Two conservative grassroots organizations, the True Texas Project and Grassroots America: We The People, are backing all 13 ballot propositions in this year’s Republican primary.
TTP provided comments on why it chose to support some of the propositions after Texas Scorecard inquired. GAWTP, meanwhile, publicly issued short statements for some of the 13 in an election flyer.
Each of the propositions ask primary voters to respond with a simple “Yes” in agreement or “No” in disagreement. If a measure passes, it will be used to help guide the Republican Party of Texas when organizing the party platform and legislative priorities
Proposition 1—Property Taxes
“Texas should eliminate all property taxes without increasing Texans’ overall tax burden.”
GAWTP recommended voters approve the proposition but also noted that “A state income tax is already banned by our state constitution.”
TTP also recommended voting in favor of the proposition.
Proposition 2—Border Security
“Texas should create a Border Protection Unit, and deploy additional state law enforcement and military forces, to seal the border, to use physical force to prevent illegal entry and trafficking, and to deport illegal aliens to Mexico or to their nations of origin.”
GAWTP, in support of the proposition, noted that “over 9 million” illegal aliens have entered” the United States since President Joe Biden took office.
TTP also recommended approving the proposition.
Proposition 3—E-Verify
“The Texas Legislature should require the use of E-Verify by all employers in Texas to protect jobs for legal workers by preventing the hiring of illegal aliens.”
Both GAWTP and TTP support the proposition.
Proposition 4—Illegal Alien Magnets
“The Texas Legislature should end all subsidies and public services, including in-state college tuition and enrollment in public schools, for illegal aliens.”
The two groups both support the proposal.
Proposition 5—Amnesty
“Texas urges the United States Congress not to grant any form of amnesty or a pathway to legalization for illegal aliens.”
GAWTP wrote in support of the proposition in its flyer: “No rewarding lawlessness.”
TTP also recommended voting in favor of Proposition 5.
Proposition 6—Deploying the Guard
“The Texas Legislature should prohibit the deployment of the Texas National Guard to a foreign conflict unless Congress first formally declares war.”
Both GAWTP and TTP support the proposition but did not provide specific comments.
Proposition 7—Gold and Silver
“The Texas Legislature should establish authority within the Texas State Comptroller’s office to administer access to gold and silver through the Texas Bullion Depository for use as legal tender.”
GAWTP wrote approvingly that the proposition “makes gold and silver easily spendable.”
TTP President Fran Rhodes told Texas Scorecard that the organization fought for Senate Bill 1558 and House Bill 4903 last year, supporting the same ends as the above proposition.
“We lobbied for that bill in the 88th legislative session, because we believe people need to be free to choose how they use resources, and it supports our core values of fiscal and personal responsibility,” Rhodes stated.
Proposition 8—Medical Freedom
“The State of Texas should ensure that Texans are free to give or to withhold consent for any vaccine without coercion.”
GAWTP emphasized the importance of “informed consent over force!” in its statement in support of the proposed measure.
TTP also recommended supporting the proposition.
Proposition 9—Closed Primaries
“The Republican Party of Texas should restrict voting in the Republican primary to only registered Republicans.”
GAWTP stated in support of the proposition: “Stop Democrats from helping RINOs [Republicans in name only] win!”
TTP supports the proposition. “Since Texas is a predominately Republican state, it’s easy for Democrats who have no opponent in their own primary, to cross over and thwart the efforts of conservative grassroots candidates by voting for the least conservative Republican on the ballot,” Rhodes explained.
“We’ve seen this play out many times, especially in special elections and runoffs, and the practice is partly the reason some really bad incumbents keep getting re-elected,” she added.
Proposition 10—Election Security
“The Texas Constitution should be amended to restore authority to the Texas Attorney General to prosecute election crimes.”
GAWTP warned that local district attorneys bought out by leftist billionaire George Soros are not prosecuting election crimes. Giving that power also to the attorney general will help fill in the gaps, the group suggested.
Rhodes pointed out that Proposition 10 is directly related to the State v. Stephens case in the Texas Court of Appeals, which has stripped the attorney general’s authority over election matters in local jurisdictions.
She said TTP believes “the AG’s authority to prosecute must be restored by the legislature” and supports the proposition.
Proposition 11—School Choice
“Texas parents and guardians should have the right to select schools, whether public or private, for their children, and the funding should follow the student.”
GAWTP supports the proposition.
Rhodes shared that there is considerable division among the grassroots regarding the expansion of school choice, with some believing it could bring “unwanted restrictions” on home schools or create yet another “big taxpayer-funded welfare program.”
Still, TTP supports proposition 11.
“Regardless of which side of the issue people stand on, one thing we are mostly in agreement on is that none of the bills offered in the 88th Legislature were good options for addressing the problem,” Rhodes told Scorecard.
Proposition 12—Election Integrity
“The Texas Constitution should be amended to require proof of citizenship before any individual can be registered to vote.”
GAWTP lamented that proof of citizenship was not already a requirement to vote.
TTP also recommended voters approve the proposition.
Proposition 13—Protecting Texas Land
“Texas should ban the sale of Texas land to citizens, governments, and entities from China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia.”
Both GAWTP and TTP support the proposition and pointed out that the Republican-led Legislature tabled Senate Bill 147, addressing its concerns, during the 88th legislative session.
GAWTP specifically singled out the Texas House Committee on State Affairs’ chairman—Republican State Rep. Todd Hunter of Corpus Christi—for killing the measure in committee.
The primary election will take place on March 5. Early voting began on February 20 and will run until March 1.
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