With early voting beginning in the Republican primary election on Monday, February 14, Texas Scorecard asked candidates in the race for Texas House District 33 a series of questions to help voters make up their minds before heading to the polls.
Candidates
Justin Holland (No response received)
Dennis London
Scott Lamarca
The following are the full, unedited responses we received.
Why are you running for office?
London: I am running for office because I wanted a true conservative Republican to vote for. For the last 2 decades Texas has had a Republican led legislature and yet we just can’t seem to make any meaningful progress on our Republican priorities. I’ll tell you now, it’s not the priorities which are the problem…it’s the people we’re sending to Austin who aren’t advocating for those things which “we the people” elected them to do.
Lamarca: We need leaders in office. That know what it means to be sworn under oath, understand their duties and responsibilities, defends the constitution word for word, and understands the values (DUTY, LOYALTY, SELFLESS SERVICE). I will fight for Texas constitution rights. I am running because I am doing it for the love of my country, state, the constitution, and conservative values. I am giving the government back to the people. I work for the Texas constituent’s and make their voice heard by doing what they want. As a legislator I do not make the choice for the Texas constituents instead I make the constituent’s demand happen. Exposing the corruption, getting rid of the corruption, and defending Texan constituent’s freedoms and liberties. While defending the constitution, Texas Constitution, law and order, and rule of law.
What are the three main issues facing the district you hope to represent? How will you address them?
London:
- The more people I meet and talk with here in District 33, the more I learn what’s bothering them. First is the property tax. That’s not such an easy thing to fix but there are ways we can reduce and eventually eliminate them. It’ll take some time, about 8 to 10 years, but we have to first get the right people in Austin who are willing to fight for it.
- The second thing I hear is the out of control construction of new home builds and communities. I’m not sure people understand that the developers and builders are using the exact modeling plan that was used in California. I’ve spoken with insiders who spelled it out. It is literally the same plan that destroyed most of California’s coastal communities and surrounding areas. I keep hearing “don’t CA my TX” and here we have elected officials, from city councils up to state legislators not just allowing but voting for this insanity. So how do I plan to address this? We need to have people who are willing to stand up to the developers and builders. While most of this a local issue and should be addressed as such with local votes, the Legislature needs to be the voice of the people, and since we, as legislators, can create or deny these districts in the beginning, this can be killed in committee and never see the light of day. I plan to be that voice of reason.
- The third item I hear about is border security. Which you think wouldn’t be an issue for a North Texas district, but it is. Our law enforcement agencies are constantly working against drug runners, human and sex traffickers, and illegal immigration. This impacts all of Texas! I would push for the continuation of the wall. It’s already paid for, the materials are there, we just need to tell the contractors to get back to work.
- There’s a 4th item that many in the district have brought up, and that’s the fact our incumbent is a self-proclaimed rino. He went ahead and posted on FB that he didn’t work for the Republican party of Texas or the SREC, and he didn’t have to report to them. So my response is simple “allow me to be the true Republican”.
Lamarca:
1.Border security, 2. Property tax, 3 Rule of Law, 4 Law and Order Draft bills, Fight for legislation to address to all these issues, ensure all priorities are for Texas constituents demands for their freedoms and liberties, focus on corruption, criminal activity, Drugs, Illegal immigrants in my district, and work with my state Governor to take on the battle of our invasion at the border. I will never support, draft, or vote for any legislation that is a violation of the constitution, Texas constitution word for word, or violates Texas constituent’s freedoms or liberties.
Texans all across the state are reporting an ever-increasing property tax burden. Should the property tax system be fixed? If so, how?
London: Yes…absolutely! Texas now has the 6th highest property taxes in the nation. While I mentioned this earlier, I can go into a little more detail here. Huffines and West both have plans to use the state budget surplus to phase out property taxes over the next decade or so. Under their plans, our schools still get funded with the same amount of money, it just comes from a different source. You know these tax deductions that went into effect last year? The money that people were worried about not going to schools was made up from the state budget surplus. They didn’t go without, and they won’t as we pay down our debt and continue to strengthen our economy. Plus, they would still have local control over how that money is spent…as it should be.
Lamarca: Yes, we need to work on eliminating property Tax system. As a legislator we need to review and come up with a plan to eliminate property tax. Let me be clear I am not making a set decision this is something that needs to be reviewed and investigate for the best option for Texas constituents. Bottom line is the final decision is what the Texas constituents choose.
Should Democrats serve as committee chairs in the Texas Legislature?
London: No! Why do we elect Republicans into office and allow them to hand over control to Democrats? Let me ask you a question; would you let your opponent’s defensive coach run any part of your offense? Of course not! So why are we handing over any control to people who don’t want any of our legislative priorities to go anywhere? I will work with Bryan Slaton and others who tried to get this passed last session. By the way, the incumbent (Justin Holland) voted against this.
Lamarca: When I say I defend the constitution word for word that means I will support that we pick the legislator to hold a committee chair that will defend the constitution, Texas constitution word for word, and will protect and fight for Texas constituent’s freedoms and liberties no matter what party they represent. If the legislator fails to follow the constitution, constitution, or Texas constituent’s freedoms and liberties they should be remove from the chair and replaced with one legislator that will do their duties and responsibilities correctly as they are sworn under oath to do.
How would you characterize the state’s response to the coronavirus? What would you have done differently?
London: Texas seemed to be doing fine in the beginning with letting people do what was right for themselves. Then the legislature went and gave Abbott power which wasn’t theirs to give…and everything took a turn for the worse. Mask mandates, vax mandates, business and church closures…it was all wrong. Let people decide for themselves if they want to go someplace. Or if a business wants to stay open, let them. If they want to close…that’s on them. Nobody should be forced.
Lamarca: I believe the government has zero say with how Texas constituents choose to handle the coronavirus. Example I have been in combat and experience being shoot at, mortar attacks, IED’s, RPG.s fighting to defend the constitution and the American’s freedoms and liberties. I do not need the government to tell me how to handle the coronavirus. The only thing the government should do is put out the information about the virus and let the Texas constituents make the choice how they choose to handle the virus.
