Protecting Faith, Family & Freedom During 2020 Texas GOP Convention

Despite the unusual circumstances of having a last-minute virtual convention due to COVID-19 and Houston Mayor Turner’s unchecked power grab to prevent an in-person convention, much was accomplished regarding faith, family, and freedom at the 2020 Texas GOP Convention that took place this past weekend. After a series of emergency legal filings by the Republican Party of Texas, which were denied by the courts, delegates and convention attendees were notified the convention would have to be conducted online in order to accomplish their Constitutional duties on time. Despite this difficulty, it was decided that temporary committee meetings should continue in person at the nearby Marriott Marquis conference center.

The Texas Values policy team spent Monday through Wednesday of last week on the ground in Houston testifying as delegates and policy experts before committees while monitoring life, family, and religious freedom issues. The team had the opportunity to assist committee members in solidifying the platform on Christian conservative issues and to make sure that religious freedom, life, and the protection of children from harmful gender transitioning were on the list for legislative priorities in the 2021 legislative session. Issues supported by our team made the top four on the list of eight priorities as finally approved by nearly 4,000 delegates, with religious freedom being the number two issue for the next legislative session with priorities on pro-life and outlawing gender transitioning procedures and medications for minors listed close behind at three and four.

General Ken Paxton: Texas Schools are Free to Reopen 

We wanted to make sure you are aware that public and private schools are free to reopen with their normal school calendar this Fall. In fact, last week Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a legal letter making it clear that local governments cannot control whether or not a private religious school decides to open for in-person instruction. Texas Values informed General Paxton’s team about our concerns when Travis County (and now Dallas County and other counties) issued government orders telling all schools, including religious private schools, that they had to delay in-person instruction.

Our friends at First Liberty Institute and others have been monitoring this issue and stand ready to assist our efforts and yours if you need protection from the local government on this private school issue. Although some public school districts are delaying the beginning of in-person instruction, this a local decision they are making on their own. Governor Abbott and the state government are not preventing or requiring a delay of public or private schools re-opening.