Earlier this week, freshman Texas state Representative David Simpson (R-Longview) has filed two bills to try to counter the threat of the TSA in Texas airports. One bill would ban airport body scanner in Texas. The legislation already has 18 co-sponsors from both parties. The other bill would make sexual contact with airline passengers by TSA agents a state felony.

David Simpson was endorsed by the RLC last year. He also spoke at a RLC meeting in November.

The bill, HB 1938, makes it a civil penalty for anyone working in a locally owned airport to install or operate whole-body imaging equipment — “including a device that uses backscatter x-rays or millimeter waves, that creates a visual image of a person’s unclothed body and is intended to detect concealed objects.” The penalty is capped at $1,000 per day per violation.

Simpson may also have the backing of U.S. Congressman John Carter of Texas, a member of the U.S. House Appropriations and Homeland Security committees. “On Thursday I met with U.S. Congressman John Carter to discuss strategies for stopping the federal Transportation Safety Administration’s implementation of unconstitutional and unreasonable searches of U.S. citizens as a condition of travel,” Simpson wrote in a blog post.

The bill is supported by the Travis County Republican Party, ACLU-Texas, and the Austin-based Texans for Accountable Government. Co-authors so far include: Reps. Jose Aliseda (R-Beeville), Leo Berman (R-Tyler), Joe Deshotel (D-Beaumont), Allen Fletcher (R-Tomball), Dan Flynn (R-Vann), John V. Garza (R-San Antonio), Larry Gonzales (R-Round Rock), Ryan Guillen (D-Rio Grande City), Charlie Howard (R-Sugar Land), Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola), Jason Isaac (R-Dripping Springs), Jim Landtroop (R-Big Spring), Jodie Laubenberg (R-Rockwall), Charles Perry (R-Lubbock), Debbie Riddle (R-Houston), Senfronia Thompson (D-Houston), and James White (R-Hillister).

Tomorrow members of the Republican Liberty Caucus of Travis County as well as other activists from throughout Texas will gather in Austin for the first meeting of a newly expanded affiliate of the Republican Liberty Caucus of Texas — the Central Texas chapter of the Republican Liberty Caucus. “Our chapter has grown beyond just Travis County alone, so we decided to include all of Central Texas in our region,” explained Dave Nalle, who also serves as National Chairman of the Republican Liberty Caucus.

The featured lunch speaker for the meeting is State Representative-elect David Simpson, who represents an East Texas district that includes the city of Longview. Simpson was endorsed by the Republican Liberty Caucus in his November 2 victory.

The event will occur tomorrow, November 20, at the Cool River Café (in the Longhorn Room) at 4001 West Parmer Lane, Austin. Admission is free; the lunch buffet is $20. RSVP to the lunch buffet at travispct112chair@gmail.com.

“This is a special event bringing together representatives of diverse activist groups in the Central Texas area, including Tea Party groups, pro-liberty groups and issue advocacy organizations with the goal of coordinating future activities and identifying issues of mutual interest.” The schedule is as follows:

12 Noon — Lunch Buffet ($20)
Featured Speaker – Rep. David Simpson
1 PM — General Session
Welcome – Dave Nalle, National RLC Chairman
How Paradigm’s Shift – Pierre de Rochement, CenTex RLC
How to Stimulate a Mass Movement – Barry Klein
Coalition Building – Johana Scot, Parental Guidance Center
Profile of 2011 Texas Legislature – Greg Holloway, Austin Tea Party Patriots

3pm — Group Session – Dave Nalle, Moderator
Discussion of Lobbying and Activism Coordination
Defining Target Issues – Health Freedom, Nullification, Family Rights
RLC Membership Outreach

4:30pm — Closed Session
RLC members only.

You can RSVP to the event on Facebook.

As opposition mounts to the Transportation Security Administration’s new intrusive pat-down and naked body scanner interrogations for America’s airline travelers, courageous RLC-endorsed legislators are fighting back.

In the past three days, legislation has been introduced by two RLC-endorsed legislators at the federal level and in the state of New Jersey.

Yesterday, RLC Advisory Board member Dr. Ron Paul (R-TX) introduced H.R. 6416, The American Traveler Dignity Act. The legislation would specifically outlaw fondling or groping of private law-abiding airline travelers by federal employees.

Also yesterday, Republican Liberty Caucus-endorsed Congressman Jimmy Duncan of Tennessee gave a factual overview of the assault on individual privacy and health risks of the naked body scanners:

And earlier this week, New Jersey Senate and House legislators introduced a bipartisan resolution calling on the federal government to change TSA’s anti-liberty procedures. The coalition was led by Republican Liberty Caucus-endorsed Senator Michael J. Doherty:

Stay tuned to the RLC blog for details on other legislative action items regarding the Transportation Security Administration’s invasive policies.

On Saturday afternoon, Governor Gary Johnson was in Austin for a barbecue at Bartholomew Park sponsored by the Republican Liberty Caucus of Central Texas. RLC Chairman Dave Nalle captured the Governor’s remarks on video (part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4). He touched upon his background in business, his run for governor, and his positions on various political issues. You can watch and listen below:

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

Part 4:

Texas RLC Endorses Ken Paxton for Speaker of the House

Today the Republican Liberty Caucus of Texas has endorsed Rep. Ken Paxton (pictured) for Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives, citing his fiscally conservative record and commitment to principle.

According to Texas resident Dave Nalle, Chairman of the Republican Liberty Caucus, Paxton is rated 100% by Texans for Fiscal Responsibility and widely respected for his integrity and vision. He is not just a fiscal conservative, but also has a strong record on civil liberties, supports school vouchers, affirms the Second Amendment, and opposes the criminalization of non-violent civil disobedience. On many of these issues he has stood on principle against the majority despite criticism and controversy.

The Republican Liberty Caucus of Texas is proud to offer its support to Representative Paxton in his campaign for the Speaker’s seat and we hope other Texans who believe in fiscally conservative government and individual liberty will join us in demanding that House Republicans make sure that if Speaker Joe Straus is replaced, the result will be to move towards better government. “Ken Paxton is the real deal,” said Texas RLC Chairman Joey Dauben of Ellis County. Learn more about the Texas RLC at http://www.rlctx.org/.

Texas RLC Hosts Events with Governor Johnson in Austin, Houston, and Dallas

Governor Gary Johnson made a swing through Texas this week and had multiple events set up by grassroots activists throughout the state, including three Republican Liberty Caucus-sponsored events in Austin, Houston, and Dallas.

Last night Governor Johnson ended his tour in Palmer, Texas, a small town outside of Dallas. It ain’t every day that a prospective 2012 Presidential candidate visits the tiny hamlet. Joey Dauben, Chairman of the Republican Liberty Caucus of Texas, was the event organizer. He’s pictured above with the Governor.

On Tuesday evening Governor Johnson was in Houston in at an event co-sponsored by Southeast Texas RLC and the Houston Liberty Campaign. Former RLC-endorsed gubernatorial candidate Debra Medina, founder of the group We Texans, also headlined the event. Thanks to Corie Whalen (pictured with the Governor below), Texas RLC Board member and regional coordinator, for hosting the event! The RLC brought in several new members as a result of Corie’s efforts.

On Saturday afternoon, Governor Johnson was in Austin for a barbecue at Bartholomew Park sponsored by the Republican Liberty Caucus of Central Texas. RLC Chairman Dave Nalle captured the Governor’s remarks on video (part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4).

The Republican Liberty Caucus (RLC) Board of Directors are excited and optimistic about the election results. The most exciting results for Republican Liberty Caucus members is electing two of our own members to Congress:

Dr. Rand Paul is Senator-elect from Kentucky. Justin Amash (pictured, right) is Representative-elect from Michigan’s Third Congressional District. Congratulations, Rand and Justin! RLC supporters have no doubt that these two champions of liberty will work vigorously to promote our vision of a free country in Congress.

The RLC is also pleased that Mick Mulvaney of South Carolina, John Koster of Washington state, Chip Cravaack of Minnesota, and Steve Chabot of Ohio will join Dr. Ron Paul and our other pro-liberty Republican legislators in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Joining Rand Paul in the Senate are RLC-endorsed Senate candidates Mike Lee of Utah and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania.

Two RLC-endorsed candidates for Governor, Paul LePage of Maine and Nikki Haley of South Carolina, were elected. LePage and Haley come from very different backgrounds and from different parts of the country, but are united in their strong belief in the individual and faith in the free market system.

Other key RLC victories and races we are still watching are below.

Arkansas: State Rep. Mark Martin, a RLC endorsed candidate, won his bid for Secretary of State. He is the first statewide Republican elected official since former Gov. Mike Huckabee left office.

California: Despite losing on the RLC-endorsed Proposition 19 to legalize marijuana in California, the RLC’s positions on Prop. 27 (no to eliminate the state redistricting commission) and Prop. 21 (a vehicle license surcharge to fund state parks) were adopted. Additionally, the RLC’s positions on Prop. 20 and 26 were adopted. These propositions related to Congressional redistricting and the process to impose state/local fees. See the proposition results here and view the RLC’s positions on each of the proposals here.

Arizona: 55 percent of state voters supported an amendment to the state constitution disallowing the Obamacare individual mandate to take effect in Arizona. Voters also approved medical marijuana.

Colorado: Despite Ken Buck’s Senate loss, RLC-endorsed candidate Donald Beezley defeated an incumbent and is now an elected State Representative from Broomfield.

Idaho: RLC-endorsed candidate for Bonner County Commissioner in District 2, Mike Nielson, won election on a platform of transparency and balanced budgets. Nielsen said he was eager to start getting more detailed budget information on the county website and wants to get a head start on the 2012 spending plan, according to The Bonner County Daily Bee.

Indiana: Republican Liberty Caucus member Steve Davisson was elected State Representative in Southern Indiana’s 73rd district. Congratulations, Hoosiers!

Kentucky: In addition to Rand Paul’s victory, RLC-backed candidate Thomas Massie was elected Judge Executive in Lewis County.

Maine: In addition to the victory of Paul LePage for Governor, RLC candidates for State Rep. and State Senate also found success. State House Challengers Michael McClellan, Ryan Harmon, Richard Malaby, Beth O’Connor, and Eleanor Espling (pictured, above left) — each endorsed by the Republican Liberty Caucus of Maine — won election. Additionally, former State Senator Lois Snowe-Mello won her old seat back and State Rep. Doug Thomas was elected to the State Senate. The RLC had a great day in Maine yesterday!

Maryland: Cindy Jones, a RLC member and delegate at our 2009 Convention in Florida, was elected to the St. Marys County Commission. Among all of the county commissioner races, Mrs. Jones had the largest margin of victory and the highest vote total. Four of the five Commission seats are now held by Republicans.

Michigan: RLC-endorsed candidate for State Senate Arlen Meekhof was elected to the post. Meekhof wants to repeal the Michigan Business Tax surcharge and bring jobs to the state.

Minnesota: Despite losing the Governors race narrowly, the RLC had its coalition of candidates elected to the State Senate and the State House. Kathy Lohmer (pictured, right), Andrea Kieffer, Doug Wardlow, Kurt Bills, and Sondra Erickson were elected to the House and Dave Brown and Dave Thompson were elected to the Senate. Former Minnesota RLC Secretary Norann Dillon narrowly lost in her race against an incumbent in a Democrat district. Congratulations to these new legislators and to the Minnesota RLC!

Missouri: In The Show Me State, RLC-endorsed candidate Paul Curtman was elected State Representative. He will represent parts of Jefferson, Franklin and St. Louis counties. Additionally, RLC-endorsed candidate Brian Nieves was elected to the State Senate. Two RLC-endorsed incumbent State Representatives, Tim Jones and Shane Schoeller, will be taking over leadership positions in the Missouri House of Representatives. The Missouri RLC is hosting its 2010 Convention on Saturday, November 13 in Springfield.

Montana: In Montana the RLC has an incumbent coalition in the State House and the entire slate of RLC-backed candidates was reelected. Additionally, former State Senator and longtime liberty advocate Jerry O’Neill was elected to the House of Representatives.

New Hampshire: Former Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire Chair Jim Forsythe was elected to the State Senate and State Rep. candidates Cameron DeJong and Andrew Manuse were elected to the State House. RLC Board member Paul Mirski was elected to the State House in Grafton as was former RLC Chair Dan McGuire in Merrimack. Longtime liberty activists Keith Murphy and Seth Cohn won election to the State House from Hillsborough and Merrimack, too. A full list of RLC victories from New Hampshire can be found here.

North Carolina: Republican Liberty Caucus-endorsed candidate Glen Bradley won election to the State House of Representatives. Congratulations to Glen and the North Carolina RLC!

Oklahoma: 65 percent of voters supported a ballot proposition to rebuke Obamacare by not allowing the individual mandate contained in the health care law to be enacted in the Sooner State.

South Carolina: RLC-backed candidate Curtis Loftis, who ousted the incumbent State Treasurer earlier this year in the primary, is now the State Treasurer-elect of The Palmetto State.

Uah: Two new RLC-endorsed candidates won election in Utah — Daniel Thatcher was elected to the State Senate and Ken Ivory won election to the State House. Ivory joins several other RLC incumbents in the House.

Texas: The Texas RLC helped elect two new State Representatives, Jason Isaac and David Simpson. Additionally, former Texas RLC Chairman Melissa Goodwin was elected Justice on the Third Court of Appeals. RLC Advisory Board member Jerry Patterson was re-elected State Land Commissioner. A full list of Texas results are available at our blog.

Wisconsin: In Wisconsin, a coalition of RLC-backed candidates for State House have won election for the first time. The slate includes: Andre Jacque from Green Bay, Jim Steineke from Appleton, Chris Kapenga from Delafield, Evan Wynn of Whitewater, Scott Krug of Black River Falls, Jeremy Thiesfeldt of Fond du Lac, and Roger Rivard of Rice Lake. Mr. Krug beat incumbent Marlin Schneider, who served in the legislature continuously since 1970. Congratulations to the Wisconsin RLC and Badger State voters!

Wyoming: Endorsed State Representative candidate Gerald Gay won election to the legislature for the first time.

These election results show not only the strength of the Tea Party, but also the disgust of average Americans with unresponsive, anti-liberty bureaucrats. The results also illustrate that liberty principles are popular and will make a comeback!

The battle has just begun, so thanks to all of our activists and candidates from across the country. Thanks especially to the state and national officers of the RLC who allow our organization to function.

The Republican Liberty Caucus is a grassroots coalition of liberty-loving Americans.

Won’t you join us in this critical battle to win hearts and minds for liberty and Constitutional restoration?

AUSTIN, TX — In an election with extraordinarily high voter turnout, candidates endorsed by the Republican Liberty Caucus won an impressive number of victories. The Republican Liberty Caucus advocates constitutionally limited government, individual liberty and free enterprise. Our candidates represent those values and have a dedication to principle which makes them stand out as representatives of the best interests of the people whether serving in state or federal office.

Particularly notable in this election were the victories of two new Liberty Republican State representatives. Jason Isaac will be representing the people of Hays county and communities like Kyle and Buda in Texas House District 45. David Simpson will be representing Gregg County and part of Smith County, including the towns of Longview and Kilgore in District 7. They will be joining a much expanded Republican majority in the state legislature in a year when they well have vital business before of them, including balancing the state budget, dealing with threats from an overreaching federal government and redistricting. The RLC also endorsed four incumbent representatives with outstanding records: Randy Weber (District 29), Ken Paxton (District 70), Jodie Laubenberg (District 89) and Debbie Riddle (District 150). All won reelection by large margins.

In Austin, RLC National Chairman Dave Nalle observed, “Texas already has the most fiscally conservative delegation in the U.S. House and it looks like the Texas legislature is finally getting back on track as well. Isaac and Simpson will be joining a core group of Liberty Republican legislators who can take the lead in getting our state government under control and perhaps do something to address the abuses of government by the leftist elite in places like Travis County and Washington, DC.”

We’re also very pleased that RLC Advisory Board member Melissa Goodwin will be continuing her distinguished judicial career in a new and higher office as a Justice on the Third Court of Appeals. No one has worked harder this year or did more to earn the support of voters in a a such a large and diverse district. Fellow RLC Advisory Board member Jerry Patterson also won reelection as Texas Land Commissioner.

Texas has the largest number of incumbent RLC endorsees serving in the U.S. House of Representatives of any state. All seven won reelection, including Louie Gohmert (HD1), Jeb Hensarling (HD5), Ron Paul (HD14), Kenny Marchant (HD24), Michael Burgess (HD26), John Carter (HD31) and Pete Sessions (HD32) — who are part of a contingent of more than 20 Liberty Republicans in the U.S. House in the next session.

The Republican Liberty Caucus of Texas is grateful to all of our endorsed candidates. We know that they will always to set an example for others to follow and continue to work to advance individual liberty and limit the excesses of government.

Former Governor of New Mexico, Gary Johnson is coming to Houston and Dallas!

As Governor of New Mexico, Johnson was known for his common-sense business approach to governing. He eliminated New Mexico’s budget deficit, cut the rate of growth in state government in half and privatized half of the state prisons.

Johnson also shifted state Medicaid to managed care (which led to better healthcare by creating a statewide healthcare network that previously did not exist and which saved money) and reduced state employees by over 1000, with no firings. During his term, New Mexico experienced the longest period without a tax increase in the state’s history.

While in office, Governor Johnson vetoed 750 bills (which is about equal to all the combined vetoes of the other 49 Governors in the country at the time). He is currently the Honorary Chairman of the Our America Initiative.

Gary Johnson in Houston — November 9 (RSVP on Facebook)

The Republican Liberty Caucus of Southeast Texas is seeking sponsors to help raise funds to keep the event free and open to the public. Please contribute today. If you haven’t joined the RLC yet and donate $30 or more toward this event, you’ll automatically become a member!

Special guests include:
– Debra Medina, President of We Texans
– Dave Nalle, National Chairman of the RLC
– Bill Tofte & Al Jameson — Houston Area Liberty Campaign

Gary Johnson in Palmer (Dallas) — November 11 (RSVP on Facebook)

Texas RLC Chair Joey Dauben is bringing Gary Johnson to his home town of Palmer, Texas. Contact Joey to learn more about the event.

Please join Texas RLC members and activists at one of these events.

On Monday the National Board of the Republican Liberty Caucus finalized its list of endorsements for state and national office in the Texas general election on November 2nd. The endorsements are based on recommendations from regional RLC chapters throughout the state and approved by the board of the Republican Liberty Caucus of Texas.

After reviewing the list, RLC National Chairman Dave Nalle observed that “Texas has produced a really outstanding selection of candidates who will be an important part of our effort to reform Congress and return federal and state government to a firm basis in the Constitution, fiscal responsibility and respect for individual liberty. Texas will lead the way to restoring the tradition of liberty in the GOP.”

The newly endorsed candidates include:

Federal:
Louie Gohmert (Incumbent), U.S. House, District 1
Sam Johnson (Incumbent), U.S. House, District 3
Jeb Hensarling (Incumbent), U.S. House, District 5
Clayton Trotter, U.S. House, District 20
Kenny Marchant (Incumbent), U.S. House, District 24
Dr. Michael Burgess (Incumbent), U.S. House, District 26
John Carter (Incumbent), U.S. House, District 31
Pete Sessions (Incumbent), U.S. House, District 32

Statewide:
Jerry Patterson (Incumbent), Agriculture Commissioner

State & Local:
Mary Lou Serafine, State Senate, District 14
Dick Bowen, State Senate, District 19
David Simpson, House of Representatives, District 7
Randy Weber, House of Representatives, District 29
Jason Isaac, House of Representatives, District 45
Ken Paxton (Incumbent), House of Representatives, District 70
Jodie Laubenberg (Incumbent), House of Representatives, District 89
Debbie Riddle (Incumbent), House of Representatives, District 150

Previously endorsed RLC candidates in Texas include:

Dr. Ron Paul (Incumbent), U.S. House, District 14
Melissa Goodwin, Judge, Third District Court of Appeals
Mike Barré, Travis County Justice of the Peace, District 3
Grant Rostig, Caldwell County Commissioner, District 4

Congratulations to this slate of liberty-focused candidates.

For Immediate Release: June 24, 2010

Republican Liberty Caucus of Texas Calls on Party Leaders to Address Problems with Anti-Gay Platform Planks

CONTACT: Republican Liberty Caucus of Texas
(512) 656-8011

AUSTIN, TX – At the state Republican convention earlier this month, Texas Republicans opted to abandon the Republican tradition of respecting the Constitution and protecting individual liberty and privacy rights by adopting a platform which includes planks attacking the civil liberties of certain Texans.

The platform advocates policies which would make it a felony to perform a same-sex marriage in Texas, which would re-criminalize sodomy and which would take away the rights of gay parents in custody cases. These proposals are contrary to the values of most Texans and run counter to the Republican tradition of vigorously defending individual liberty.

The Republican Liberty Caucus strongly opposes the Texas GOP platform’s anti-gay and anti-liberty planks. We call for the state party to take action to address this problem. While it may not be possible to repeal or change the party platform, the state leadership should issue a clear statement that the platform is non-binding and does not represent the core, shared beliefs of Texas Republicans or of our candidates.

In a year in which we are looking forward to extraordinary opportunities for a great slate of Republican candidates in Texas, it would be a terrible mistake to shackle them to a platform which will alienate many potential supporters. This platform will weaken the party at a time when a strong coalition of Republicans and independents is needed to stop the radical agenda of Democrats in both Austin and Washington.

“We need to focus on keeping the government out of our pocketbooks; especially in Texas,” said Texas RLC Chairman, Joey Dauben of Ellis County. “There are far more pressing problems for the GOP in our state to worry about. While I personally disagree with same-sex marriage from a Biblical perspective, marriage is a contract between individuals and God, not with the government. If we want government out of our wallets and our boardrooms, we should also keep government out of our churches and our bedrooms.”

The Republican Liberty Caucus believes that cutting government spending is more important than wasting our limited resources on policies that open Texas to lawsuits and treat some citizens in a different manner than other citizens. Texas RLC members believe divisive social issues should be put on the back burner and instead the focus should be on solving real problems.

We call on the state party to send a clear message to voters that the this platform does not represent the highest ideals of our party and that as a party we support individual liberty and equal rights for all Texans.

–30—

The Republican Liberty Caucus of Texas advocates constitutionally limited government, individual liberty and traditional Republican values. It is part of a nationwide organization which shares those goals and has local organizations in almost every state. This year the RLC has endorsed hundreds of candidates nationwide, including Rand Paul (KY), John Dennis (CA), Peter Schiff (CT), Mike Lee (UT), and Nikki Haley (SC).

For more information on the Texas chapter of the Republican Liberty Caucus, visit http://www.rlctx.org. For information on the national RLC, visit http://www.rlc.org.