The Texas Republican Convention has ended in Houston, with more than five thousand delegates voting on legislative priorities and the party's platform over the next two years.
The platform includes 273 items, including recommendations for the United States to withdraw from the United Nations, for the state and federal governments to deny funding to "sanctuary cities" and locations that "are not compliant with immigration laws," a list of "fair elections procedures" and a requirement for in-person voting.
"We must improvise, adapt and overcome to defeat our enemy," Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said during a speech at the convention. "This new battlefield is between patriots and traitors."
Delegates also voted on 15 legislative priorities. They were allowed to choose eight.
Among priorities listed were measures to "stop sexualizing Texas kids," "ban gender modification of children," and "parental rights and educational freedom," which declared, "the right to education shall be free from any social theories." The educational freedom priority also says parental rights should include school funding that follows a child to the school the parents choose.
Other priorities include a ban on Democrats chairing legislative committees, a ban on abortions in Texas, "defend our gun rights," and "secure the border and protect Texans."
"Nationally, as well as in Texas, we understand now the importance of social conservatism," National Committeeman for the Republican Party of Texas Robing Armstrong said. "We understand Republicans are the only pro-life and pro-family party in this country. We now clearly represent the working man in the United States of America."
Texas GOP also adopted two resolutions. One "rejected" results of the 2020 election:
"2020 Election: 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. We believe that substantial election fraud in key metropolitan areas significantly affected the results in five key states in favor of Joseph Robinette Biden Jr.
We reject the certified results of the 2020 Presidential election, and we hold that acting President Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. was not legitimately elected by the people of the United States. We strongly urge all Republicans to work to ensure election integrity and to show up to vote in November of 2022, bring your friends and family, volunteer for your local Republicans, and overwhelm any possible fraud."
A proposed amendment would have added:
"We support the due process rights of the protestors charged with crimes stemming from the events on January 6, 2021. We believe that the rights of those charged with crimes have been violated. We reject the narrative promoted by the mainstream media and Democrats in Congress, that the events at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021 were an insurrection and that acts of sedition were committed by participants in those events."
The initial resolution was passed, but the amendment was rejected. Texas GOP Chair Matt Rinaldi said the motion was made out of order and could not be voted on.
The other resolution rebuked Sen. John Cornyn and eight other Republican Senators involved in bipartisan discussions about gun legislation.
"All gun control is a violation of the Second Amendment and our God given rights," the resolution reads, saying people under 21 are most likely to be victims of violent crime and "thus most likely to need to defend themselves."
The resolution also calls red flag laws "pre-punishment of people not adjudicated guilty" and says waiting periods to buy guns "harm those who need to acquire the means of self defense in emergencies such as riots."
The two resolutions passed, but voting on which priorities to include and which items to include in the party's platform are still being certified.
Following the GOP’s 2022 platform, Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa released the following statement:
"The platform adopted by the Texas GOP this weekend is among the most extreme political doctrines this country has seen in decades. Texas Republicans showed us that they live in a parallel universe full of conspiracy-fueled hate -- and that they have a truly twisted view of our democracy and Constitution.
"From saying that our LGBT siblings are living an ‘abnormal lifestyle choice’ just for living as God created them, to declaring President Biden illegitimate, to transphobic trash that deserves no ink, to requiring students to listen to live ultrasounds, to aggressively rebuking even the mildest of gun safety legislation, the Texas GOP has shown that they have gone beyond the pale -- and that they are too extreme to govern this beautiful, diverse state.
"This November, we have a choice to leave behind the stupid, racist, divisive, bigoted culture wars these Republicans choose to promulgate -- and head toward a better Texas: one where the lights turn on; where children are safe from gun violence; where all Texans feel included; and where working families are looked after and cared for, not caught in the crossfire of whatever the day’s culture war may be."
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