In a letter to Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen, the Republican Party of Texas’ executive committee admits lawmakers failed to pass its priorities during the 86th regular session. The State Republican Executive Committee, or SREC, is comprised of one man and one woman elected from each of the state’s 31 Texas Senate districts.
Writing to the “Big Three,” the SREC said:
“If you call a special session, please consider including the following issues on your call from our five 2018 Legislative Priorities:
- End taxpayer-funded lobbying
- Pass additional significant life-saving pro-life legislation such as the “heartbeat bill” and PreNDA, or ending abortion completely in Texas
- Replace the Maintenance and Operation school property tax with a consumption tax
- Eliminate appraisal boards and use purchase price only for taxing property
- Recognize the right of law-abiding citizens to carry handguns without requiring a permit”
Those issues were all legislative priorities of the Texas GOP this session, as determined by the votes of delegates at the 2018 RPT State Convention last summer. Not one of the priorities was successfully passed by the Texas Legislature this session.
Texas Scorecard reported near the conclusion of the Texas Legislature that all of the Texas GOP’s priorities were on track for defeat—a prognostication that proved to be correct.
Not a single GOP legislative priority will be signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott this summer.
The defeat of all of the Republican priorities has led Northeast Tarrant Tea Party’s Julie McCarty to label lawmakers’ 140-day stint in Austin as a “purple session.”
Purple session led by purple leadership. We hunkered down like Chamberlain instead of using bold colors like Reagan. Grassroots are mad but legislators recite talking points like Stepford wives. Watch @NETarrantTea dig for truth w/ @RepStickland https://t.co/NrKzEEpCqN
— Julie McCarty (@heyjuliesue) June 11, 2019
