Republican Lawmakers Face Growing Grassroots Pressure to Ban Democrat Chairs

#1 | Republican Lawmakers Face Growing Grassroots Pressure to Ban Democrat Chairs datum

Tue Jan 10, 2023 11:37 am (Last edited: Tue Jan 10, 2023 11:37 am)

Republican Lawmakers Face Growing Grassroots Pressure to Ban Democrat Chairs
Our voters clearly gave Republicans a majority in the Legislature and expect Republicans to lead.

Erin Anderson | January 9, 2023

https://texasscorecard.com/state/republican-lawmakers-face-growing-grassroots-pressure-to-ban-democrat-chairs/

With the 2023 Texas Legislative Session about to start, more grassroots groups are pressing their Republican state representatives to stop giving Democrats powerful committee chairmanships.

The Legislature convenes on Tuesday, January 10, and Texas House members are expected to vote Thursday on the rules that will govern the chamber this session, though debate on House rules changes could begin on Wednesday or be pushed back to Friday.

In the past week, several grassroots groups increased pressure on GOP lawmakers to support a rule change that ensures the Republican-majority Legislature has Republican-run committees�a Texas GOP legislative priority that was supported by 81 percent of Republican primary voters (1.5 million Texans) in March 2022.

�Why is this such an important issue?� asked Kaufman County Conservative Republicans:

Quote
Currently, the Speaker awards chairmanships to Democrats as well as Republicans. Last session, despite a Republican majority, approximately 40% of House committees were chaired by Democrats. This must change! Our voters clearly gave Republicans a majority in the Legislature and expect Republicans to lead.

KCCR put pressure on area State Rep. Keith Bell (R�Forney) by posting a message to social media advising district voters to contact Bell about stopping the �corrupt practice� of appointing Democrat committee chairs.

They also texted the message to about 7,500 area voters.

The message also recommended Bell support State Rep. Tony Tinderholt (R�Arlington) for speaker of the House. Tinderholt backed a ban on Democrat chairs when it was proposed last session and has an A+ career rating on Texans for Fiscal Responsibility�s Fiscal Responsibility Index.

After learning about the texts, Bell responded to a member of the group that the message was �untruthful� and �not the proposition on the ballot,� though he seems to be referring to the speaker vote and not the practice of appointing Democrat chairs.

�I will honor my pledge, the plank and vote for [House Speaker Dade] Phelen,� Bell said. �I have no issue defending my Speaker vote or any others, for that matter.�

Bell�s latest rating on the Fiscal Responsibility Index is an F (58).

-- excerpt, rest at link above --

�We have now sunk to a depth at which restatement of the obvious is the first duty of intelligent people.� ― George Orwell

reply

#2 | RE: Republican Lawmakers Face Growing Grassroots Pressure to Ban Democrat Chairs datum

Tue Jan 10, 2023 12:16 pm

Our long serving County Judge retired last year and recently the County held a retirement social for him which I attended. I encountered my now ex state rep. (Earnest Bailes) there. I'll assure you he wishes I hadn't! In front of MANY movers and shakers from his new district I bluntly asked him "What's the point of us busting our butts to elect Republicans if the speaker is going to turn right around and hand much of the power to Democrats?" I wish you could have been there. I'll leave it at that.

Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God!

Isailedaway and EdJames said Thank You!

reply

#3 | RE: Republican Lawmakers Face Growing Grassroots Pressure to Ban Democrat Chairs datum

Tue Jan 10, 2023 12:31 pm

I wish I could have seen that, @Tinker !

"I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.

"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."

- J. R. R. Tolkien

reply

#4 | RE: Republican Lawmakers Face Growing Grassroots Pressure to Ban Democrat Chairs datum

Tue Jan 10, 2023 1:08 pm

Quote: Sanguine wrote in post #3
I wish I could have seen that, @Tinker !

I wish you could have as well @Sanguine it was epic!

Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God!

reply

#5 | RE: Republican Lawmakers Face Growing Grassroots Pressure to Ban Democrat Chairs datum

Tue Jan 10, 2023 1:53 pm

Quote: Tinker wrote in post #2
Our long serving County Judge retired last year and recently the County held a retirement social for him which I attended. I encountered my now ex state rep. (Earnest Bailes) there. I'll assure you he wishes I hadn't! In front of MANY movers and shakers from his new district I bluntly asked him "What's the point of us busting our butts to elect Republicans if the speaker is going to turn right around and hand much of the power to Democrats?" I wish you could have been there. I'll leave it at that.

If that was the County judge I met who handled the Estate probated with me as Executor 10 years ago, it seems it was time for him to go.
Without getting into details, I found him a genial person but without much awareness, and caused a lot of harm to befall my wife's family members as he was too friendly with real criminals.

I trust a conscientious judge follows in his footsteps.

It is reasonable to concur where Conscience does not forbid a Compliance; for Conformity is at least a Civil Virtue.
But we should only press it in Necessaries, the rest may prove a Snare and Temptation to break Society.
But above all, it is a Weakness in Religion and Government, where it is carried to Things of an Indifferent Nature, since besides that it makes Way for Scruples, Liberty is always the Price of it....William Penn

reply

#6 | RE: Republican Lawmakers Face Growing Grassroots Pressure to Ban Democrat Chairs datum

Tue Jan 10, 2023 2:14 pm

That's terrible, @Isailedaway

"I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.

"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."

- J. R. R. Tolkien

Isailedaway said Thank You!

reply

#7 | RE: Republican Lawmakers Face Growing Grassroots Pressure to Ban Democrat Chairs datum

Tue Jan 10, 2023 4:15 pm (Last edited: Tue Jan 10, 2023 4:18 pm)

Quote: Isailedaway wrote in post #5
Quote: Tinker wrote in post #2
Our long serving County Judge retired last year and recently the County held a retirement social for him which I attended. I encountered my now ex state rep. (Earnest Bailes) there. I'll assure you he wishes I hadn't! In front of MANY movers and shakers from his new district I bluntly asked him "What's the point of us busting our butts to elect Republicans if the speaker is going to turn right around and hand much of the power to Democrats?" I wish you could have been there. I'll leave it at that.

If that was the County judge I met who handled the Estate probated with me as Executor 10 years ago, it seems it was time for him to go.
Without getting into details, I found him a genial person but without much awareness, and caused a lot of harm to befall my wife's family members as he was too friendly with real criminals.

I trust a conscientious judge follows in his footsteps.

He's ran as a republican but I have never seen him "laboring in the vineyard" so to speak. My own impression is that he wants to be a legislator and is using this as a steppingstone. It was a crowded primary and I only voted for him in the run-off when he was pitted against a known Democrat running in our primary. He had no Democrat opponent in the general election.

The fellow who retired (the guy you speak of) is well into his 80s and it was definitely time for him to move on.

Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God!

EdJames said Thank You!

reply

The Unfrozen Cave