Report of 2018 Permanent Platform &
Resolutions Committee
2018 Permanent Platform Committee Members
Mark S. Ramsey, P.E., Chairi
Tracy Vincent, SD 1
Ray Myers, SD 2
Jeff Leblanc, SD 3
Allison Winter, SD 4
Steve Armbruster, SD 5
Marco Antonio Roberts, SD6
Alan D. Vera, SD 7
Jerry A Madden, SD 8
Anthony Reed, SD 9
Faith Bussey, SD 10
H Scott Apley, SD 11

Peyton Inge, SD 12
Beth Akin, SD 13
William Lan Lutz, Jr., SD 14
Rolando Garcia, SD 15
Matthew Patrick, SD 16
Roman Klein, SD17
Todd Gallaher, SD18
Warrington Lee Austerman, SD19
Brandey Batey, SD 20
Brian Hill, SD 21
Paul D. Perry, SD 22

Pastor Stephen Broden, SD 23
William (Bill) R. Hussey, SD 24
Beth Cubriel, SD 25
David Westbrook, SD 26
Morgan Graham, SD 27
Jim Baxa, SD 28
Mark Dunham, SD 29
MerryLynn Gerstenschlager, SD 30
Dusty Gallivan, SD 31
Linda Nuttall, Editor
Victoria Kendig, Editor

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Preamble

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1. Affirming our belief in God, we still hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,
that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty,
and the Pursuit of Happiness. Throughout the world, people dare to dream of freedom and opportunity.
The Republican Party of Texas unequivocally defends that dream. We strive to preserve the freedom
given to us by God, implemented by our Founding Fathers, and embodied in the Constitution. We
recognize that the traditional family is the strength of our nation. It is our solemn duty to protect innocent
life and develop responsible citizens. We understand that our economic success depends upon free
market principles. If we fail to maintain our sovereignty, we risk losing the freedom to live these ideals.

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Principles

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2. We, the 2018 Republican Party of Texas, believe in this platform and expect our elected leaders to
uphold these truths through acknowledgment and action. We believe in:

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1) “The laws of nature and nature’s God,” and we support the strict adherence to the original
language and intent of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitutions of the United States
and of Texas.

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2) The sanctity of innocent human life, created in the image of God, which should be protected
from fertilization to natural death.

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3) Preserving American and Texas sovereignty and freedom.

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4) Limiting government power to those items enumerated in the United States and Texas
Constitutions.

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5) Personal accountability and responsibility.
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6) Self-sufficient families, founded on the traditional marriage of a natural man and a natural
woman.

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7) Having an educated population, with parents having the freedom of choice for the education of
their children.

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10. 8) The inalienable right of all people to defend themselves and their property.

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11. 9) A free enterprise society unencumbered by government interference or subsidies.

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12. 10) Honoring all of those that serve and protect our freedom.

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Business, Commerce, and Transportation

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13. Carbon Tax: We oppose all efforts to classify carbon dioxide as a pollutant. We further urge the US
Senate to defeat the “Cap-and-Trade” legislation, as it is outside the authority of the US Constitution.
[Federal]

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14. Counseling and Therapy: No laws or executive orders shall be imposed to limit or restrict access to
sexual orientation [change] counseling for self-motivated youth and adults. [State]

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15. Energy Production: We support free-market solutions and immediate removal of government barriers
and direct subsidies to the production, reformulation, refining, and distribution of energy. [Federal/State]

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16. Environment: We oppose environmentalism that obstructs legitimate business interests and private
property use, including the regulatory taking of property by governmental agencies. We oppose the abuse
of the Endangered Species Act to confiscate and limit the use of personal property and infringement on a
property owner’s livelihood. “Climate change” is a political agenda promoted to control every aspect of our
lives. We support the defunding of “climate justice” initiatives, the abolition of the Environmental Protection
Agency, and repeal of the Endangered Species Act. [Federal/State]

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17. Ethanol: We support the repeal of legislation mandating ethanol as a fuel additive and/or primary fuel.
[Federal]

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18. Government Accountability: We call upon the State Legislature to eliminate all special collective
bargaining statutes for public employees and to hold all public servants accountable to taxpayers through
existing civil statutes. We oppose any distribution of taxpayer dollars to unions. [Federal/State/Local]

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19. Hemp: We recognize industrial hemp as a valuable agricultural commodity. We urge the Texas
Legislature to pass legislation allowing cultivation, manufacture, and sale of industrial hemp and hemp
products. [State]

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20. Insurance: We encourage free-market solutions for providing utilities whenever possible. We support
that all types of insurance rates, to include (but not limited to) health, life, title, auto, and homeowner’s
insurance, should be set through free-market forces alone. [State]

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21. Windstorm Association: We urge the Texas Legislature to phase out the Texas Windstorm Insurance
Association to reduce the liabilities it imposes on state taxpayers. [State]

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22. International Organizations: We support United States withdrawal from the International Monetary
Fund, the World Trade Organization, and the World Bank. [Federal]

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23. Intrastate Commerce: We believe that goods and services that are not transported across state lines
should not be subject to federal regulations. [Federal]
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24. Licensing: We call upon the Texas Legislature to review all business/professional licensing programs
and associated licensing for boards for the purpose of abolishing as many as reasonably possible and
repealing those laws, rules, and regulations that exist merely to generate revenue from the licensing
process. [Texas]

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25. Minimum Wage: We believe the Minimum Wage Act should be repealed. [Federal]

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26. Municipal Preemption: We encourage the Legislature to preempt local government efforts to interfere
with the State’s sovereignty over business, employees, and property rights. This includes but is not limited
to burdensome regulations on short-term rentals, bags, sick leave, trees, and employee criminal
screening. We support preemption of city ordinances that dictate sick leave policies to private businesses.
[Local]

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27. Oil and Gas Producing Counties: Counties with oil and gas production, and adjacent counties, should
receive a portion of the production taxes the state collects so that the road system can be maintained for
the dual purpose of accommodating the needs of the industry and providing adequate public safety.
[Local]

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28. Power Grid: We urge that the Texas Legislature pass legislation to harden the Texas Electric Grid
against:

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1. Cyber attacks on the grid’s computerized command and control system.
2. Physical attacks on substations and major high voltage transformers.
3. Geomagnetic storms created by solar flares from the sun.
4. Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP).
[State]

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29. Practice Law: We support allowing any person to sit for the Texas State Bar Exam regardless of
where he or she received their law education, as long as criminal and ethical background requirements
are met. [State]

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30. Prevailing Wage: We oppose prevailing wage laws. [State]

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31. Regulatory Burden: We support action by the Texas Legislature clarifying existing state law without
attaching new taxes or fees to the fantasy sports industry, which would grow the size and scope of
government.

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32. Blue Laws: We urge the Texas Legislature to eliminate antiquated “Blue Laws.”

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33. Dodd-Frank: We support the immediate repeal of Dodd-Frank legislation.

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34. Three-Tier Alcohol System: We urge the Texas Legislature to adopt legislation eliminating the
mandatory three-tier system of alcohol production, distribution, and retail. Texans should have the
freedom to purchase alcohol directly from manufacturers, just as any other retail product.

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35. Regulating the Internet: We oppose all efforts to further regulate the internet in the United States or
internationally.

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36. Sarbanes-Oxley: In light of the high compliance costs imposed by the Sarbanes-Oxley regulations
and the destructive effects this law has had on innovation and capital formation, we support repeal of the
Sarbanes-Oxley legislation.

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37. Retirement Accounts: We support the repeal of the required minimum disbursement from retirement
accounts and inheritances.
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38. Social Security Opt-Out: We support reform to Social Security that allows people to opt out.

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39. Rural and Volunteer Fire Departments: We urge Congress to overturn the rules of the United States
Department of Labor restricting volunteerism by paid firefighters and emergency medical technician
personnel and support protections similar to those provided to National Guardsmen for service during
declared emergencies.

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40. Small Business: We urge the federal and state legislatures to reduce regulations on small businesses
and home-based work.

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41. Smart Meters: The Republican Party of Texas supports a no-cost opt-out for all Texas electric utility
customers, and the phaseout of smart meters (aka Advanced Meter Infrastructure), to be replaced with
mechanical, non-transmitting analog meters when software upgrades are required or the computer smart
meters require replacement due to mechanical failure or model upgrade requirements.

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42. Tidelands/Water Resources and Rights to State Waters: We demand that the State of Texas and all
coastal states enjoy and maintain jurisdiction and control of their offshore waters up to the international
water boundaries as well as state inland waterways in regards to all natural resources therein, and that the
federal government shall not set limits on harvesting or taking natural resources therein, nor allow foreign
entities to harvest or take such natural resources therein, including minerals, game, fisheries, and
hydrocarbons. Also, we demand that no entity shall usurp Texas’s original tideland boundaries.

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43. Trade Agreements: We support free trade as a necessary component of American capitalism and of
the United States’ influence in the world. We strongly oppose the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment
Partnership (TTIP), the Trade in Services Agreement (TISA), and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). We
demand the immediate withdrawal from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and the
Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). We demand the repeal of the current Fast Track
Authority/TPA.

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44. Toll Roads: We believe that tolls should come off the road when the debt is retired, and if the debt is
ever restructured or refinanced, the pay-off date needs to remain the same or receive voter approval in
order to extend the toll tax longer. Maintenance should then revert to the Texas Department of
Transportation (TxDOT). We oppose public-private partnerships, specifically regarding toll projects. We
oppose conversion of existing roads or lanes to toll roads.

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45. Toll Projects: We oppose the use of taxpayer money to subsidize, guarantee, prop up, or bail out any
toll projects, whether public or private, and we call upon both state and federal lawmakers to adequately
fund our highways without hidden taxes, tolls, or raiding emergency funds.

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46. Vehicle Inspection: No non-commercial vehicles should be required to obtain a state safety
inspection.

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47. Vehicle Registration: Vehicle registration should only be a one-time occurrence at the point of sale.

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48. Vehicle Sales: We support allowing consumers in Texas to be able to purchase automotive vehicles
directly from manufacturers.

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49. Unions: We support legislation requiring labor unions to obtain consent of the union member before
that member’s dues can be used for political purposes. We oppose card check. Texas should prohibit
governmental entities from collecting dues for labor unions through deductions from public employee
paychecks. We also encourage the adoption of a National Right to Work Act.

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50. Water Rights: While we support the decision by the Texas Supreme Court in preserving individuals’
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rights to their groundwater under their property and their right to capture it, we support tying surface rights
of ownership to groundwater rights of ownership. We support regulations that may put limits on a person’s
capture and use of groundwater if such use will negatively impact adjoining owners’ use of their
groundwater for private wells, their water supply, or agricultural use.

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51. Flooding Mitigation, Hurricane, and Early Warning of Impending Disaster: We support the immediate
study, implementation, and construction of projects that will:

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1. Address river, bayou, reservoir, and other flood threats to public and private property.
2. Seek the input of those most likely to be affected by a casualty to public and private property, to
include infrastructure and facilities that affect national security.
3. Address the risk of storm or tidal surge that affects the critical industries along the Gulf Coast.
4. Immediately create an early warning system that will immediately alert residents to an impending
flood, wind, or casualty weather event.
5. Establish regional Flood Control Districts where necessary for counties to resolve joint flooding
issues.
6. Provide for funds to complete these projects from federal, state, and local funds, to include
specifically targeted taxes for the purpose and never for any other purpose.
We strongly urge that the Republican Party of Texas make this a legislative priority for the 2019
Legislature. Government at all levels must work together to avoid the historical bent to push projects,
safety, and implementation into the future. Projects must be of most urgent priority now in order to avoid
further trauma; loss of life; loss of personal, government, and business wealth; and diminution of the tax
base.

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52. Workers Compensation: We urge the Legislature to resist making workers’ compensation mandatory
for all Texas employers.

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Constitutional Issues

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53. Keep Oath to the Constitution: The Republican Party of Texas calls for all who swear the oath to
support and maintain the limitations and clear meaning of the United States Constitution.

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54. Article V Convention of States: We reaffirm our support for our Texas State Legislators’ call for a
limited Article V Convention of States for the specific purpose of reducing the power of the federal
government, including fiscal responsibility, balanced budget, and term limits. Any proposed amendments
must be ratified by three-fourths of the states.

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55. State Sovereignty: Pursuant to Article 1 Section 1 of the Texas Constitution, the federal government
has impaired our right of local self-government. Therefore, federally mandated legislation that infringes
upon the 10th Amendment rights of Texas, should be ignored, opposed, refused, and nullified. Regulation
of Commerce in Article I Section 8 of the Constitution has exceeded the original intent. All attempts by the
federal judiciary to rule in areas not expressly enumerated by the United States Constitution should be
likewise nullified. Any federal enforcement activities that do occur in Texas should be conducted under the
authority of the county sheriff. (SCOTUS Ruling in 1997 Mack-Prinz vs. US)

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56. United States Senators: We support the repeal of the 17th Amendment of the United States
Constitution and the appointment of United States Senators by the state legislatures.

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57. Affirmative Action: We believe in equal opportunity for all citizens without regard to race or gender.
We believe in Martin Luther King’s dream of a color-blind society.
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58. Equal Rights Amendment: We call upon the 86th Texas Legislature to adopt a resolution clarifying
that the 1972 ratification by the 62nd Texas Legislature of the proposed Equal Rights Amendment to the
United States Constitution was valid only through March 22, 1979.

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59. Census: In accordance with Article I Section 2 of the United States Constitution, we support an actual
count of United States citizens only, and oppose Census Bureau estimates and the collection of all other
data.

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60. Recall Elections: We support the right to recall our elected officials.

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61. Executive Orders: We call upon the President of the United States to revoke all of President Obama’s
executive orders that violate our platform.

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62. Family Values: We support the affirmation of traditional Judeo-Christian family values and oppose the
continued assault on those values.

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63. Flag Desecration: We call for a constitutional amendment banning desecration of the flag.

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64. National Sovereignty: We will not enter any agreements with foreign countries or entities that violate
our Constitution.

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65. No Taxes for UN: We condemn any mechanism that allows US citizens to be taxed in order to fund
the UN.

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66. Defending Sovereignty: The United States is and must remain a sovereign nation independent of all
foreign entities, with power held solely by the people. Therefore, we insist that the President and Congress
defend our national sovereignty in accordance with their oaths of office. The United States government
must remain free of all external control and influence.

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67. Preservation of Republican Form of Government: We support our republican form of government as
set forth in the Texas Bill of Rights. We oppose initiative and referendum. We oppose socialism in any
form. We support the Texas Legislature and the United States Congress in enacting legislation that
prohibits any judicial jurisdiction from allowing any substitute or parallel system of law, specifically foreign
law (including Sharia Law), which is not in accordance with the United States or Texas Constitutions. We
further resolve that all amendments to the Texas Constitution require a majority of the voters in at least
191 counties (three-fourths), instead of a simple majority of the votes.

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68. American Law for American Courts: No foreign law or international edict shall preempt the United
States Constitution or the Texas Constitution, or be used as the basis for any decision, except required by
contract between the individual parties.

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69. Right to Self-Defense: We affirm that lawful gun ownership and carry by the people protects us from
those who wish to do harm and guards against tyranny by our own government. We call upon our elected
officials to resist the narrative that the solution to every problem is less freedom and more regulation, and
instead pursue policies that respect freedom while also increasing safety.

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70. Constitutional Carry: We support constitutional carry legislation through any legislative means so lawabiding citizens may carry any legally owned guns openly or concealed, while maintaining the option of a
permit for reciprocity purposes only.

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71. Intrastate Protection Act: We support an Intrastate Protection Act to clarify that guns made and sold
in Texas are not subject to the Interstate Commerce Clause of the US Constitution, and legislation
denying state funding to any state or local agencies that enforce federal weapons laws not also affirmed
by the laws of the State of Texas
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72. Gun-Free Zones: We oppose governmental prohibitions on citizens who have a constitutional right to
own and carry firearms and knives from doing so. We oppose state-mandated location restrictions, the
federal Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990, and the National Firearms Act.

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73. Red Flag: We oppose monitoring programs, including the Red Flag (that would deprive someone of
their right to keep and bear arms without being convicted of a crime or found mentally incompetent by a
medical psychiatric professional) or iWatch proposals, and any program that causes gun owners to be
investigated by law enforcement or appear before a judge when there is no reasonable cause of a crime
committed. We oppose increased background checks, as they are highly prone to “false positives” and
hinder law-abiding citizens’ ability to defend themselves, rather than reduce crime.

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74. Firearms Storage: We oppose mandates on personal firearms storage, maintaining that it is the
responsibility of an individual to safely store his or her firearms and choose responsibly when and how to
make them available to minors.

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75. Weapons Restrictions: We support all legislation and policies that reduce restrictions on legal gun
owners to purchase, own, or carry any type of gun, ammunition, accessory, knife, or other weapons, and
oppose all that hinder the same.

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76. Amend Texas Constitution: We call for the Texas Legislature to propose to the people of Texas a
constitutional amendment to strike the following words from Article I Section 23 of the Texas Constitution:
“but the Legislature shall have power, by law, to regulate the wearing of arms, with a view to prevent
crime.”

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77. Responsible Gun Owners: We call upon gun owners of Texas to regulate themselves through
exercising safe handling procedures, voluntarily receiving training and helping others to train others, and
safely carrying firearms as a deterrent to crime.

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78. Gun Owner Age: We believe law-abiding citizens 18 years and older have the right to purchase,
possess, and carry firearms, including hand guns.

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79. National Reciprocity: We support national reciprocity and call upon Congress to pass it.

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80. TSA: We urge Congress to abolish the TSA.

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81. Term Limits: We support term limits of twelve years for federal and state offices.

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82. Unfunded Mandates: Unfunded mandates are unacceptable. Therefore, the State of Texas must fully
fund the cost of indigent criminal defense, as it has cost local taxpayers $2.4 billion since its passage in
2001.

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83. Texas Speaker Issues: Republicans in the Texas House should select their Speaker nominee by
secret ballot in a binding caucus without Democrat influence.

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84. The Rights of a Sovereign People: The Republican Party of Texas supports the historic concept,
established by our nation’s founders, of limited civil government jurisdiction under the natural laws of God,
and we oppose the concept that the state is sovereign over the affairs of men, the family, and the church.
We believe that government properly exists by the consent of the governed and must be restrained from
intruding into the freedoms of its citizens. The function of government is not to grant rights, but to protect
the unalienable, God-given rights of life, liberty, property, and the pursuit of happiness of all, including the
unborn. Texans should be free to express their religious beliefs, including prayer, in public places.

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85. Habeas Corpus: We oppose any bill or provision that would suspend habeas corpus for American
citizens, except as addressed by the US Constitution.
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86. War Powers: Congress shall not abdicate the war powers to the executive branch except when under
imminent threat and not to be used as a preemptive strike unless approved by Congress.

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Criminal and Civil Justice

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87. Abortion Homicide Exemption: We support repeal of the physician homicide exemption of the Texas
Penal Code Section 19.06 unless it is absolutely required to save the life of the mother.

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88. Parents’ Rights: We support legislation ensuring that the parents' rights to raise and educate their
children are protected in Texas law as a fundamental, constitutional right and that there is a presumption
that fit parents act in the best interest of their children. So long as the parent is fit, there will normally be no
reason for the state to interject in the private realm of the family to question the ability of that parent to
make the best decisions concerning the rearing of that child.

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89. CPS: We call for the eventual abolishment of CPS, and in the interim we support reform and any
legislation that would support due process in family court proceedings, and we fully support a jury
determining the outcome of any case if requested by either party.

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90. Capital Punishment: Properly applied capital punishment is legitimate, is an effective deterrent, and
should be reasonably swift and unencumbered.

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91. Police Appreciation and Accountability: We express our gratitude and appreciation for police officers,
first responders, armed forces, and veterans. And furthermore we support local law enforcement agencies
and associated personnel to the extent local and state police officers are properly and adequately trained
and supervised or otherwise internally and individually held accountable for any conduct that is found to
violate state law or the Texas State Constitution.

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92. No Jail for Non-jailable Offenses: We call upon the Texas Legislature to end the practice of jailing
individuals for offenses for which jail is not an allowable consequence under the law.

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93. Obscenity Exemption: We urge repeal of the Texas Penal Code “Obscenity Exemption” that allows
children access to harmful, explicit, or pornographic materials under the guise of education materials.

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94. Civil Asset Forfeiture: We call upon the Texas Legislature to abolish civil asset forfeiture and to
ensure private property only be forfeited upon a criminal conviction. We also request the State Party Chair
and the SREC consider the abolishment of civil asset forfeiture as a legislative priority for the Republican
Party of Texas for the 2019 legislative session and to utilize reasonable Party resources necessary to
promote and support its passage.

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95. Driver Responsibility Program: We call upon the Texas Legislature to abolish the Driver
Responsibility Program and to immediately restore the driver licenses of the citizens whose licenses were
suspended by the DRP and to cancel their debt.

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96. Administrative Justice: Citizens have a right to full participation in administrative law processes and
courts not of record.

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97. Victims of Human Trafficking: We call upon the Texas Legislature to amend the Code of Criminal
Procedure to allow victims of human trafficking to have convictions within the previous five years for
prostitution offenses set aside, if they received these convictions as a direct result of being trafficked.

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98. Government Surveillance: We oppose all forms of warrantless government surveillance of United
States citizens and businesses.
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99. Freedom Act and Government Spying: We support the repeal of the Freedom Act. Spying on lawabiding Americans must stop immediately. We support court-ordered warrants on an individual basis in
cases directly involving national security.

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100. Written or Recorded Consent: We call upon the Texas Legislature to require officers to get written or
recorded consent (i.e., body cams) to conduct a search and inform motorists that they can decline to give
such consent.

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101. Location and Data Privacy: We call upon the Texas Legislature to protect citizens' current and
historic technologically available location data by requiring a warrant based on probable cause for
governments to request access, except in the case of an immediate, life-threatening situation. We also call
on the Texas Legislature to require appropriate policies regarding the disclosure of data collection when
no criminal case is filed.

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102. Hate Crimes: We urge the complete repeal of the hate crimes laws, since ample laws are currently in
effect to punish criminal behavior towards other persons.

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103. Right to See Charge: Defendants charged with violating a governmental regulation should have the
right to see the enabling law.

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104. Indefinite Detention: We oppose the indefinite detention of United States citizens without due
process. We urge our government to terminate detention without due process, including, but not limited to,
any military enforcement of federal law within the State of Texas, under NDAA Sections 1021 and 1022.

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105. Juries: We support the right to privacy and security of prospective jurors. Courts must show
relevance in questioning jurors and balance the prospective juror’s right to privacy and lawyers’ need to
know. We support the right to inform the jurors of their common law power to judge law (jury nullification),
as well as the evidence, and to vote on the verdict according to their conscience.

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106. Frivolous Lawsuits: We support further reform to discourage frivolous lawsuits. We oppose the
abusive use of class action lawsuits.

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107. Civil Penalty: We support a change in the law to make it a civil, and not a criminal, offense for legal
adults only to possess one ounce or less of marijuana for personal use, punishable by a fine of up to $100,
but without jail time.

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108. Marriage Officiation: We believe religious institutions have the freedom to recognize and perform only
those marriages that are consistent with their doctrine.

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109. Law Enforcement Equipment: We call upon the Texas Legislature to implement reporting and training
standards to disclose how much military-grade material is sent to local law enforcement under the
Department of Defense’s 1033 program and ensure that it is being used appropriately, and to require the
local governing authority over a police force to approve, by vote, an application or grant request prior to
the request being made to a federal agency.

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110. Photo Enforcement Cameras: We urge the Texas Legislature to enact legislation for the statewide
ban of all photo enforcement ticket cameras, such as red-light cameras, speed cameras, and externalfacing cameras on buses.

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111. Raise the Age: We call upon the Legislature to raise the age of criminal responsibility from 17 to 18
years.

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112. Abby’s Law: We believe that rape victims should gain justice for the sexual assault crimes committed
against them within 90 days, that Texas will rightly prioritize the inalienable right of the victims’ safety and
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justice, and that Texas will establish a standard protocol to be followed in regards to claims of sexual
assault, and the funding of rape kit processing where the assailant is unknown will be continuous with
mandatory annual reporting to ensure that the money is being allocated for this intent.

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113. Warrant Validity: The filers of search warrants should be held responsible for the validity of the
information used to obtain the warrants.

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114. Unborn Child Protection: We believe that a person who injures or kills an unborn child should be
subject to criminal and civil litigation.

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115. Debtor’s Prison: We call upon the Texas Legislature to enact laws that end the incarceration of
individuals because they cannot pay tickets, fines, and fees for Class C Misdemeanors, including traffic
violations.

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Education

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116. Campus Speech: We urge the Texas Legislature to recognize the rights of those on college
campuses to practice their faith and their right to free speech. We further urge that the Texas Legislature
write legislation to protect the right of anyone who steps onto college campuses, to prohibit college
campuses from stripping away their First Amendment rights of free speech and practicing their religion.
We support withdrawal of public funding from any college or university within this state that actively or
passively discriminates or permits discrimination against the free speech of either students or guest
speakers. Student groups shall have the unfettered right to elect their leaders, choose their members, and
set their organization’s mission, purpose, and standard of conduct. [Federal, State]

363
364
365
366
367

117. Foreign Charter Schools: Charter schools should have accountability and transparency to local
parents, taxpayers, and the State of Texas, as do current public schools, including United States
citizenship of public school trustees. We oppose public funding of charter schools that receive money from
foreign entities. We urge the Texas Legislature to enact legislation that requires charter school operators
to be American citizens. [State]

368
369
370

118. Supporting Military Families in Education: Existing truancy laws conflict with troop deployments. We
believe that truancy laws should be amended to allow a 5-day absence prior to deployments. We support
the waiver of out-of-state tuition for any dependent of military personnel stationed in Texas. [State, Local]

371
372
373

119. Abolish Department of Education: Since education is not an enumerated power of the federal
government, we believe the Department of Education should be abolished, and prohibit the transfer of any
of its functions to any other federal agency. [Federal]

374
375
376
377
378
379
380

120. School Health Advisory Councils: Until the legislature removes sex education from the curriculum of
public schools, the State of Texas should adopt changes to Texas Education Code 28.004 to require every
member of the School Health Advisory Council (SHAC) to be appointed by the Board of Trustees; require
every school district to post SHAC meeting minutes, full and fair disclosure of the contents of the human
sexuality instruction, and proposed changes to health education; close loopholes and prohibit
contraception distribution and demonstration; and expand the grievance process to cover the entire
section of Texas Education Code 28.004. [State, Local]

381
382
383
384

121. Sexual Education: 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. All school
districts, individual schools, or charter schools are prohibited from contracting with or making any payment
10

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to any third party for material concerning any of the above topics. Until this prohibition goes into effect,
sexual education shall only utilize sexual risk avoidance programs and promote abstinence outside of
marriage. [State, Local]

388
389
390
391
392
393

122. Extracurricular Opportunities: We encourage nonpublic school parents to create extracurricular
opportunities for their children where they are not readily available and in a manner that they can be free
from discriminatory testing, intrusive government oversight, or harmful school policies regarding mixedgender students in bathrooms and locker rooms. We encourage the Legislature to find ways to allow
nonpublic school students’ participation.ii Any homeschool student that does not participate will be
unaffected. [State, Local]

394
395
396
397
398
399

123. Religious Freedom and Public Schools: We urge school administrators and officials not to infringe on
Texas school students’ and staffs’ rights to pray and engage in religious speech, individually or in groups,
on school property without government interference. We urge the Legislature to end censorship of
discussion of religion in our founding documents and encourage discussing those documents, including
the Bible as their basis. Students and district personnel have the right to display religious items on school
property. [State, Local]

400
401

124. Special Treatment: Our state universities and public schools shall not make special concessions
based on religious practices that create undue burdens and costs for the institution. [State, Local]

402
403
404
405

125. Equal Access: All Texas students shall have equal access to all state-supported grants, scholarships,
and loans, based upon measurable academic criteria. Illegal aliens shall not be eligible for state or federal
grants. We support the suspension of federal funding from universities that prohibit military recruitment on
campus. We support Texas college admissions based solely on merit. [State]

406
407

126. Tenure: We support certification of tenure requirements every five years to maintain the quality of the
teaching staff. [State]

408
409
410

127. College Tuition: We call upon the Texas Legislature to take reasonable measures to curtail tuition
increases. The Legislature should pass a law clearing the way for all Texas public universities to adopt at
least one applied major through the “Affordable Baccalaureate Program.” [State, Local]

411
412
413
414

128. Student Loans: Congress shall amend the law governing the underwriting of student loans to require
that the amount of cumulative loans guaranteed for any individual by any government program shall be
less than or equal to one year of the average annual earnings actually paid in the marketplace by those
with that degree. [Federal]

415

129. In-State College Tuition: We oppose in-state college tuition for illegal aliens. [State]

416
417
418
419

130. Juvenile Daytime Curfew: We strongly oppose juvenile daytime curfews. We believe truancy laws or
harassment by any school district, education agency, or child protective services employee are a real
threat to our liberty, and we will defend the educational liberties we have gained in Texas with diligence
and urgency. [State, Local]

420
421
422
423
424
425
426
427

131. Local Control for Education: We believe that all children should have access to quality education.
Under the US Constitution, the power to regulate education is reserved exclusively to the States and to the
people. Parents have the primary right and responsibility to educate their children. The classroom should
be a place where all viewpoints are welcomed, free speech is celebrated, and “person before politics”
beliefs are preached. We support the right of parents to freely choose public, charter, private, parochial, or
homeschooling for their children. We support the right of parents to choose the specific public school that
their children attend. No child should be forced to attend a failing school. We reject the imposition of
federal education standards and the tying of any government funding to the adoption of federal education
11

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433

standards. We reject the intrusion of government in private, parochial, or homeschools. We affirm that the
policies, procedures, activities, and finances of public education in Texas at all levels should be fully
transparent. To ensure transparency, the check register of all traditional school districts and charter
schools should be posted online with the link on the home page. We respect parental authority regarding
sex education. We believe that abortion providers and affiliates should be prohibited from providing any
curriculum or instruction in schools. [State, Local]

434
435

132. Elected SBOE: We believe that the SBOE should continue to be an elected body consisting of fifteen
members. Their responsibilities must include:

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437
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440

1. Appointing the Commissioner of Education.
2. Maintaining constitutional authority over the Permanent School Fund.
3. Maintaining sole authority over all curricula content.
4. The state adoption of all educational materials. This process must include public hearings.
The SBOE should be minimally staffed out of general revenue. [State]

441
442
443

133. School Options: Texas families should be empowered to choose from public, private, charter, or
homeschool options for their children’s education, using tax credits or exemptions without government
restraints or intrusion. [State, Local]

444
445
446
447
448

134. Basic Standards: The educational system should focus on basic standards which include, but are not
limited to a curriculum of reading (with an emphasis on phonics), spelling, writing, civics, the arts, music,
literature, mathematics, science, geography, economics, and United States and world history. We
encourage teaching critical thinking skills, including logic, rhetoric, and analytical sciences within these
subjects. [State, Local]

449
450
451
452

135. Scientific Theories: We support objective teaching of scientific theories, such as life origins and
environmental change. These should be taught as challengeable scientific theories subject to change as
new data is produced. Teachers and students should be able to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of
these theories openly and without fear of retribution or discrimination of any kind. [State, Local]

453
454
455
456
457

136. National Core Curriculum: We oppose the use of national or international standards in the State of
Texas (i.e., Common Core, CSCOPE, United Nations Inclusion, etc.) We also oppose the modification of
college entrance exams to reflect any national core philosophies. Any school district that violates state law
banning the use of a national core curriculum or standards shall lose all state funding until said curricula or
standards are removed and no longer utilized in classrooms. [Federal, State, Local]

458
459
460
461
462
463
464
465
466

137. Textbook Approval and Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS): The Texas Education Code
(TEC) must be amended to empower the State Board of Education (SBOE) to require each school district
that adopts non-state-approved instructional materials to conform to the SBOE higher approval process to
protect citizens’ right to petition, correct factual errors, prevent corruption, and fulfill legislative intent in the
TEC. Local school district boards must hold public hearings prior to adoption on such materials, and
citizens should have access to review classroom materials upon request at any time. We encourage the
Texas Legislature to develop a review and compliance process to ensure that Texas’s local school
districts’ curriculum complies with the TEKS standards, and, if not, funding should be denied. [State,
Local]

467
468
469
470

138. American Identity: We favor strengthening our common American identity, which includes the
contribution and assimilation of diverse racial and ethnic groups. Students shall pledge allegiance to the
United States and Texas flags daily to instill patriotism. Students have the right to display patriotic items on
school property. [State, Local]
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139. Bilingual Education: We encourage non-English-speaking students to transition, via best practices, to
English within one year, allowing them to quickly assimilate and succeed in American society. [State,
Local]

474
475

140. Gender Identity: The official position of the Texas schools with respect to transgenderism is that there
are only two genders: male and female. [State, Local]

476
477
478
479

141. Healthcare in Public Schools: Legislators shall prohibit reproductive healthcare services, including
counseling, referrals, and distribution of condoms and contraception through public schools. We support
parents’ right to choose, without penalty, which medications are administered to their minor children. We
reaffirm that the age of consent in Texas is 17 years old. [State, Local]

480
481
482
483
484

142. School Security: The Texas Legislature shall pass a statute that allows Texas school teachers, or
other school employees, who are certified and insured to be authorized to carry a concealed gun on the
premises of their assigned school for security and protection purposes. The Texas Republican Party
supports teachers and staff, who obtain concealed carry licenses, and obtain additional training required
by the district, to have the right to carry firearms on school premises. [State, Local]

485
486
487
488
489
490
491

143. School Security Plan: The Legislature is urged to adopt as a legislative priority to mandate by state
law that all publicly funded school districts be required to submit a viable school security plan as part of an
accountability program. The school security plan must explicitly provide for the personal security of
students and staff by responding with an equal and opposite force to an aggressor that uses deadly
weapons or devices. In an effort to customize plans for each district, a parent oversight commission will be
consulted and advised as to the threat assessment status of schools at all times and must be allowed to
partake in strategy sessions for the creation of the school security plan. [State, Local]

492

Finance

493
494
495

144. Government Spending: Government spending is out of control at the federal, state, and local levels,
and action is needed. We urge Congress to become fiscally responsible by immediately enacting the
following items:

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501

1. Adopt zero-based budgeting.
2. Adopt a policy of requiring a private sector efficiency commission for each governmental
department.
3. Oppose the use of “earmarks” as a part of the budget and spending process.
4. Prohibit Congress from passing appropriations bills unless each appropriations group is considered
and passed separately. [Federal]

502
503
504

145. Economic Stabilization Fund: Amend the Texas Constitution to narrow the permissible uses of the
Economic Stabilization Fund to cover revenue shortfalls in the current biennium and expenses related to a
state of disaster as declared by the Governor. [State]

505
506

146. School Property Tax Abatements: We support repealing Tax Code Chapter 313 school property tax
abatements. [Local]

507
508
509
510

147. Bailouts and Subsidies: We encourage government to divest its ownership of all businesses that
should be run in the private sector, and allow the free market to prevail; this includes all businesses run by
school boards and Texas Educational Service Centers. We oppose all bailouts of domestic and foreign
government entities, states, and all businesses, public and private. [Local]

511

148. Community Reinvestment Act: We support the repeal of the Community Reinvestment Act. [Federal]
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513
514

149. Lending Institutions: We support the sale of the federal government’s interest in Federal National
Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac).
[Federal]

515
516

150. Special Funds: We urge the Texas Legislature to abolish the Events Trust Fund program and the
Moving Image Industry Incentive Program. [State]

517
518
519

151. Government Pensions: The Texas Legislature shall enact new rules to begin to transition government
pensions for ERS and TDCRS members from a defined benefit pension to a defined contribution
retirement plan similar to a 403(b). [State]

520
521

152. Pro Stadiums: Tax dollars should not be used to fund the building of stadiums for professional or
semi-professional sports teams. [State, Local]

522

153. Gambling: We oppose the expansion of legalized gambling.

523

154. Line-Item Veto: We support strengthening the line-item veto authority of the Governor. [State]

524
525

155. Veto Session: We support a constitutional amendment permitting the Legislature to return for a threeday session in response to the Governor’s veto. [State]

526
527
528

156. Management Districts: We oppose the creation of management or special purpose districts with the
authority to impose taxes and bonded debt, and we oppose the use of eminent domain by these districts.
[State, Local]

529
530
531
532

157. Permanent School Fund: Since the Permanent School Fund is not paid by taxpayers, the principal
balance should be safeguarded and not used as a source of additional funding for our state budget, but for
its constitutionally intended purposes of instructional materials that have been approved by the State
Board of Education. [State]

533
534

158. Homeowners’ Association: We urge the Legislature to enact legislation to allow dissolving a
homeowners’ association by a majority vote of the association’s voting members. [State]

535
536

159. Real Estate Transaction Tax: We oppose any creation of a real estate transaction tax. [Federal,
State]

537
538
539
540

160. Diversion of Property Taxes: We oppose the diversion of property taxes to build, subsidize, and/or
guarantee the loans of toll projects, which is primarily being done through transportation reinvestment
zones. The State needs to properly fund the Texas state highway system to prevent the use of local
property taxes being diverted to state roads. [Local]

541
542

161. Abolish Property Tax: We urge replacing the property tax system with an alternative other than the
income tax and requiring voter approval to increase the overall tax burden.

543
544
545

162. Property Tax Rollback Elections: We urge the Legislature to establish a property tax revenue growth
trigger of 2.5 percent per year that can only be exceeded by a vote held on a November uniform election
date while working to eliminate and replace the M&O school property tax.

546
547

163. Homestead Appraisals: We support allowing homeowners to contest their homestead appraisals in
Justice of the Peace court.

548
549
550
551

164. School Finance: We support a simple, fair, and efficient method for financing our public school
system. We oppose the "Robin Hood" system of public school finance and believe the Texas Legislature,
not the courts, should determine the amount of money spent on public education and the distribution
thereof. We oppose the Edgewood I and II decisions that legislate school finance from the bench.
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553

165. Additional School Funding: Before receiving additional dollars through the school finance formulas,
school districts must spend at least 65 percent of their current funding in the classroom.

554
555
556

166. School Maintenance and Operation Property Tax: We call upon the Texas Legislature to use surplus
revenue to buy down the school maintenance and operation property tax rate as a prelude to replacing it
with a broader based consumption tax.

557
558

167. Social Security: We support reform to Social Security that allows people to opt out. We oppose
taxation of Social Security.

559

168. [Deleted plankiii]

560
561
562

169. Spending Limitations: Amend the Texas Constitution and state statute with a stricter spending
limitation based on US Census population growth plus inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index
and apply the new limit to Texas’s total government budget.

563
564
565
566
567

170. Tax Burden: We in the Republican Party of Texas believe in the principles of constitutionally limited
government based on federalist principles. To this end we encourage our elected officials at all levels of
government to work to reverse the current trend of expanding government and the growing tax and debt
burdens this places on “We the People.” We believe the most equitable system of taxation is one based
on consumption and wish to see reforms toward that end at all levels of government.

568

171. State Income Tax Ban: We support maintaining the current ban on state income taxes in Texas.

569
570

172. Truth in Taxation: We urge that taxes established for a particular purpose shall not be used for any
other purpose.

571
572
573

173. Public Posting: We support statewide, local taxing entities, and [federal] government entities
compiling and publicly posting their current debt, future obligations, financial statements, check registers,
and local government contracts on their official websites. [State, Local]

574
575
576
577

174. Transportation and Fuel Taxes: We resolve that tax revenue derived from gasoline taxes and all
other taxes/fees on our vehicles (including vehicle sales tax) should only be used for road construction
and maintenance, and not be diverted to any other use, including mass transit, rail, restrictive lanes, and
bicycle paths. [State, Local]

578
579
580
581
582

175. Special Taxing Districts: We support restricting the authority of special taxing districts, such as
Municipal Utility Districts and Municipal Management Districts, so that they are accountable to the people
they serve and may not incur bonded debt without a vote of their residents. We support a change to the
property tax and exemptions section to allow special taxing districts to freeze their property tax
assessment for taxpayers 65 or older or disabled. [State, Local]

583

Government and Foreign Affairs

584
585
586
587
588
589
590
591

176. Bond Elections: State and local bond election ballots should be required to include the amount of
debt currently outstanding, current debt service payments, current per capita debt obligations, the amount
of new debt being proposed, estimated debt service for the new debt, and estimated per capita burden
being proposed. Any bond election (state or local) must pass with at least a two-thirds majority of voters to
affirm the bond. The bond issue must obtain a yes vote of a minimum of 20 percent of registered voters.
All elections of personnel responsible for adopting a budget and a property tax rate and all elections
involving bond indebtedness shall be held on the November uniform election date and administered by the
County Clerk or the County Elections Administrator. No public funds are to be spent influencing a bond
15

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election. We oppose bundling of items on bond election ballots.

593
594
595
596

177. Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR): We hereby call on all law enforcement and
governmental agencies in Texas to avoid and suspend all contact and outreach activities with the Council
on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), named unindicted co-conspirators in the Holy Land Foundation
trial, with ties to terrorist groups such as Hamas.

597
598
599
600
601
602

178. Candidate Eligibility: A candidate running for office should be required to reside within the
geographical boundaries of the office sought. The Secretary of State shall be required to certify that state
and federal candidates placed on ballots proffered in Texas meet the statutory requirements for the office
sought. For federal offices, all candidates must submit written authorization for the Secretary of State to
obtain a certified copy of the candidate’s birth certificate from the original issuing authority, so as to prove
they are constitutionally eligible, in order to have their name placed on the general election ballot.

603
604

179. Judicial Candidate Speech: We support a state constitutional amendment that would enable judicial
candidates to express their beliefs in general terms before elections to thus inform voters of their views.

605

180. Campaign Endorsements: We oppose the buying and selling of endorsements in all elections.

606

181. Statute Reduction: We support efforts to eliminate duplicative and unnecessary government statutes.

607
608

182. Cybersecurity: We support government efforts in cybersecurity to safeguard privacy, elections,
intellectual property, and public safety while respecting civil rights.

609
610

183. Cybersecurity Voter Registration: The State of Texas should use any undedicated federal election
funds received to improve the security of our online voter registration data.

611
612

184. Elected Appraisal Boards: We support the election, by registered voters in the geographically
affected area, of appraisal boards and appraisal review boards.

613
614

185. Conflicts of Interest: We support legislation prohibiting the influencing or voting of any elected official
or appointee where a conflict of interest exists.

615
616
617

186. Elected Removal: We support that any state elected official convicted of or placed on deferred
adjudication for a felony or misdemeanor that constitutes a crime of moral turpitude while in office be
permanently removed from office.

618

187. Sexual Harassment: RPT supports a zero-tolerance policy for sexual harassment.

619
620

188. Early Voting: We support that early voting will be limited to 7 days, ending on the Friday before
Election Day.

621
622
623
624
625
626
627
628
629
630

189. Fair Election Procedures: We support modifications to and the strengthening of election laws to
ensure ballot integrity and fair elections. We support the Secretary of State strictly enforcing printing of
results tapes for electronic voting for early voting and Election Day at polling locations after the polls close
for all counties. We support increased scrutiny and security in balloting by mail; prohibition of internet
voting and any electronic voting lacking a verifiable paper trail; prohibition of “rolling polling” for bond and
tax rate increase elections; prosecution for election fraud with jail sentences; repeal of the unconstitutional
Help America Vote Act; and assurance that each polling place has distinctly marked, where possible,
separate locations for Republican and Democrat primary voting. We support all means of protecting the
integrity of our elections, including the optional use of paper ballots. We oppose countywide polling
locations due to heightened potential for fraud.

631

190. Offense Enforcement for In-Person Voting: We support raising to felony status infractions of the
16

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634
635

Texas Election Code during in-person voting, including allowing persons not in the poll book to vote a
regular ballot, willfully misclassifying the reason for a provisional ballot, giving one voter multiple ballot
access codes or multiple ballots, and all forms of voter assistance not compliant with TEC, especially
“assistants” who force themselves on voters to influence their votes.

636
637

191. Residency Requirements: We support legislation that defines voter and candidate residency and is
enforced by the Secretary of State.

638
639

192. Felon Voting: We support the constitutional authority of state legislatures to regulate voting, including
disenfranchisement of convicted felons.

640
641

193. Voter Photo ID: We continue to fight for meaningful voter ID requirements for all elections and
support other states’ attempts to pass the same.

642
643
644
645

194. Actual Residence: We support changes to the appropriate sections of Texas law that would deny or
cancel homestead exemptions, driver licenses, vehicle registrations, License to Carry, and hunting and
fishing licenses if the addresses on those documents DO NOT match the address on the voter’s
registration.

646
647

195. Consolidated Elections: All public elections, with the exception of specially called elections, should be
consolidated to Primary and General Election days and locations.

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651
652
653
654
655

196. Voter Registration: We support restoring integrity to the voter registration rolls and reducing voter
fraud. We support repealing all motor voter laws, re-registering voters every four years, requiring photo ID
of all registrants, requiring proof of residency and citizenship along with the voter registration application,
retaining the 30-day registration deadline, and requiring that a list of certified deaths be provided to the
Secretary of State in order that the names of deceased voters be removed from the list of registered
voters. We should give the Secretary of State enforcement authority to ensure county registrar compliance
with Secretary of State directives. We also support revising Title 19 funding to avoid incentivizing retention
of ineligible voters.

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657
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659

197. Nursing Home Voting: County election officials should provide an Election Judge, Alternate Judge,
and Election Clerk for an in-person voting time during the early voting period in every healthcare/nursing
home/retirement facility in the county. This will allow bedside voting, if necessary, and the ability to provide
fraud-free elections for handicapped and elderly voters.

660
661
662

198. Campaigning at Poll Sites: We encourage free speech at polling sites outside of the existing
boundaries. The right to campaign, including the display of signage, with respect to current state law, at an
appropriate distance (100 feet) from the polling place, shall not be infringed.

663
664
665
666

199. Voting Rights: We support equal suffrage for all United States citizens of voting age who are not
felons. We oppose any identification of citizens by race, origin, or creed and oppose use of any such
identification for purposes of creating voting districts. We urge that the Voting Rights Act of 1965, codified
and updated in 1973, be repealed and not reauthorized.

667

200. Direct Elections of State Judges: We support our right to select our judges by direct vote.

668
669
670

201. Government Authority: We believe any government authority that has the ability to level a tax or fee
on the people should be accountable to those who pay the taxes via the electoral process, from the local
level to the federal level.

671
672

202. English-Only Ballots: English, and only English, shall appear on any ballot for any election in the
United States of America and in the State of Texas.
17

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678

203. Foreign Policy: We support a foreign policy that relies on peace through the strength of our national
defense and avoids foreign deployments or entanglements. We support a free-market economy, private
humanitarian aid to developing countries, continued favorable treatment of proven allies, censure of
adversarial entities that seek destruction of other countries, and strong policy on confronting terrorists. We
strongly oppose religious or ethnic cleansing. We oppose US aid to any foreign entity that consistently
votes against our interests or is openly hostile to our nation.

679

204. China: We strongly recommend the removal of Communist China’s Most Favored Nation status.

680
681

205. Foreign Aid: We support foreign aid in non-monetary form (goods and services), only to our allies in
cases of national defense or catastrophic disasters, with congressional approval.

682
683

206. Iran and North Korea: We oppose development of nuclear weapons by Iran and North Korea, and
oppose easing sanctions on either country until their hostile behavior and nuclear proliferation cease.

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685
686
687
688
689
690
691
692

207. Israel: We are grateful that the US Embassy in Israel has been moved to Jerusalem. We believe that
Jerusalem should remain Israel’s undivided capital, accessible to people of all faiths. The United States
should continue to support Israel militarily, financially, and technologically. We oppose any pressuring of
Israel to make concessions they believe would jeopardize their security. We strongly oppose the antiSemitic Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, on all levels, including and especially on
college campuses, at the United Nations, and by anti-West non-governmental organizations. We believe
there should not be a Palestinian state within the historical borders of Israel. Our policy is inspired by
God’s biblical promise to bless those who bless Israel and curse those who curse Israel, and we further
invite other nations and organizations to enjoy the benefits of that promise.

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696

208. Israel’s Sovereignty: We further insist upon Israel’s right to exist, its right to secure borders, and its
right to the land secured by practicing self-defense from aggressive enemies. We strongly encourage
other nations of the world to respect Israel’s sovereignty, right of self-determination, and right of selfdefense.

697
698
699
700

209. Taiwan: We call upon the United States to move toward full diplomatic recognition of Taiwan as an
independent and sovereign nation and to renew our commitment to defend our security interests in the
Western Pacific region in the face of China's military provocations, which threaten its neighbors and critical
maritime trade routes.

701

210. UN Arms Trade Treaty: The United States should withdraw from the UN Arms Trade Treaty.

702
703

211. UN Treaty on the Rights of Child: We unequivocally oppose the United States Senate’s ratification of
the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

704
705

212. Taxation by a Foreign Entity: We believe that any attempt to allow the United Nations or any other
foreign entity to levy taxes on United States citizens or governments should be rejected.

706
707

213. United Nations: The United Nations is a detriment to the sovereignty of the United States and other
countries, and because of this we support:

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714

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Our withdrawal from the current United Nations.
The removal of the United Nations from United States soil.
The rejection of all Agenda 21 and Agenda 2030 policies and programs.
The rejection of all related NGOs, councils, and environmental programs.
A zero-budget allotment of American tax dollars to any United Nations programs.iv
The opposition of any designation of World Heritage Sites in the United States and especially in
Texas.
18

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214. Federal Land in Texas: All federal land in Texas should be returned to and administered by Texas,
except for land specifically authorized in the Constitution (military bases, federal buildings, post offices).

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720

215. Federal Offices Location: Offices attached to the seat of the federal government should not be
required to exercise their offices in the District of Columbia. It is no longer necessary for all federal
agencies to be located in the District of Columbia, and we call on both the Senate and Congress to
expunge Chapter 3 of 4 U.S.C. § 72 and the President to sign such change.

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723
724

216. Lobbying Limitation: We support legislation to prohibit former officials and government employees
from lobbying for a foreign government and/or any business for five years after leaving public service. We
support legislation to prevent lobbying by any organization receiving federal grants except that relating to
its tax status.

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217. Tax-Funded Lobbying: We urge that the Texas Legislature enact legislation that prohibits tax-funded
contract lobbying.

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218. Texas Speaker of the House: We oppose the use of pledge cards and call for the Republican
members to caucus after each November general election to determine, by secure secret ballot, their
candidate for Speaker. We also call for the Republican members to vote as a unified body for their
selected speaker candidate when the Legislature convenes in regular session.

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219. Ghost Voting: We expect the Texas House of Representatives to enforce house rules and prevent
ghost voting.

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220. Updating Texas House Rules: We request the House Republican Caucus work with the Republican
Party of Texas on House rule changes prior to the next legislative session that would facilitate the passage
of legislation based on the Republican platform and Legislative Priorities. Such changes should not have
the result of disenfranchising the minority party, but should ensure that the majority party can get its own
business done. These changes should include, but not be limited to, changing House Rule 6 Section 21
(2017 House Rules) to allow for a motion to place a bill on the calendar after 7 days instead of 30 days.

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221. Calling for Open Calendar Committee Meetings: The Calendars Committee of the Texas House of
Representatives should be open to the public.

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222. Government Shutdown: In the case of United States government shutdown, the only salaries to be
suspended are for the United States Senate and House of Representatives.

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223. Closed Primary: We support protecting the integrity of the Republican Primary Election by requiring a
closed primary system in Texas.

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224. Remove Gender Requirements: We suggest that the Chair, Vice Chair, and members of the SREC
be elected on merit and not based on gender (Sec. 171.002 of the Texas Election Code).

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225. Enforcing the Platform: Every Republican is responsible for implementing this platform. Party
candidates should indicate their positions on platform planks before their acceptance on the ticket, and
such information should be available on the Party website.
[332.v] Candidate Support: The Republican Party of Texas should provide financial support only to those
candidates who support the right-to-life planks.

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226. Texas Protecting Texans: We support federal legislation remanding all authority over abortion back to
the individual states and removing all standing on this issue from the federal judiciary as given by Article III
in the US Constitution. We also support family control of end-of-life decisions.

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227. Protecting Active Military Right to Vote: We urge the Texas Secretary of State and the United States
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Attorney General to ensure that voting rights of our armed forces will neither be denied nor obstructed,
and all valid absentee votes shall be counted.

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228. Unelected Bureaucrats: We oppose the appointment of unelected bureaucrats, and we support
defunding and abolishing the departments or agencies of the Internal Revenue Service; Education;
Energy; Housing and Urban Development; Commerce; Health and Human Services; Labor; Interior
(specifically, the Bureau of Land Management); Transportation Security Administration; Alcohol, Tobacco,
Firearms and Explosives; and National Labor Relations Board. In the interim, executive decisions by
departments or agencies must be reviewed and approved by Congress before taking effect.

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229. Sunset Commission: We support a majority citizen-led Sunset Commission.

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230. Legislative Accountability: We support a transparent and accountable legislative process that
includes a recorded and published vote and prohibits a legislative change without a recorded vote. All
content of any bill must be germane to the title of the act. We support that all bills presented in the United
States Congress and Texas Legislature include citations to the authorizing constitutional provision, cost to
implement, and impact on the family. We oppose omnibus legislation and the insertion of “pork barrel”
funding for special interests. We oppose the use of signing statements by the President to circumvent the
law.

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231. Permanent Voting Record: We support Texas House and legislative rules that prohibit the practice of
changing the actual recorded votes of Texas legislators after the vote on final passage.

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232. Public Information Act: We support legislation that would close contractor and trade secret loopholes
in the Texas Public Information Act, while providing due process protections for private companies wishing
to keep trade secrets private.

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233. Cell Phone Network Access: Cell phone network access is a needed and important tool in
emergency situations, especially for first responders; we support the state facilitating first responder
access to clear cell phone channels for emergency use.

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Health and Human Services

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234. Caring for Our Mentally Disabled Citizens: We urge the Legislature to continue funding and operating
all state-supported living centers for mentally disabled legal Texas residents, and to continually seek
common sense improvements to increase efficiency.

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235. Mental Health: We request that the Texas Legislature provide appropriate funding for the
improvement of mental health services for children and adolescents. This includes funding for training
everyone who touches the life of a child in the foster care system in trauma and trauma-informed care.

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236. Welfare Reform: Welfare reform should encourage partnerships with faith-based institutions,
community, and business organizations to assist individuals in need. We encourage welfare reform in the
following areas:

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1. Denying benefits to individuals who cannot prove citizenship.
2. Reforming welfare programs to require recipients to work, learn, and train.
3. Reforming welfare programs to require recipients to remain substance-abuse free in exchange for
temporary benefits not exceeding two years.
4. Requiring all welfare recipients to submit to random drug testing in order to receive benefits.
5. Requiring that money provided through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) be
used only for nutritious foods consistent with those included under the WIC program, and be
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released only with a photo ID of the approved user.
6. Implementing a non-monetary-based assistance program for providing supplemental food benefits.
7. Removing prisoners from welfare rolls.

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237. Federal Welfare Programs: We support the abolition of all federal welfare programs, as they are not
an appropriate role of the federal government.

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238. Defunding HUD’s AFFH: We support defunding HUD’s Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH).

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239. Child Support Related to Welfare: Mothers applying for government financial support, exempting rape
victims, should provide the verifiable name and any known contact information of the birth father, which
information shall be turned over to the State of Texas Attorney General’s Office within 30 days for
collection of child support.

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240. Gender Identity: We oppose all efforts to validate transgender identity. We call upon our Legislature
to enact laws prohibiting the use of hormones before the age of 18 in an attempt to change gender. We
believe it should be illegal to remove healthy body parts in minors in an effort to try to transition to the
opposite sex.

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241. No Taxpayer Funding for Sex Change: We oppose the use of taxpayer funds for any type of gender
dysphoria treatments or sex change operations and/or treatments.

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242. Addiction: We oppose legalization of illicit and synthetic drugs. We also oppose any needle exchange
programs. Faith-based rehabilitation programs should be considered as a part of an overall rehabilitation
program.

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243. Healthcare Decisions: Healthcare decisions, including routine preventative care such as
immunizations, should be between a patient and healthcare professional and should be protected from
government intrusion. Texas public schools have a duty to inform parents they can opt out of CDC
recommended vaccinations for their children. Abortion is not healthcare. Government has no right to
mandate specific medical procedures or methods of healthcare.

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244. Healthcare Choice: We urge the passage of healthcare reform that results in more affordable
healthcare through a market-based, competitive, and transparent healthcare system, including tort reform,
interstate competition, health savings accounts, genuine accountability, and oversight.

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245. Fluoride in Water Supply: The Republican Party of Texas supports banning the fluoridation of the
Texas water supply.

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246. Compassionate Use Act: We call upon the Texas Legislature to improve the 2015 Compassionate
Use Act to allow doctors to determine the appropriate use of cannabis to certified patients.

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247. Cannabis Classification: Congress should remove cannabis from the list of Schedule 1 and move to
Schedule 2.

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248. Medicaid Reform: We support Medicaid block grants to the states and returning Medicaid to its
original purpose to be a temporary assistance. We oppose any further expansion of Medicaid.

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249. Medicare Reform: Medicare Part A should have a parallel opt-out to Part B for those who have health
insurance through their employer and continue to work. Part A will then kick in when they retire.

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250. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”): We demand the immediate repeal of the
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which we believe to be unconstitutional.

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251. Medical Records and Informed Consent: We oppose any state or federal medical record computer
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database or registry (with exception to diseases that are a public health threat, i.e., HIV and/or
tuberculosis) that stores personal identifiable records on citizens without their written consent.

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252. Right to Try: We urge the Texas State Legislature and Governor to enact laws that allow patients and
their doctors to have access to experimental medications and procedures that can potentially be lifesaving
or improve quality of life.

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253. Healthcare Savings Accounts: All individuals should be allowed to establish health savings accounts.
Individuals should be allowed higher annual contributions to health savings accounts, and employers
should be allowed to offer "portable" health savings-linked insurance that workers could take with them if
they change jobs or retire.

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254. Texas HSA: We recommend the creation of the State of Texas Health Savings Account, with funds in
excess of those needed in the “rainy day fund,” with the purpose of enabling the state to develop reserves
sufficient to exit the federal Medicaid program.

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255. Fetal Tissue Harvesting and Stem Cell Research: We support legislation prohibiting experimentation
or commercial use of human fetal tissue, which requires or is dependent upon the destruction of human
life. We encourage adult stem cell research using cells from umbilical cords, from adults, and from any
other means that does not kill human embryos.

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256. Homosexuality: 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.

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257. Parental Rights and Responsibilities: Local, state, or federal laws, regulations, or policies that limit
parental rights in the rearing of both biological and adopted children shall not be enacted. Parents have
the God-given right and responsibility to direct and guide their children’s moral education.

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258. Parental Consent: We support parental consent for all medical care, counseling, etc., for all minors.

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259. Conscience Clause: All persons and legal entities have the right of conscience, and should be
protected under Texas law if they conscientiously object to participate in practices that conflict with their
moral or religious beliefs. This includes, but is not limited to, abortion, the prescription for and dispensing
of drugs with abortifacient potential, human cloning, embryonic stem cell research, eugenic screenings,
euthanasia, assisted suicide, harmful futile procedures, and the withdrawal of nutrition and hydration.

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260. Alternatives to Abortion: Until abortion is made illegal in Texas, we urge the Republican Party of
Texas and the Texas Legislature to assist in educating the public regarding alternatives to abortion,
especially adoption.

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261. Discriminatory Abortion: We support legislation such as the “Preborn Non-Discrimination Act”vi
(PreNDA) to close existing discriminatory loopholes that fail to protect unborn children suspected of having
a "fetal anomaly" or disability and to enact anti-discriminatory language to apply additional protections to
unborn children at risk of being aborted because of their sex, race, or disability, in addition to providing
families with information about life-affirming social and medical services available to them in Texas, such
as perinatal palliative care.

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262. Planned Parenthood: We support completely eliminating public funding for Planned Parenthood and
any other abortion providers and all their affiliates, and we oppose their digital or physical presence in our
schools and other public institutions. We also support elimination of public funding for embryonic stem cell
research, research on fetal tissue, or human cloning.
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263. Human Embryos: We support the adoption of human embryos and the banning of human embryo
trafficking.

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264. End-of-Life Patient Protection: We support patients’ rights, especially near the end of life, and call for
reform of existing legislation so that:

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1. Texas law should provide that medical personnel may not deny care, change advanced directives,
or originate directives for any patient without the permission of the patient or the patient’s
designate.
2. We also support the passage of legislation to amend the Advance Directives Act by requiring
hospitals intending or threatening to withdraw life-sustaining treatment against the patient’s wishes
or their advance directive to continue all treatment and care for such patients pending transfer to
another facility.
3. We also support legislation repealing the unethical “Ten-Day Rule” in Section 166.046, Health and
Safety Code, which allows physicians to withdraw basic life-sustaining treatment (like a ventilator)
after an impending countdown.

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265. Home and Community-Based Services: We call on the Texas Legislature to support Home and
Community-Based Services (HCBS) as a pro-life alternative, and to enact language to apply additional
protections and to address any loopholes that fail to protect or provide appropriate home and communitybased alternatives for children and people [adults] with disabilities, in addition to providing families with
information about life-affirming social and medical services available to them in Texas as alternatives to
abortion and costly institutional care.

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266. Modernized Social Security Card: We support the improvement of our 1936 Social Security card to
use contemporary anti-counterfeit technology. The Social Security card will not be considered a national
ID card for United States citizens.

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267. Social Security Disability: We support appropriate limits on the length of time to receive Social
Security disability benefits for all but those truly not able to do ANY kind of paid employment.

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268. Toxic Exposure: We support the passage of the Toxic Exposure Research Act of 2015, which will
ensure that the federal government will establish a database on all exposed veterans and their families.

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269. VA Medical Benefits Not Limited: [We support allowing] allow veterans to use VA medical benefits at
private medical providers and not be limited to VA Hospitals.

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270. Replace the VA: [We support replacing] replace the Veterans Administration with a commercial
insurance plan that allows eligible veterans to obtain health services from any licensed provider.

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National Defense and Border Security

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271. Support of Our Armed Forces: The men and women who wear our country’s uniform, whether on
active duty or in the Reserves or National Guard, are the most important assets in our military arsenal.
They and their families must have the pay, healthcare, housing, education, and overall support they need.
Injured military personnel deserve the best medical, mental health, and rehabilitative care our country has
to offer. We must always remember those who have given the ultimate sacrifice; their families must be
assured meaningful financial assistance. It is the solemn duty we owe, and honor we give, to those who
bravely don the uniform of freedom. We support our government in continuing to seek and act upon all
information concerning our military personnel and other citizens listed as missing in action or prisoners of
war. Veterans Administration monetary benefits shall match present national price index value in all
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programs.

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272. Proof of Legal Residency for Public Services: Texas requires proof of legal residency for obtaining a
Texas driver license and enrolling in public school, and requires proof of citizenship for obtaining voter
registration and public benefits.

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273. Strong National Defense: We support a strong national defense that protects United States interests,
freedoms, and sovereignty at home and abroad.

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274. Reject NDAA: We reject the unconstitutional provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act
(NDAA), which include (but are not limited to) indefinite detention without trial and detention in military
custody. We demand the state’s congressional delegation to immediately commence efforts to repeal the
unconstitutional provisions contained in this act, which are repugnant to the sovereign rights of the citizens
of this state and are usurpations of authority by the federal government.

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275. No Gender Norming in Military: We oppose gender norming in the military. Transgendered persons
should not serve in the military as a special class; no special considerations or medical treatment shall be
required or offered.

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276. Self-Protection on Military Bases: We call for base commanders to provide sufficient armament of
military personnel on military bases to provide for their self-defense.

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277. Missile Defense: We urge the United States Congress to continue funding the Strategic Defense
Initiative for missile defense. We further call for continued efforts and funding for nuclear shield
development and for its immediate implementation for the United States, and possibly for our allies when
in our national interest.

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278. National Guard Deployment: Congress shall not abdicate the war powers to the executive branch
except when under imminent threat and not to be used as a preemptive strike unless approved by
Congress. The Texas National Guard and the Texas Air National Guard should only be deployed to
overseas combat zones under authorization of Congress through a declaration of war.

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279. Military Rules of Engagement: Military rules of engagement, as defined by the President or
Congress, should not preclude the safety nor deny the immediacy of tactical decision-making of the
military personnel in the field. Military personnel shall not be criminally or civilly liable for reasonable
actions taken in the field.

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280. Military Readiness: We support a military force of sufficient strength and readiness to deter any threat
to our national sovereignty or to the safety and freedom of our citizens. We oppose placement of US
troops under command of the United Nations.

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281. Defeat Terrorism: We support an aggressive war on terrorism, including radical Islamic terrorists,
[which consists of] cooperating with our allies and sanctioning nations that sponsor terrorists. We support
the reasonable use of profiling, the prosecution of national security breaches, and the revision of laws or
executive orders that erode our liberties. We call on the federal government to designate the Muslim
Brotherhood a foreign terrorist organization, and we call on governmental agencies to avoid and suspend
all activities with all radical Islamic organizations, such as the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

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282. All-Volunteer Force: We call for the removal of draft registration and to continue to have an allvolunteer armed forces.

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283. Women in Combat: We oppose the use of women in military combat units.

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284. Abolish Refugee Resettlement Program: We call for the abolition of the refugee resettlement
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program.

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285. Citizenship Qualification: We call on the United States Congress to pass a constitutional amendment
that defines citizenship as those born to a citizen of the United States or through naturalization.

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286. Amnesty: Any form of amnesty with regard to immigration policy should not be granted, including the
granting of legal status to persons in the country illegally.

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287. Border Security Funding: We expect both the Texas Legislature and the United States Congress to
make a priority of allocating funds to effectively secure the border through whatever means necessary,
including but not limited to barriers, a border wall, or fence everywhere along the border where it is
feasible and useful, as well as personnel and technology over land, sea, and air.

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288. Interstate Compact: The State of Texas shall establish an interstate compact allowing the
participating states to enforce existing federal immigration laws, and the State of Texas shall support all
efforts to enter into a border security interstate compact and gain control of the border.

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289. Citizenship Identification: We propose that every Texas driver license shall indicate whether the
driver is a United States citizen. Licenses shall not be issued to anyone illegally in the country. The State
of Texas shall not recognize as valid any state driver license photo where the person’s face is obscured.

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290. Eliminate Illegal Immigration Magnets: No tax dollars should be provided for social or educational
programs for illegal aliens. All existing laws providing for in-state tuition and non-emergency medical care
shall be rescinded. All non-verifiable foreign-issued identification cards shall be legally invalid in the
United States.

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291. E-Verify: Texas should require all employers to screen new hires through the free E-Verify system to
prevent the hiring of illegal aliens and of anyone not legally authorized to work in the US, and to protect
jobs for American workers. We call upon the 86th Texas Legislature to pass legislation to this effect.

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292. Magnet: We support eliminating the employment magnet by requiring all employers to screen new
hires through the free E-Verify system to prevent the hiring of illegal aliens and of anyone not legally
authorized to work in the US.

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293. Sanctuary Cities: State and federal funds shall be denied to any public or private entity, including but
not limited to sanctuary cities, that are not in compliance with immigration laws.

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294. Immigration System: We demand that state and federal law enforcement officers enforce our
immigration laws, implement an entry/exit tracking system for visa holders, and expedite hearings on
deporting both violent and non-violent illegal immigrants and visa overstays. Chain migration and the
diversity visa lottery should be eliminated. Our legal immigration system should be strictly merit based,
and the total number of new immigrants should be limited to a level that facilitates assimilation.

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295. Reintegration of Veterans: We support the accommodation and reintegration of our troops once their
military commitment has expired. Returning veterans must have access to educational benefits, job
training, and a wide variety of employment options.

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State Affairs

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296. Alamo: We believe the Alamo should be remembered and not “reimagined.” We believe Texas's
authority regarding the Alamo shall not be infringed upon by any organization or authority, including but
not limited to local governments, the federal government, the United Nations, or UNESCO. We demand
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that the decision-making authority for the Alamo never be removed from Texas, and the custodians of the
Alamo be required to: 1) affirm and emphasize the intrinsic significance of the 1836 battle in telling the
story of the Alamo, and 2) maintain transparency in finances and operations of the Alamo. Specific
protection shall be afforded the site, including all land and existing monuments, including the Cenotaph,
which SHALL NOT be moved from its present site.

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297. Campaign Finance Transparency: We support laws requiring full disclosure by political candidates of
the amounts and sources of any campaign contributions, whether contributed by individuals, political
action committees, or other entities. We oppose reporting requirements that infringe on the free-speech
rights of citizens. We urge immediate repeal of all limits on campaign contributions by American citizens to
the candidates or causes of their choice.

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298. No Restrictions on Charities: We oppose any restrictions by any government agency on individual
taxpayer contributions to churches, faith-based charities, and other non-profit organizations.

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299. [Deleted plankvii]

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300. Honor Our Flags: We appreciate and honor our flags and what they represent, and we strongly
advocate for all public schools to display the US and Texas flags in every classroom and to begin each
school day with the pledges to both.

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301. Freedom of Assembly: Because we believe in the freedom of assembly, we urge repeal of the
Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act. Those who assault peaceful protesters acting under the
Constitution should be vigorously prosecuted. Picketing and literature distribution do not fall under the
Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.

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302. Freedom of Speech on University Campuses: We support the protection of free-speech rights at
public universities, including the elimination of politically correct speech codes and “bias-response teams.”

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303. Religious Freedom for Business Owners: We support the removal of laws and regulations that are
used to force business owners and employees to violate their sincerely held beliefs.

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304. Public Accommodations: We support legislation at the state and federal levels that concretely defines
public accommodations as originally defined and understood in the Civil Rights Act of 1964, that it prohibit
any expansion of that legal definition by any federal, state, or local law to expand government control to
restrict any First Amendment rights; and to proscribe any law that requires any private business or
individual to create or provide a custom product or service, or any kind of expressive work, or enter into a
contract, or be coerced into any speech that is not their own.

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305. Religious Freedom of Speech and Practice: We call on the Texas Legislature to repeal the Johnson
Amendment, which assaults the free speech of pastors and religious organizations. We further resolve to
protect the First Amendment rights of any citizen to practice their religion and exercise their right to free
speech in the public square, as well as in religious organization affiliations.

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306. Religious Freedom: As America is “one nation under God,” founded on Judeo-Christian principles,
we affirm the constitutional right of all individuals to worship as they choose.

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307. Daylight Saving Time: We urge the Texas Legislature to enact legislation to end Daylight Saving
Time in Texas.

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308. Electoral College: We support the Electoral College.

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309. Fairness Doctrine: We oppose any attempt by Congress or any federal agency to implement any
policy comparable to the Fairness Doctrine as terminated in 1987.
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310. Gender Identity Facilities in Businesses: We support enacting legislation in the State of Texas
ensuring that no government entity in the state be allowed to take it upon itself to define for any private
business or private entity how it must segregate its restrooms, changing facilities, or showers; nor may any
government agency be allowed to require businesses to profess, espouse, or adopt specific views on sex,
sexuality, gender, or gender identity, other than to guarantee that views and positions on these matters
are not used as a basis to deny access to public accommodations, as defined by the Civil Rights Act of
1964, nor to deny employment, or discriminate in employment decisions, solely on the basis of a person’s
views on these matters.

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311. Child Rights: We call on the Texas Legislature to pass legislation to protect privacy in public schools
and government buildings as allowed by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, by ensuring that
multi-use facilities, including showers, changing rooms, and bathrooms, are designated for and used only
by persons based on the person’s biological sex.

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312. No Sexuality Indoctrination: We call on the State Legislature to pass legislation so that no public
school or other educational institution may force, require, or pressure any child or student to profess,
espouse, or adopt, or otherwise be indoctrinated without explicit parental consent, specific views on sex,
sexuality, gender, or gender identity.

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313. Gender Identity Pronouns: We oppose any attempt to criminalize and/or penalize anyone for the
wrong use of pronouns.

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314. Heritage: We call upon governmental entities to protect all symbols of our American and Texan
heritage. We oppose governmental action to remove the public display of the Ten Commandments or
other religious symbols. We support the Pledge Protection Act. We urge that the national motto “In God
We Trust” and National Anthem be protected from legislative and judicial attack. Penalties should be
established for any form of desecration of the American or Texas fFlag. We support adoption of American
English as the official language of Texas and of the United States. Holidays such as Thanksgiving,
Christmas, Easter, Columbus Day, St. Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Good Friday, Veterans Day,
Memorial Day, Labor Day, and the 4th of July as historical holidays should remain on our governmental
and public school calendars. We support preservation of Texas history and historical sites. Visitors to the
Alamo should conduct themselves with decorum and reverence inside the shrine, out of respect for the
sacrifice of the heroes who are honored there. We call for restoration of plaques honoring the Confederate
widow’s pension fund contribution that were illegally removed from the Texas Supreme Court building.

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315. Historical Monuments: We believe all historical war memorials, including Confederate monuments, in
Texas should be protected from future removal or defacement and that those monuments that have been
removed should be restored to their historical locations.

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316. Homosexual Behavior: We affirm God’s biblical design for marriage and sexual behavior between
one biological man and one biological woman, which has proven to be the foundation for all great nations
in Western civilization. We oppose homosexual marriage, regardless of state of origin. We urge the Texas
Legislature to pass religious liberty protections for individuals, businesses, and government officials who
believe marriage is between one man and one woman. We oppose the granting of special legal
entitlements or creation of special status for homosexual behavior, regardless of state of origin. We
oppose any criminal or civil penalties against those who oppose homosexuality out of faith, conviction, or
belief in traditional values.

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317. Definition of Marriage: We support the definition of marriage as a God-ordained, legal, and moral
commitment only between one natural man and one natural woman.
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318. State Authority over Marriage: We support withholding jurisdiction from the federal courts in cases
involving family law, especially any changes in the definition of marriage.
[333viii] Spousal Benefits: We shall not recognize or grant to any unmarried person the legal rights or
status of a spouse, including granting benefits by political subdivisions.
[334ix] No-Fault Divorce: We urge the Legislature to rescind no-fault divorce laws and support covenant
marriage.

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1091
1092

319. Overturn Unconstitutional Ruling: We believe this decision, overturning the Texas law prohibiting
same-sex marriage in Texas, has no basis in the Constitution and should be reversed, returning
jurisdiction over the definition of marriage to the states. The Governor and other elected officials of the
State of Texas should assert our Tenth Amendment right and reject the Supreme Court ruling.

1093
1094

320. Pro-life: Until the abolition of abortion is achieved, we support laws that restrict and regulate abortion
including, but not limited to:

1095
1096
1097
1098
1099
1100
1101
1102
1103
1104
1105
1106

1. Parental and informed consent.
2. Prohibition of abortion for gender selection.
3. Prohibition of abortion due to the results of genetic diagnosis.
4. Prohibition of licensing, liability, and malpractice insurance for abortionists and abortion facilities.
5. Prohibition of financial kickbacks for abortion referrals.
6. Prohibition of partial-birth, late-term abortions.
7. Prohibition of abortions after the time an unborn child’s heartbeat is detected.
8. Prohibition of the manufacturing and sale of abortifacients (e.g., morning after pill).
9. Elimination of causes of action for “wrongful birth.”
10. Enactment of any other laws that will advance the right to life for unborn children.
11. Health insurance coverage for abortion services and abortifacients, which under Texas law should
be considered supplemental coverage and billed to the beneficiary.

1107
1108
1109

321. Abolish Abortion: We call upon the Texas Legislature to enact legislation stopping the murder of
unborn children and to ignore and refuse to enforce any and all federal statutes, regulations, executive
orders, and court rulings that would deprive an unborn child of the right to life.

1110
1111

322. Dismemberment Abortion: We strongly support the prohibition of elective dismemberment abortions,
a type of dilation and evacuation abortion, which take the life of preborn children by removing their limbs.

1112
1113
1114
1115

323. State Authority over Abortion: We urge the federal congressional delegation from Texas to take
immediate action, under the authority extended to them in Article III of the Constitution of the United
States, to put forth legislation remanding all authority over abortion to the individual states and removing
all standing on the issue of abortion from the federal judiciary.

1116
1117
1118

324. Fundamental Right to Life: All innocent human life must be respected and safeguarded from
fertilization to natural death; therefore, the unborn, the aged, and the physically or mentally challenged
have a fundamental individual right to life, which cannot be infringed.

1119

325. Reverse Roe v. Wade: We are resolute in our support of the reversal of Roe v. Wade.

1120
1121
1122

326. Property Annexation: Homeowners and landowners in an area proposed for annexation should have
the right to vote to approve or reject the annexation, regardless of the population of the county. No
annexation can occur within 45 days of any election.

1123
1124

327. HOA Open Meetings: We support legislation to require ALL homeowners’ associations to comply
with the Texas Open Meetings Act. We further support legislation prohibiting HOAs from using “policies” to
28

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bypass the process of residents’ voting on changes in deed restrictions. [Local]

1126
1127
1128
1129
1130
1131
1132
1133
1134

328. Property Rights: Property ownership and free enterprise, the foundation of our collective wealth, must
not be abridged nor denied by government. We support legislation to protect these bedrock rights. Areas
of concern are: annexation, eminent domain (including foreign entities), property forfeiture, extraterritorial
jurisdiction, seizure for public or private development, natural resources and conservation easements,
groundwater and/or mineral rights, nationalization of lands, and the preservation of our Fourth Amendment
right to privacy. Property owners should be notified of their rights with regard to condemnation,
annexation, or easement; and the condemner should be required to petition a court of jurisdiction to show
public necessity. Taking of property should result in immediate compensation of fair market value to the
owner. These issues should be administered by elected officials accountable to voters. [State, Local]

1135
1136

329. Eminent Domain: The use of eminent domain must exclude the seizure of private property for private
economic development or increased tax revenue. [State/Local]

1137
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1139
1140

330. Save the USS Texas: Since the USS Texas was given to the State of Texas in 1948, the Republican
Party of Texas supports the previous and future allocation of funds that are necessary to preserve the
USS Texas as a permanent monument to the ship, her crew of two world wars, and the history of the State
of Texas. [State]

1141
1142

331. Unfunded Mandates: We urge the Legislature to consider the impact on taxpayers for any mandate
they pass.

1143
1144

[332] See Bracketed Plank after 225, voted on here as 332.

1145

[333] See Bracketed Plank after 318, voted on here as 333.

1146

[334] See Bracketed Plank after 318, voted on here as 334.

1147
1148
1149

NOTE: Editors have in some places, suggested language for improve clarity as indicated by strikeout or
original language and [insertions in brackets].

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Resolutions

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1153
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1156

1. The Texas Republican Party concurs in the censure of Texas State Representative Byron R. Cook,
pursuant to Texas Republican Party General Rules for Conventions and Meetings, for committing three (3)
or more acts in contravention of the Republican Party of Texas Core Principles. Further, we the delegates
of the Texas Republican Party impose any and all sanctions, penalties, or punishments available upon
Texas State Representative Byron R. Cook, pursuant to Texas Republican Party General Rules for
Conventions and Meetings, Rule #44.

i

Last edit June 21, 2018, 15:51 CDT by Mark S. Ramsey.
Original subcommittee language included UIL before participation. However, the committee of the whole voted to
leave this out.
iii
In two cases of deleted planks, the placeholder remains to preserve consistency between plank numbers as-voted
and those in this document.
iv
As passed on convention floor left out a numbered item, though language was in place. Hence sub-numbered list
was renumbered as intended.
v
In three cases of planks that were inadvertently included in other planks in the Permanent Committee Report, but
voted separately by giving them plank numbers at the end, their POSITION in the committee report is preserved with
a bracketed plank number corresponding to how they were voted on by the delegates, and a cross reference on the
respective added plank number to show where the voted on language was located.
vi
Editors preferred Pre-Natal, but since Preborn is in common usage to refer to the bill, it was retained.
vii
In two cases of deleted planks, the placeholder remains to preserve consistency between plank numbers as-voted
and those in this document.
viii
In three cases of planks that were inadvertently included in other planks in the Permanent Committee Report, but
voted separately by giving them plank numbers at the end, their POSITION in the committee report is preserved with
a bracketed plank number corresponding to how they were voted on by the delegates, and a cross reference on the
respective added plank number to show where the voted on language was located.
ix
In three cases of planks that were inadvertently included in other planks in the Permanent Committee Report, but
voted separately by giving them plank numbers at the end, their POSITION in the committee report is preserved with
a bracketed plank number corresponding to how they were voted on by the delegates, and a cross reference on the
respective added plank number to show where the voted on language was located.
ii

30