Welcome to 2026! The Year of the Patriot! It’s been a while since we’ve done a “Fran’s Friday Message”. But it’s a new year and a new chance to engage with your government, so we’re back! We have THREE action items on three different subjects for you in the coming weeks. Do one, some, or all three! The choice is yours. INTERIM You may think that nothing much happens in the even numbered years that the TX Legislature is not in session. But you would be wrong! The Interim period has plenty of activity and opportunities for us to engage with the legislature. This is the time when standing committees meet to review and implement legislation that passed in the previous session, and study issues that may be important in the next session. The Speaker and Lt Governor typically publish their “Interim Charges” shortly after the primary election. In these charge instructions, the leadership lays out what they expect of the committees in the months leading up to the next session. But we don’t have to wait for the Speaker and Lt Governor to come up with interim charges. We can offer some of our own. 1st Action Item- Interim Charges Contact the Speaker and Lt Governor, requesting that they include these issues in the interim charges:
- Potential legislation for 2025 to ban sharia law in Texas. Despite some misconceptions, sharia law has not been banned in Texas. We need to explore options to prohibit sharia courts, legislatively declare CAIR and Muslim Brotherhood as terror organizations, end taxpayer funding to Muslim groups, schools, and organizations, and close statutory loopholes that protect Muslim only developments.
- Study the effects and cost to taxpayers of Taxpayer Funded Lobbyists and propose strong legislation for 2027 to end the practice. Non profits like TASB, TASA, TML, TAC and others are collecting millions of dollars from taxpayers to lobby against the interests of the taxpayers. Local governments already have the ear of their representatives, and they have better access than most. They don’t need paid lobbyists to lobby the legislature. We've been fighting for this legislation for 5 sessions. Get it done!
- Find credible methods to put Texas on a path to eliminate property taxes. Make all property tax increases illegal unless the voters approve. Be prepared to enter the 90th Lege session with a plan to accomplish this in a reasonable amount of time.
- Maybe you have some interim charges of your own? Go for it!
Contact Speaker Burrows: · Phone: 512-463-1000 · Email: [email protected] · Sr. Advisor Tracy King, email: [email protected] Contact Lt. Governor: · Phone: 512-463-2000 · Opinion Hotline: 512-463-1782 · Email: https://gov.texas.gov/contact click on “I want to share my opinion” We’ll be keeping an eye on Interim Committee Hearings, and will travel to the Capitol as often as possible to participate. Watch for future Friday messages for specifics. RPT BALLOT PROPOSITIONS: During each primary election, the RPT places ballot propositions on the primary ballot. The propositions are basically an opinion poll of the party voters, and are not binding. But they are important tools in shaping legislative priorities and party platform positions at convention. They must be taken seriously. Results are also useful in communicating a position during legislative sessions. Example: if 95% of Republican voters agreed to a proposition, we can use that to convince lawmakers to pass bills on that issue. We often use these statistics in committee testimony and position papers, to support our positions. True Texas Project is recommending a yes vote on all 10 propositions, but some with a caveat. Voters should consider each one carefully, and choose for themselves. Click here to see our article on the complete list of propositions, recommended votes on each, and an explanation of our position. Remember that these propositions, if supported by large percentages of Republican voters, often get translated into platform planks and legislative priorities at Convention, and then hopefully, into actual legislation the following year. 2nd Action Item- Primary Election With Ballot Propositions: Be sure to vote in the March 3rd Primary for your preferred candidates AND the 10 ballot propositions. Early voting for this election will be Feb 17 - 27. CONVENTION: The RPT Convention for 2026 is in Houston, June 11 – 13. (with Committee hearings June 8-10). We always encourage people to use the convention process and attend as many conventions as possible (precinct, Senate District or County, and State Conventions). If you’re new to the party or the political scene in general, it’s a great way to learn stuff, and meet other people who are engaged and motivated. If you’re not familiar with the convention process, please check out this video, where former RPT Chairman, Matt Rinaldi, lays it out. It’s a process, and you have to participate at one level in order to move the next. So be prepared, be informed, and get yourself to State Convention! True Texas Project will have a booth at Convention as usual. We love talking to folks from all over the state, and sharing our own brand of grassroots activism with fellow Republicans. We urge TTP supporters to be convention delegates if possible. It’s an important part of the political process and a rewarding experience. I highly recommend it! The precinct and Senate District Conventions are local. But State Convention can get expensive! There’s the fee to attend, several days in a hotel, expense to get there and back, meals, and you might want to buy a T shirt! But it’s all worth it! So, start putting aside a little funds each week right now so that you’ll be well prepared for the experience. 3rd Action Item- Convention: Plan to attend the RPT Conventions - precinct, Senate District or County, and State, and let your voice be heard! Year of the Patriot We’ve dubbed 2026 The Year of the Patriot, and in addition to monthly meetings, we’ve got plenty of things planned for patriots across Texas to stand up, show up, and speak up. The first opportunity is our Year of the Patriot Conference which is happening tomorrow in the Houston area. If you missed this one, there will be another one in the summer in the DFW area, and most of the sessions will be recorded and available on our website after the conference. The True Texan Training for Youth will soon be available on the website along with the adult version that’s already there. It’s a great course for young patriots to learn more about how government works, and how to get involved. Click here for details on Certified True Texan Training. Our mission to educate and motivate citizens to engage is alive and well, so jump in where you can! Stay Engaged! Fran Rhodes, President |
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