In addition to a bevy of candidates running for office, Republicans voted on 10 propositions that could have a major impact in deciding which issues merit attention from the Texas Legislature in 2021.
Each primary election year, the governing body of the Texas GOP puts a handful of measures on the ballot as a poll of the party faithful. While the outcome of this election isn’t as impactful as the constitutional amendments election that Texans often participate in following the Texas Legislature’s time in Austin, this opinion poll ahead of the legislative session is intended to help guide policy debate when lawmakers do convene.
A few items put before Texans this year, such as banning taxpayer-funded lobbying and protecting the Alamo, garnered more support from Texas Republicans than even President Donald Trump.
The 10 Republican Party primary ballot propositions and their vote passage percentages are as follows:
- Texas should not restrict or prohibit prayer in public schools. Passed with 88 percent.
- Texas should reject restrictions on the right to keep and bear arms. Passed with 85 percent.
- Texas should ban the practice of taxpayer-funded lobbying, which allows your tax dollars to be spent on lobbyists who work against the taxpayer. Passed with 94 percent.
- Texas should support the construction of a physical barrier and use existing defense-grade surveillance equipment along the entire southern border of Texas. Passed with 94 percent.
- Texas parents or legal guardians of public school children under the age of 18 should be the sole decision makers for all their children’s healthcare decisions including, but not limited to, psychological assessment and treatment, contraception, and sex education. Passed with 91 percent.
- Texas should ban chemical castration, puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and genital mutilation surgery on all minor children for transition purposes, given that Texas children as young as three (3) are being transitioned from their biological sex to the opposite sex. Passed with 95 percent.
- Texans should protect and preserve all historical monuments, artifacts, and buildings, such as the Alamo Cenotaph and our beloved Alamo, and should oppose any reimagining of the Alamo site. Passed with 97 percent.
- Texas election officials should heed the directives of the Office of the Governor to purge illegal voters from the voter rolls and verify that each new registered voter is a U.S. Citizen. Passed with 94 percent.
- Bail in Texas should be based only on a person’s danger to society and risk of flight, not that person’s ability to pay. Passed with 95 percent.
- Texas should limit our state legislators’ terms to 12 years. Passed with 92 percent.
Lawmakers would do well to act on these issues when the Texas Legislature returns next January.
