The platform adopted Saturday by delegates to the Texas State Republican Convention would all but erase the line separating church from state, declare most abortion to be “homicides” and force the federal government to disclose what it knows about unidentified flying objects.
It also declares that “antisemitism is incompatible with the Republican Party” and affirms “Israel’s rights ofsovereignty, self-determination, and self-defense.” In all, it’s a 50-page document that reinforces the state party’s accelerated move to the right while at the same being more of a wish list for the most activist members of GOP than a roadmap that will be followed to the letter by lawmakers in Austin or in Washington.
Here’s a look at some of the planks:
Border security, immigration and foreign affairs
U.S. aid to Ukraine as it continues to fight the invasion by Russia would come to an end. “The Republican Party of Texas calls for an immediate cessation of further taxpayer-funded financial, military, andhumanitarian aid to Ukraine and urges Congress and the President to prioritize the allocation ofresources towards securing the United States-Mexico border and deporting illegal aliens,” according to the platform’s adopted language.
The unauthorized crossing of Texas’ southern border would be officially called an “invasion” to be repelled at the state level, if necessary. The platform’s language:
“The Republican Party of Texas calls upon Texas law enforcement, the Texas judiciary, and the Governor to act to protect Texans from the border invasion and imminent danger . . . as the Governor or Legislature sees fit to protect Texas, without paying heed to any stays or opinions of the federal judiciary or other branch of federal government.”
Donald Trump’s plans for a return to the White House
The Republican Party backs it in full. Here’s what the platform says:
“The Republican Party of the State of Texas fully endorses President Trump’s Agenda 47 visionary positive solutions for the reconstruction of America, and will use these to recruit independent and traditional Democrat voters for a landslide victory in November 2024.”
The document also condemns the legal actions taken against the former president and the party’s presumptive nominee in this election cycle.
National restrictions on abortion
The state GOP wants Texas’ restrictions on abortion in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision striking down Roe v. Wade to be applied nationally. Here’s what the Texas party’s platform says:
“We urge lawmakers to enact legislation to abolish abortion by immediately securing the right to life and equal protection of the laws to all preborn children from the moment of fertilization, because abortion violates the United States Constitution by denying such persons the equal protection of the law.”
Another section declares, “Abortion is not healthcare it is homicide.”
Texas GOP bullish on energy
In short, the platform urges the federal government to get out of Texas’ way when it comes to energy, especially oil and gas.
“We fully support and encourage greater energy production in the Permian Basin and throughout Texas, as well as the necessary policies and infrastructure investment in roads, pipelines, and ports,” the platform states.
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The document is not anti-renewables, but says, “We support . . . the immediate removal of governmentbarriers and direct subsidies to the production, transportation, reformulation, refining, and distribution ofenergy. We oppose federally directed plans and proposals that favor renewable energy sources thatmay constitute a nuisance, or otherwise have a substantially negative impact on neighboringlandowners, including harming property values of our neighborhoods, farms, and ranch areas.”
Should Texas secede from the United States?
The answer in the platform is nuanced. “Texas retains the right to secede from the United States, and the Texas Legislature should be called upon to pass a referendum consistent thereto and pass the Texas Sovereignty Act” that was introduced but not passed in the 2023 legislative session. But the action would be conditioned on whether Congress enacts “federally mandated legislation that infringes upon the 10th Amendment rights of Texas.”
Public school prayer and Bible study
In short, the Texas GOP platform says the 1962 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that prayer in public schools violates the principle that the government cannot establish a religion and the high court’s decision a year later regarding classroom Bible study does the same are being interpreted too broadly. Here’s what the platform says:
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“We urge the Legislature and the State Board of Education to require instruction on the Bible, servant leadership, and Christian self-governance. We support the use of chaplains in schools to counsel and give guidance from a traditional biblical perspective based on Judeo-Christian principles with the informed consent of a parent.”
‘Unidentified Aerial Phenomena’
This is probably better known as Unidentified Flying Objects, or UFOs. Either way, the Texas GOP platform questions whether the federal government is telling the American people exactly what it knows about what is out there. Here’s the plank:
“We call on the United States Congress and the Executive Branch to uphold the principles of transparency and accountability by disclosing to the American people all pertinent information and knowledge held by United States government agencies and departments regarding the nature and origins of non-American Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP).
“This is essential for public trust, national security, and the integrity of our government institutions.”
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas Republicans adopts conservative wish list for the 2024 platform