Texas Republicans had their state convention this last weekend. In that convention, they produced a 30 page platform -- and as usual many planks in that platform would make Texas a much worse place to live if they are realized. Here are just a few of the terrible planks in their platform.
Carbon Tax: We oppose all efforts to classify carbon dioxide as a pollutant. We further urge the US Senate to defeat the “Cap-and-Trade” legislation, as it is outside the authority of the US Constitution.
Environment: We oppose environmentalism that obstructs legitimate business interests and private property use, including the regulatory taking of property by governmental agencies. We oppose the abuse of the Endangered Species Act to confiscate and limit the use of personal property and infringement on a property owner’s livelihood. “Climate change” is a political agenda promoted to control every aspect of our lives. We support the defunding of “climate justice” initiatives and the abolition of the Environmental Protection Agency and repeal of the Endangered Species Act.
International Organizations: We support United States withdrawal from the International Monetary Fund, the World Trade Organization, and the World Bank.
Minimum Wage: We believe the Minimum Wage Law should be repealed.
Prevailing Wage: We oppose prevailing wage laws.
Dodd-Frank: We support the immediate repeal of Dodd-Frank legislation.
Social Security Opt-Out: We support reform to Social Security that allows people to opt out.
Trade Agreements: We support free trade as a necessary component of American capitalism and of the United States’ influence in the world. We strongly oppose the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), the Trade In Services Agreement (TISA), and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). We demand the immediate withdrawal from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). We demand the repeal of the current Fast Track Authority/TPA.
Vehicle Inspection: No non-commercial vehicles should be required to obtain a state safety inspection.
United States Senators: We support the repeal of the 17th Amendment of the United States Constitution and the appointment of United States Senators by the state legislatures.
Executive Orders: We call upon the President of the United States to revoke all of President Obama’s executive orders that violate our platform.
Flag Desecration: We call for a constitutional amendment banning desecration of the flag.
No Taxes for UN: We condemn any mechanism that allows US citizens to be taxed in order to fund the UN.
Constitutional Carry: We support constitutional carry legislation through any legislative means so law-abiding citizens may carry any legally owned guns openly or concealed while maintaining the option of a permit for reciprocity purposes only.
Gun-Free Zones: We oppose governmental prohibitions on citizens who have a constitutional right to own and carry firearms and knives from doing so. We oppose state-mandated location restrictions, the Federal Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990, and the National Firearms Act.
Firearms Storage: We oppose mandates on personal firearms storage, maintaining that it is the responsibility of an individual to safely store his or her firearms and choose responsibly when and how to make them available to minors.
Weapons Restrictions: We support all legislation and policies that reduce restrictions on legal gun owners to purchase, own, or carry any type of gun, ammunition, accessory, knife, or other weapon, and oppose all that hinder the same.
Abortion Homicide Exemption: We support repeal of the physician homicide exemption of the Texas Penal Code Section 19.06 unless it is absolutely required to save the life of the mother.
Hate Crimes: We urge the complete repeal of the Hate Crimes Law since ample laws are currently in effect to punish criminal behavior towards other persons.
Unborn Child Protection: We believe that a person who injures or kills an unborn child should be subject to criminal and civil litigation.
Abolish Department of Education: Since education is not an enumerated power of the federal government, we believe the Department of Education should be abolished, and prohibit the transfer of any of its functions to any other federal agency.
Sexual Education: We demand the state legislature pass a law prohibiting the teaching of sex education, sexual health, or sexual choice, or identity in any public school in any grade whatsoever, or disseminating or permitting the dissemination by any party of any material regarding the same. All school districts, individual schools, or charter schools are prohibited from contracting with or making any payment to any third party for material concerning any of the above topics. Until this prohibition goes into effect, sexual education shall only utilize sexual risk avoidance programs and promote abstinence outside of marriage.
School Security: The Texas Legislature shall pass a statute that allows Texas school teachers, or other school employees, who are certified and insured, to be authorized to carry a concealed gun on the premises of their assigned school for security and protection purposes. The Texas Republican Party supports teachers and staff, who obtain concealed carry licenses, and obtain additional training required by the district, to have the right to carry firearms on school premises.
Voter Registration: We support restoring integrity to the voter registration rolls and reducing voter fraud. We support the 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 Secretary of State in order that the names of deceased voters be removed from the list of registered voters. We should give the Secretary of State enforcement authority to ensure county registrar compliance with Secretary of State directives. Revise the Title 19 funding to avoid incentivizing retention of ineligible voters.
English Only Ballots: English, and only English, shall appear on any ballot for any election in the United States of America and in the State of Texas.
UN Treaty on the Rights of Child: We unequivocally oppose the United States Senate’s ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Closed Primary: We support protecting the integrity of the Republican primary election by requiring a closed primary system in Texas.
Federal Welfare Programs: We support the abolition of all federal welfare programs, as they are not an appropriate role of the Federal Government.
Gender Identity: We oppose all efforts to validate transgender identity.
Medicaid Reform: We support Medicaid block grants to the states and returning Medicaid to its original purpose to be a temporary assistance. We oppose any further expansion of Medicaid.
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”): We demand the immediate repeal of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which we believe to be unconstitutional.
Planned Parenthood: We support completely eliminating public funding for Planned Parenthood and any other abortion providers and all their affiliates, and we oppose their digital or physical presence in our schools and other public institutions. We also support elimination of public funding for embryonic stem cell research, research on fetal tissue, or human cloning.
Abolish Refugee Resettlement Program: We call for the abolition of the refugee resettlement program.
Citizenship Qualification: We call on the United States Congress to pass a constitutional amendment that defines citizenship as those born to a citizen of the United States or through naturalization.
