The Republican Party of Texas officially passed a resolution censuring retiring State Rep. Byron Cook (R–Corsicana) for his repeated defiance of the core principles of the party.
The resolution was passed by a vote of the full body of delegates to the 2018 Texas GOP Convention, which took place last week in San Antonio. The resolution passed overwhelmingly with 82 percent of delegates voting in favor.
The enactment clause of the resolution reads as follows:
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.
Cook served as a consistent roadblock to conservative legislation for years. As chairman of the State Affairs Committee, he repeatedly killed high-profile conservative legislation such as sanctuary cities bans, pro-life bills, ending automatic union dues collection, and legislation to keep men out of women’s showers, locker rooms, and restrooms.
Cook is the second lawmaker to have been censured by the party, following Speaker Joe Straus’ censure earlier this year.
After Straus announced last fall that he would not be seeking re-election, conservatives had a second win just hours later, as Cook announced he too would be leaving the legislature.
Without Straus leading the chamber, Cook simply did not have a place in the House, and had no chance of moving upwards, having burned up all political credibility with virtually every constituency while serving as Straus’ hatchetman.
Cook’s censure by the Texas GOP sends a loud message to new and returning lawmakers headed to the capitol in 2019. The party, and most importantly the grassroots conservatives that make up the party, are holding their elected officials accountable.
