planks and is mostly irrelevant when it comes to actually passing bills. Elsewhere, the GOP platform also added that Texas students should learn about the dignity of the preborn human and that life begins at fertilization. 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. Our country is on a trajectory to self-destruct, unless we change the direction.. 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. The additions to the state GOP platform related to teaching Texas students about sex and sexuality come months after Gov. Campbell and other activists frequently spoke of their Christian faith. Could they do it? On Saturday, thousands of Texas Republicans approved a new platform at the 2022 party convention in Houston, and it immediately caused a furor. They have rights that are just as valid and equal. On Saturday, thousands of Texas Republicans approved a new platform at the 2022 party convention in Houston, and it immediately caused a furor. It seems hard to believe that Trump, a veteran of the New York nightclub scene in the seventies and eighties, cares about tormenting transgender children and their families nearly as much as many Texas Republican officials do. It shouldn't need to be said, but the Confederacy was racist and those who fought for the Confederacy were insurrectionist traitors (much like the current GOP). Are you tired of Texas Republicans pushing big lies and trying to steal your vote? In the Washington Post, Greg Sargent wrote that the 2022 platform lays bare some ugly truths about how radical the abandonment of democracy among some Republicans has truly become, singling out one plank in particular that calls for the repeal of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. 3 min read WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republicans in Texas formally rejected President Joe Biden's election in 2020 as illegitimate and voted in a state-wide convention. 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. 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. Many delegates at the convention argued that young children dont need to learn about issues of gender and sexuality, including conversations and lessons about people who are transgender. Illustrated | iStock. Our Republican-led state legislature has done nothing but tear Texas to shreds in the last two years and the federal government has done little to help. A Federal Judge in Amarillo Could Effectively Ban the Abortion Pill. Nearly every plank mentioning the environment is pro-pollution. A previous version of this story reported the percentage as 90.08% for Plank 225 based on information provided by the Republican Party of Texas. And at a time where enthusiasm among more moderate voters of both parties is sagging, these voters could play a disproportionate role in deciding who holds power especially in lower-level offices that wield substantial influence over many Texans everyday lives. Texas lawmakers have not enacted anti-LGBTQ legislation into law this year but have pushed headline-generating anti-LGBTQ policies in other ways. The new platform follows a series of headline-generating anti-LGBTQ policies proposed by Texas lawmakers. 2022-RPT-Platform. A Navy SEAL veteran, Crenshaw lost his right eye to a bomb in Afghanistan. "Homosexuality is an abnormal lifestyle choice," the 40-page resolution reads. If it has a heartbeat, it's a human, right?. But this year, national media pored over the partys interminably long platform, highlighting language that declared the 2020 presidential election results illegitimate, endorsed a referendum that would allow Texas voters to declare their secession from the United States, and called for the states schoolchildren to be drilled on the humanity of the preborn child. The platform also declared homosexuality an abnormal lifestyle choice, and called for Texas to strengthen the electric grid, not with regulations that keep the lights on in other states hit by extreme weather that our own leaders are averse to, but rather to defend against mythical electromagnetic pulse weapons.. The Log House Republicans of Houston released a statement in response to their partys platform calling it disappointing and infuriating., Through efforts of a vocal and organized minority, inflammatory, hurtful and unnecessary language was added to our partys platform, the organization wrote. But Little of It Is New. One of them was the conventions attendance. The platform also wishes to repeal the 1965 Voting Rights Act, a monumental federal policy that granted minorities, more specifically Black people, the right to vote without the burden of literacy tests, poll taxes, and intimidation at voting centers. Oher platform priorities include limiting how much a citizen can donate to their favorite politicians. National observers have written that these were all signs the party had lurched dramatically to the right. Somewhere between four thousand and five thousand showed up, which is not unimpressive. 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). 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. June 18, 20228 PM Central. Greg Abbott, who is seeking a third term in the November election, only appeared at a reception on Thursday on the sidelines of the convention. The Confederacy did not fight for states rights, they fought for the right to hold Black people as property. Abbotts reticence to talk to anyone, including right-wingers, outside of carefully controlled venues isnt news. Sen. John Cornyn addressing the Texas Republican Convention in Houston, Texas, June 17, 2022. In addition to a number . Think taxpayer money should not fund or subsidize high speed rail. Despite over two years in office, a 51.3% to 46.8% win, and no evidence of widespread voter fraud, the Texas GOP is claiming Bidens win null. 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. By WILL WEISSERT June 21, 2022 WASHINGTON (AP) Ten years ago, the Texas Republican Party used its platform to oppose teaching critical thinking in schools. And Texas Republicans wont stop there. 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. They: 7. In 2015, Texas conservatives set their eyes on repealing the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO), which expanded civil rights Today, the start of Womens History Month, Mayday.Health is launching a multi-day education campaign centered around accessing abortion pills. People stood up and booed U.S. Sen. John Cornyn as he spoke about potential gun legislation during the Republican Party of Texas 2022 convention in Houston on Friday. Now, whats left of our reproductive rights are slowly trickling away. HOUSTON Meeting at their first in-person convention since 2018, Texas Republicans on Saturday acted on a raft of resolutions and proposed platform changes to move their party even further to the right. We Texans cannot and we will not allow this to happen.. Paid for by the Republican Party of Texas and not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. Treating homosexuality as an abnormal lifestyle choice, language that was not included in the 2018 or 2020 party platforms. Texans protest Republican Gov. In April 2022 polling, for example, 87% of Texas Republicans said that " the sex listed on a person's original birth certificate should be the only way to define a person's gender," while only 9% said that gays and lesbians face "a lot" of discrimination in America today, compared to 31% who said the same of Christians and 34% who said the same What happened on, Secession is ridiculous, never going to happen, and. Daniel Vaughn is the countrys first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have. 94 - Why Texas Cities Need YOU To Run For Office: Steven Monacelli of The Texas Observer, Ep. 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. After labeling homosexuality an abnormal lifestyle choice, they also call for the nullification of, (the landmark case making marriage equality the law of the land) with the goal of outlawing LGBTQ+ marriage regardless of state of origin.. Their next step is to criminalize abortion, go after Plan B, and restrict birth control. (Photo: Erich Schlegel/Getty Images) Our commitment to ethical, fact-based journalism is vital to our democracy, and we cant do it without you. They booed Senator John Cornyn when he took the floor for even proposing it. Put lives at risk by defending the NRA. We believe in: 3. The Republican-dominated Legislature last year passed new voting restrictions that prompted Democratic lawmakers to flee to Washington to break quorum in an ultimately futile protest. The Democratic Party are now a party of chaos. when he took the floor for even proposing it. They also voted on a platform that declares homosexuality an abnormal lifestyle choice and calls for Texas schoolchildren to learn about the humanity of the preborn child.. Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. BAN ALL ABORTION FROM THE MOMENT OF FERTILIZATION. Throughout the document, Republicans emphasized the importance of Western Civilization and supported Biblical texts like the Bible, Ten Commandments and prayers mandated in public schools and state facilities. 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. 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. Immigration continued to be a major theme, with delegates lamenting Bidens reversal of Trump-era border policies. 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. Significant gains by Texas Democrats in state House elections in 2018 raised the prospect of the Republican Party losing its dominant status in Texas, making it moderate its platform in 2020 to focus on bread-and-butter issues. Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle via AP. And earlier this month, a Texas lawmaker announced that he would introduce novel legislation to ban minors from attending drag shows in the state. But in 2018 and 2020, the platform still called it an abnormal lifestyle choice, just in a polite way, writing that homosexual sex was not part of Gods biblical design and is contrary to the foundation for all great nations in Western Civilization. That softened language was the aberration: prior to 2018, the platform condemned homosexuality as an aberration and insult to God that tears at the fabric of society and spreads communicable diseases.. Cars Spun Doughnuts in Austin, And Greg Abbott Got Furious, Fast, Wendy Davis Returns to the Texas Capitol and a Whole New Political Landscape. 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. Oh, and why not regress even further by repealing all hate crime laws? 2. While there are already legislative moves underway across the US to curtail what children can be taught about sex, sexual orientation and gender, the Texas GOP platform goes much further instead calling for these subjects to be eradicated from schools altogether: We demand the State Legislature pass a law prohibiting the teaching of sex education, sexual health, or sexual choice or identity in any public school in any grade whatsoever, or disseminating or permitting the dissemination by any party of any material regarding the same. The GOP platform also supports abolishing the Federal Reserve and alternatives to cash including cryptocurrency. In searching for a mythic past that never was, the delegates at the convention promise to take us to places weve never been. June 18, 2022 91.3K Followers. "We believe there should be no granting of special legal entitlements or creation of special status for homosexual behavior, regardless of state of origin, and we oppose any criminal or civil penalties against those who oppose homosexuality out of faith, conviction, or belief in traditional values.". Thats saying a lot, because many of the planks are repeats from their 2016 and 2018 platforms. At its Houston convention Saturday, the state GOP put forth a party platform that calls to "abolish . If Texas 6-week abortion ban, without exception for rape or incest, wasnt enough, the Texas GOP wants abortion outlawed and criminalized from the moment of conception. Secession is ridiculous, never going to happen, and legally impossible. We recognize that gender identity disorder is a genuine and extremely rare mental health condition and that denial of an immutable gender binary not only denies those with the condition proper mental healthcare but also leads to physically and psychologically abusive social transitioning as well as irreversible physical mutilation, Texas GOP delegates wrote. Its like they havent been on the same plane of reality as the rest of us. The extremeness did not stop at the platform. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Likes. They want in-person voting condensed to three days, with no gap between the first day of Early Voting and Election Day. . It demands repealing the Affordable Care Act, which the platform calls in the proposal unconstitutional.. Schools arent the social educators of our kids.. Tags: Texas . Nearly 90% support a vote on TEXIT. in 13 years has only led them to call for more guns blazing in every nook and cranny that Texas has to offer. Whats Up With All the Kangaroos on the Loose in Texas? Just before Biden's inauguration in 2021, armed groups held a rally in front of the Texas State . This year, state senator Brandon Creighton from Conroe, north of Houston, rather limply described the event as one of the largest gatherings of conservative patriots in the country.Its not clear why attendance dropped, and Republicans I interviewed offered a range of explanations. WHEREAS, The Medina County Republican Party, at its February 2023 Executive Committee meeting, passed a "Resolution of Censure of United States Congressman Tony Gonzales" which identified, among other grievances, the following five actions taken during the current biennium (which began on June 18, 2022, when the 2022 Republican Party of . Repealing the VRA would be radicalits one of the most beneficial pieces of legislation in the history of the country, having made imperfect democracies of Southern states for the first time in their history. The platform plank does not specify which grades should get these lessons, except to say that high school students should read the Womans Right to Know booklet.