Conservative activist Bonnie Wallace’s letter urging Gov. Greg Abbott to fast-track legislation to protect children from sexually explicit material drew more than 6,200 signatories.
First announced in early December, Wallace’s letter calling for the governor to designate the issue as an “emergency” item now has the support of former and current Republican Party of Texas Chairmen Matt Rinaldi and Abraham George.
Other members of the RPT, including Vice Chairwoman D’rinda Randall and Secretary Vergel Cruz, are also signatories to the letter. Republican National Committee members Dr. Robin Armstrong and Debbie Georgatos signed on as well.
Incoming Republican State Reps. Mike Olcott, Wes Virdell, Hillary Hickland, Shelley Luther, Mitch Little, and Andy Hopper signed Wallace’s letter. So did Republican State Reps. Carrie Isaac of Wimberley, Nate Schatzline of Fort Worth, Tony Tinderholt of Arlington, and Dr. Tom Oliverson of Cypress.
Two members of the State Board of Education and dozens of State Republican Executive Committee members have signed the letter. The conservative grassroots organization True Texas Project also supports the letter, with many of its members signing it.
In total, 6,249 individuals from 238 Texas counties signed Wallace’s letter—well above her goal of 5,000 signatures.
Texas Scorecard previously reported that another grassroots group, Citizens Defending Freedom, assisted Wallace in helping collect signatures for the letter.
Along with Gov. Abbott, Wallace’s letter was delivered to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Attorney General Ken Paxton.
“It is important that the governor and lieutenant governor understand the depth of the depravity that Texas children are being exposed to, and it is important that they take steps to protect our kids from that depravity,” said Wallace, a parent from Llano County and member of its library advisory board.
“This letter culminated in the efforts of many across Texas who recognize the importance of protecting the innocence of children,” she added.
Wallace specifically thanked Potter County Republican Party Chairman Daniel L. Rogers for helping her “get the majority of the Panhandle counties.” She also thanked activists Debbie Leimbach in New Braunfels and Cathy Trammell in Sunrise Beach for collecting “hundreds of names.”
“People care about this issue and want protections for Texas children,” explained Wallace.
The letter comes in advance of the 89th Legislative Session and the Republican Party of Texas’ stated priorities for the upcoming session. Among those priorities is a section titled “Stop Sexualizing Texas’ Kids.”
Last session, lawmakers passed House Bill 900, which set new school library standards prohibiting sexually explicit and unsuitable material in school libraries.
However, Wallace warns in her letter that HB 900 contains serious loopholes allowing local school districts to skirt or misapply the state’s indecency laws. Over the last several years, she has been on a mission to close those loopholes.
“Texas’ current definition of harmful materials allows pornography to be in a material as long as the theme as a whole does not meet prurient interests and as long as it has literary or artistic value,” reads Wallace’s letter.
“Just this year, Lovejoy Independent School District attorneys argued the district has a right to keep porn on their library shelves because of the affirmative defenses currently provided in the Texas Penal Code,” it continued. “Texas must close these loopholes!”
Still, Wallace’s crusade against harmful content in school libraries has received pushback. In June 2024, a federal appeals court ruled that several books she helped move from the children’s section to the adult section in Llano County public libraries must be returned.
Abbott, Patrick, and Paxton have not yet responded to requests for comment on Wallace’s letter.
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