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Texas 2010 STATE REPUBLICAN PARTY PLATFORM
PREAMBLE
The embodiment of the conservative dream in America is Texas. Throughout the world people dare
to dream of freedom and opportunity. The Republican Party of Texas unequivocally defends that
dream. We strive to preserve the freedom given to us by God, implemented by our Founding Fathers,
and embodied in the Constitution. We recognize that the nuclear family is the strength of our nation.
It is our solemn duty to protect life and develop responsible citizens. We understand that our
economic success depends upon free market principles. If we fail to maintain our sovereignty, we
risk losing the freedom to live these ideals.
PRINCIPLES
We Believe in:
1. Strict adherence to the Declaration of Independence and U.S. and Texas Constitutions.
2. Preserving American Freedom and Texas Sovereignty.
3. Limiting the expanse of Government Power.
4. The sanctity of human life, created in the image of God, which should be protected from fertilization to
natural death.
5. Personal Accountability and Responsibility.
6. Self-sufficient families, founded on the traditional marriage of a natural man and a natural woman.
7. Having an educated population, with parents having the freedom of choice for the education of their
children.
8. Americans having the right to be safe in their homes, on their streets, and in their communities, and the
unalienable right to defend themselves.
9. A free enterprise society unencumbered by government interference or subsidies.
10. Restoring American sovereignty and leadership, and we honor all of those that serve and protect our
freedom with peace through strength.
PRESERVING AMERICAN FREEDOM
LIMITING THE EXPANSE OF GOVERNMENT POWER
Limited Federal Powers – We support state sovereignty reserved under the Tenth Amendment and oppose mandates
beyond the scope of federal authority. We support the Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. We oppose and refuse
any federal mandates which infringe upon the right to self-government and rights of citizens, businesses and public
entities of the State of Texas; we also support asking the Governor to direct the Texas Attorney General to pursue all
other appropriate legal action that preserves Texas’ sovereignty. We further support abolition of federal agencies involved
in activities not originally delegated to the federal government under a strict interpretation of the Constitution. We reject
the EPA defining repairs as upgrades.
Constitutional Citations on Legislation – We urge that all bills presented in Congress include citations to the authorizing
constitutional provision, cost to implement, and impact on the family.
If It’s Good Enough For Us, It’s Good Enough for Them – The Government shall not, by rule or law, exempt any of its
members from the provisions of such rule or law.
Law Enforcement – P - 2
• We support limitation of criminal jurisdiction of federal law-enforcement agencies in accordance with Article 1,
Section 8 of the United States Constitution.
• We understand most crime is local, and the states, reserve law enforcement authority under the Tenth
Amendment.
• We oppose expansion of federal law-enforcement authority and use of military against citizens.
Preserving National Security – We believe terrorism is the greatest threat to international peace and to our safety. We
urge our national leadership to protect our Constitutional rights and swiftly wage successful war on terrorists; to eliminate
aid to any nation threatening us or aiding terrorists or hostile nations; to spell out consequences for terrorist activities and
to publicly support other nations fighting terrorists; to reasonably use profiling to protect us; to prosecute national security
breaches; and to revise laws or executive orders that erode our essential liberties.
Patriot Act – We urge review and revision of those portions of the USA Patriot Act, and related executive and military
orders and directives that erode constitutional rights and essential liberties of citizens.
Continuity of Government – We oppose appointing members of Congress to fill large vacancies, depriving our right to
elect our own representatives.
Emergency War Powers – We charge the President to cancel the state of national emergency and charge Congress to
repeal the War Powers Act and end our declared state of emergency.
Elimination of Executive Orders – We demand elimination of presidential authority to issue executive orders and other
mandates lacking congressional approval, as well as repeal of all previous executive orders and mandates.
Inter-jurisdictional Agreements – We oppose inter-jurisdictional agreements with any state that prevent the Governor from
controlling the military, police, other emergency management personnel, and State of Texas resources. We call for repeal
of all such measures.
Washington D.C. – We strongly oppose making the District of Columbia a state and adding unconstitutional voting
Congressional members.
Census – We oppose the Census Bureau’s obtaining data beyond the number of people residing in a dwelling, and we
oppose statistical sampling adjustments in the “mid-decade” census. We urge that U.S. citizens who, because of religion
or conscience, are compelled to withhold their full response to any census question, be held guiltless. We support the
actual counting of people and oppose any type of estimation or manipulation of data.
Preservation of Republican Form of Government – We support our republican form of government in Texas as set forth in
the Texas Bill of Rights (Art. I, § 2, §29; Art II §1; and Art. XVII §2g) and oppose Initiative and Referendum. We also urge
the Texas Legislature and the United States Congress to enact legislation prohibiting any jurisdiction from allowing any
substitute or parallel system of Law, specifically, but not limited to, Sharia Law, to be recognized which is not in
accordance with the Constitutions of Texas or of the United States of America.
Germane Contents Requirement – All language in any bill must be germane to the title of the act.
Vote Revelation Requirement – All bills passed in the U. S. House of Representatives or the U. S. Senate should require
a recorded vote, and that the bill voted on not be changed after the vote. All U.S. House and U. S. Senate rules allow the
passage of bills without a revelation of the recorded vote be eliminated, including but not limited to the various forms of
reconciliation.
Constitutional Convention – We oppose any constitutional convention to rewrite the United States Constitution. We
demand the Legislature rescind its 1977 call for such a convention. We call upon other states to rescind their votes for
such a convention.
Affirmative Action – Inasmuch as the Civil Rights Movement argued against using race as a factor in American life,
affirmative action reintroduces race as a powerful force in American life. The Republican Party of Texas believes in equal
opportunity for all American citizens without regard to race or gender. To that end, we oppose affirmative action because:
1. We believe it is simply racism disguised as a social value.
2. We believe that policies that lower standards on the basis of race or gender create a disincentive to excellence
and thereby encourage mediocrity. P - 3
3. We believe that rights belong to people – not groups; therefore, we reject the notion of group-rights and policies
that grant preferences based on race or gender. Policies of this type apply a blanket remedy before specific acts
of discrimination are proven; thus, such policies compound one injustice with another.
4. Affirmative action falsely casts those who advocate merit as racist.
5. Affirmative action casts doubt on minority achievement making such achievement as seemingly unearned. We
believe that true minority advancement will come from a demand for personal responsibility, accountability and
competitive excellence.
Reparations – We oppose any form of reparation based on discriminatory criteria.
Annexation – All parties in annexation proceedings should be guaranteed these referenda: Residents of an area to be
annexed may vote on annexation, and voters of the jurisdiction proposing annexation must authorize the proposal.
Property Forfeiture – We support strengthening present restrictions on use of civil forfeiture laws and assessing penalties
to reimburse injured parties for costs accrued if property is returned to its original owner.
Eminent Domain – We support limiting the definition of eminent domain to exclude seizing private property for public or
private economic development or for increased tax revenues. Additionally, we support market value compensation to the
property owners for all damages from all sources as a direct result of any taking. All private property owners involved in
eminent domain matters should be notified of their rights under law with regard to condemnation and the condemner
should be required to show the public need and necessity by petitioning a court of jurisdiction. Taking of property should
result in immediate compensation of fair market value to the owner.
Homestead Protection – We support continuance of Texas’ homestead protection.
Environment, Property Ownership, and Natural Resources – We reaffirm our belief in the constitutional concept of the
right to own property without governmental interference. We believe that property ownership is the source of the nation’s
wealth; free enterprise forms the foundation of our collective wealth; local stewardship of our natural resources is best;
sound science trumps politically correct science; groundwater is a vested ownership right; the state should not abridge or
deny our inalienable property and mineral rights; in state control of state resources; in opposing nationalization of lands
and watersheds; in opposing conservation easements on our natural resources administered by organizations
unaccountable to voters; in opposing vast acquisition of Texas land by government agencies to protect endangered
species; in allowing states to consider costs when comparing emission control techniques; in election of the Texas
Commission on Environmental Quality chairman; and in eliminating the Endangered Species Act.
Conservation Easements – When conservation easements are placed on our natural resources, they should be
administered by organizations accountable to voters.
Livestock and Pet Locations – We oppose a mandatory national animal identification system requiring registration of all
animals, of animal owners and their properties, including GPS coordinates and the use of RFID technology.
Banning the Use of Red Light Cameras – We oppose the manner in which alleged vehicle violations are documented and
fines levied against individuals without proof of their having been the driver of the offending vehicle and we call for a ban
on Red Light Cameras in the State of Texas.
Driver Licenses – We propose that every Texas driver license shall indicate whether the driver is a U.S. citizen.
No such documentation shall be issued to anyone not legally in the country.
Free Speech for the Clergy – We urge change of the Internal Revenue Code to allow a religious organization to address
issues without fear of losing its tax-exempt status. We call for repeal of requirements that religious organizations send
government any personal information about their contributors.
Government Regulation of Religious Institutions – The state should have no power over licensing or training of clergy. The
State should withdraw all imposed regulations.
Restore Constitutional Integrity in the Legislative Process – We call upon the U.S. congress to pass legislation to restore
Constitutional integrity in the legislative process demanding Single Issue Legislation that prohibits the current practice of
inserting into otherwise unrelated legitimate legislation funding for or federal regulations for special interest issues into
virtually every piece of legislation.
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The Rights of a Sovereign People – The Republican Party of Texas supports the historic concept, established by our
nations’ founders, of limited civil government jurisdiction under the natural laws of God, and repudiates the humanistic
doctrine that the state is sovereign over the affairs of men, the family and the church.
Fairness Doctrine – We oppose any attempt by Congress or any federal agency to implement any policy comparable to
the “fairness doctrine” as terminated in 1987.
Empowering Local Government Concerning Religious Meetings – the Republican Party of Texas urges local government
bodies to determine their own policies regarding religious clubs and meetings on all properties owned by the same without
interference.
Real ID Act – As the Real ID Act effectively creates an unconstitutional and privacy-inhibiting national ID card, we hereby
call for its immediate repeal.
Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) – We oppose this act through which the federal government would coerce
religious business owners and employees to violate their own beliefs and principles by affirming what they consider to be
sinful and sexually immoral behavior.
REFORMING THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM
Direct Election of State Judges – We support our right to select our judges by direct vote.
Visiting Judges – We support legislation prohibiting judges defeated by the electorate from serving as visiting judges, or
acting as judges in any capacity, until such time they are reinstated by the electorate through a subsequent election.
Jury Reform – We support the right to privacy and security of prospective jurors during jury selection. Courts must show
relevance of questions asked of jurors and perform a balancing test between the prospective juror’s right to privacy and
lawyers’ need to know. Either party in a criminal trial should have a right to inform jurors of their right to determine facts
and render a verdict.
Qualified Juror Service – Jury service should be limited to registered voters.
Administrative Justice – Citizens have a right to full participation in administrative law processes.
Judicial Restraint – We urge Congress to adopt the Constitutional Restoration Act and support the principle of judicial
restraint, which requires judges to interpret and apply rather than make the law. We support judges who strictly interpret
the law based on its original intent. We oppose judges who assume for themselves legislative powers.
Remedies to Activist Judiciary – We call Congress and the President to use their constitutional powers to restrain activist
judges. We urge Congress to adopt the Judicial Conduct Act of 2005 and remove judges who abuse their authority.
Further, we urge Congress to withhold Supreme Court jurisdiction in cases involving abortion, religious freedom, and the
Bill of Rights.
Judicial Nominees – We urge Republican Senate leadership to ensure that a record vote is taken on every judicial
nominee.
State Bar Requirements – Attorneys who obtain their law degree through learning by electronic means or U.S. mail, from
an accredited school of law, should be allowed to take the Texas Bar Exam.
Information Disclosure on Judicial Candidates – The Texas State Republican Party should foster a judicial archive site on
the internet with personal history, qualifications, and past rulings made by all judicial candidates.
Statutory Authority for Regulation – Defendants charged with violating a governmental regulation should have the right to
see the enabling law.
RESTORING INTEGRITY TO OUR ELECTIONS P - 5
Protecting Union Member’s Dues – We support legislation requiring labor unions to obtain consent of the union member
before that member’s dues can be used for political purposes.
Campaign Contributions – We support full disclosure of the amounts and sources of any campaign contributions to
political candidates, whether contributed by individuals, political action committees, or other entities.
Candidate Eligibility – A candidate running for office should be required to reside within the geographical boundaries of
the office sought. A candidate must submit proof of qualifications for the office being sought, including proof of citizenship
and in the case of a presidential candidate, an original or certified copy of a birth certificate, bearing names and signatures
of parents, attendant(s), as well as date, time and location of birth for the purpose of satisfying the requirement of being a
"natural born citizen".
Voter Registration – We support restoring integrity to the voter registration rolls and to reducing voter fraud. We support
repeal of all Motor Voter laws; re–registering voters every four years; requiring photo ID of all registrants; proof of
residency and citizenship, along with voter registration application; retention of the 30-day registration deadline; and
requiring that a list of certified deaths be provided to the county clerk in order that the names of deceased voters be
removed from the list of registered voters.
Electoral College – We support the Electoral College.
Voting Rights – We support equal suffrage for all citizens of voting age who are not felons. We oppose any identification
of citizens by race, origin, or creed and oppose use of any such identification for purposes of creating voting districts.
Felon Voting – We affirm the Constitutional authority of state legislatures to regulate voting, including disenfranchisement
of convicted felons.
Protecting Active Military Personnel’s Right to Vote – We urge the Texas Secretary of State and the U.S. Attorney
General to ensure that voting rights of our Armed Forces will neither be denied nor obstructed.
Filing Date for Primary Election – We urge changing the Election Code date of filing for the March primary from January 2
to the second Monday in January.
Fair Election Procedures – We support modifications and strengthening of election laws to assure ballot integrity and fair
elections. Specifically, we support a federal or state government-issued photo ID at in-person voting; increased scrutiny
and security in balloting by mail; prohibition of internet voting and any electronic voting lacking a verifiable paper trail;
prohibition of mobile voting; prosecution for election fraud with jail sentences; repeal of the unconstitutional “Help America
Vote Act”; and assurance that each polling place has a distinctly marked and if possible separate location for Republican
and Democratic primary voting.
Residency Requirements – We support legislation that determines residence in accordance with common-law rules, as
recognized by the courts, except as otherwise provided by the Texas Election Code.
Water Districts – We urge the Legislature to allow voters the ability to recall elected officials of an irrigation district, fresh
water supply district, municipal utility district, or any other special purpose district.
Campaign Finance Reform – We urge immediate repeal of the McCain-Feingold Act.
Enforcing the Platform – The Republican State Chairman and county chairs are responsible for implementing this platform
by requiring party candidates to indicate their positions on platform planks before their acceptance on the ticket and to
make such information available on the Party website. The SREC should seriously consider candidates’ positions on the
Party platform before granting support.
Contributions to Conservative Candidates – We support the withholding of campaign contributions to organizations or
campaigns including the Republican National Committee, the National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee, the
National Republican Congressional Committee and all other organizations or campaigns which would support candidates
who do not support the principles of the 2010 Texas State Republican Party Platform.
Platform/Legislation – We urge the Legislature to permit a political party to require each of its candidates to indicate their
position on each platform plank before their acceptance on the primary ballot. Publication and distribution of candidate
responses should be permitted. P - 6
Conflicts of Interest – We support all legislation prohibiting influencing or voting of any elected official or appointee where
a conflict of interest exists. No such official should represent paying clients before a state agency.
Lobbying Limitation – We support legislation to prohibit former officials and government employees from lobbying for a
foreign government and/or any business for five years after leaving public service. We support legislation to prevent
lobbying by any organization receiving federal grants except that relating to its tax status.
Legislative Accountability – We support rules requiring that all votes on bills cast in the Texas House and Senate be
record votes freely available to the electorate.
AWOL Legislators – We urge the Texas House and Senate to compel attendance of absent members and penalize those
who attempt to bust the quorum by leaving the state or hiding within it.
Governor’s Veto – We urge a Constitutional amendment permitting the Legislature to return for a three-day session in
response to the governor’s veto.
Public Integrity Unit – We urge the Legislature to secure the impartiality and probity of the Travis County Public Integrity
Unit, by transferring its powers and funding to an impartial statewide elected judicial entity.
Filibuster – We support return to the traditional Fi
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