Republican primary voters will get a chance to vote on eleven propositions that could have a major impact in deciding which issues merit attention from the Texas Legislature in 2019.
Meeting in Austin this weekend, the State Republican Executive Committee (SREC) voted to place the following propositions on the ballot and ask Texans for a “Yes” or “No” vote:
- Texas should replace the property tax system with an appropriate consumption tax equivalent.
- No governmental entity should ever construct or fund the construction of toll roads without voter approval.
- Republicans in the Texas House should select their Speaker nominee by secret ballot in a binding caucus without Democrat influence.
- Texas should require employers to screen new hires through the free E-Verify system to protect jobs for legal workers.
- 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 constraints or intrusion.
- Texas should protect the privacy and safety of women and children in spaces such as bathrooms, locker rooms, and showers in all Texas schools and government buildings.
- I believe abortion should be abolished in Texas.
- Voter fraud should be a felony in Texas to help ensure fair elections.
- Texas demands that Congress completely repeal Obamacare.
- To slow the growth of property taxes, yearly revenue increases should be capped at 4%, with increases in excess of 4% requiring voter approval.
- Tax dollars should not be used to fund the building of stadiums for professional or semi-professional sports teams.
“The SREC deliberated and delivered eleven propositions to place on our Primary ballot,” said RPT Chairman James Dickey. “We look forward to hearing from our voters on these issues and to sharing the results with lawmakers. Whatever the results, we will continue working towards making our principles a reality.”
A number of the issues included in the propositions are ones which failed in the Texas Legislature during the regular and special session—issues like property tax reform, privacy protections, and school choice were scuttled by disgraced House Speaker Joe Straus and his coalition of liberal Republicans and Democrat lawmakers.
Republican activists should applaud the SREC for seeking to empower them to more easily make their voice heard on the issues that matter to everyday Texans. And they should hope that their voice on each of these reforms in the March primary is translated into legislative action when the 86th Texas Legislature convenes.
