Join True Texas Project in welcoming a panel of legislative experts this fall as we prepare for the 88th Legislative Session in Texas! We will take a look at the Republican Party of Texas’ platform and planks, elected representatives to support and/or watch out for, and finally, the bills being put forward that we need to be aware of. Come and hear from Texans Uniting for Reform & Freedom, Texas Right to Life, Texans for Vaccine Choice, Texas Family Project, Texas Homeschool Coalition, and Texans for Fiscal Responsibility and see what you need to put on your radar for the next session!
True Texas Project
Panelists: Terri Hall (TURF), Sammi Farnsworth (TRTL),
Christine Welborn (TFVC), Chris Hopper (TFP),
Stephen Howsley (THSC), and Jeramy Kitchen (TFR)
Date: Monday, November 14th
Meeting Hall, 7614 Thomas Springs Rd
Austin TX 78736
5:30pm – Prayer meeting
5:45pm – $5 dinner (while supplies last)
6:30-8:00pm – meeting
No dues. No fees. No memberships. No RSVPs
Panelists
About Terri Hall:
Terri Hall, Founder & Director of the San Antonio Toll Party and Texans Uniting for Reform and Freedom (Texas TURF) – Terri Hall founded the San Antonio TOLL Party in 2005 as a taxpayer revolt when she learned the Texas Dept of Transportation (TxDOT) was to convert her only access to San Antonio, Hwy 281, into a tollway, which is a double tax to charge taxpayers again for what they’ve already built and paid for. When she saw this shift to tolling our existing freeways happening nationwide, Terri started a statewide group called Texans Uniting for Reform and Freedom or Texas TURF in 2007. She’s a homeschool mom of ten turned citizen activist, and Terri has rallied her fellow Texans to stop this runaway taxation, as well as the Trans Texas Corridor-style foreign takeover of our public highways. Such monopolies over our infrastructure result in tolls over $3/mile to use our public roads. Terri has worked as a citizen activist in nine sessions of the Texas Legislature, spoken at rallies in Washington D.C., organized marches in Austin, spoken at national conferences, appeared on the Lou Dobbs Show, CNN’s American Morning, MSNBC and Fox News nationally, and done local radio & TV interviews all over Texas. She also wrote for the Examiner, was a citizen blogger for the San Antonio Express-News, and continues to have many columns published by news outlets nationwide. Texas TURF is an all-volunteer, all grassroots organization committed to defending property rights and our freedom to travel. They helped repeal the Trans Texas Corridor, defeated dozens of bad bills in the Legislature, advocated against the Left’s anti-car agenda, and passed protections against tolling existing roads among other reforms. She invites you to learn more and to join the fight at www.TexasTURF.org.
About Samantha Farnsworth:
Samantha was born and raised in San Diego, California. She moved to Texas to attend Trinity University in San Antonio, where she graduated in 2021 with a BS in Biology, focusing on cellular and molecular topics. While in college, she was heavily involved in InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and Tigers for Life, the school’s Pro-Life club. Through the Young Conservatives of Texas chapter at Trinity, Samantha worked on several political campaigns at the local, state, and federal levels to get strong Pro-Life candidates elected to office, including Chip Roy and Ted Cruz. She now serves on the YCT State Board as the Chapter Mentorship Director. During the 87th regular legislative session, she worked as an intern in the office of Representative Matt Krause. Samantha currently lives in Austin, where she has worked as a member of the Legislative team at Texas Right to Life since June of 2021.
About Christine Welborn:
A fierce advocate for liberty, Christine has been working in politics since 2014. She assisted some of the most conservative candidates in Texas and also helped lead statewide election integrity initiatives that unearthed voter fraud and put people in jail. During this time she was volunteering for TFVC advancing crucial medical freedom and vaccine choice policy. Volunteering grew into serving on the TFVC PAC Advisory Board and then on the TFVC Board of Directors. Recently, she has taken on the role of Executive Director of TFVC. Christine brings political experience and a heart for those facing mandates. Drawing strength from her faith and her husband, James, Christine will stand strong for the rights of Texans and hold all elected officials in Texas accountable to the people they serve.
About Chris Hopper:
I am a 4th generation Texan. I attended Arlington Baptist University and Louisiana Baptist University and have have a Bachelors in Bible and Counseling. I have been married for 17 years to Ashleigh Hopper. We have 3 sons Landon (15), Evan (12), Jack (5). All the men in the house train in Jiujitsu. For 2 decades I served as student and missions pastor here in Texas. My wife and I have helped build 2 schools in Kenya, Africa where we are still heavily involved. We find great fulfillment in helping over 300 African children annually with medical care, education, and learning a trade with a Biblical worldview being the foundation. While continuing to teach and counsel at our local church, I have moved into the political world in order to make impact for the family. I have previously partnered with American Principles Project. APP is an organization designed, at the very core, to fight politicians who hurt the family and highlight and support those who help the family. I am currently working with Texas Family Project. The Texas Family Project wants to make the family the most powerful, well-represented force in Austin. Existing pro-family groups largely focus their efforts on education and tracking legislation, but TFP is interested in doing more to protect Texas families. TFP is activating pro-family forces across the state to take action and fight back against the Left’s anti-family extremism. The family is America’s paramount institution. But it is also the only institution without an effective political arm. At TFP, we envision fearlessly reforming how Texas’ government and its institutions view families, prioritize parental rights, and protect the innocence of children. We seek to fight against the Left’s anti-family extremist agenda by boldly defending family values and ensuring these values transcend all levels of government by electing unyielding lawmakers to represent the pro-family calvary. steadfast our state lawmakers preeminently hold these beliefs.
About Stephen Howsley:
Currently the Assistant Manager of Public Policy and Development for the Texas Home School Coalition, Stephen has been working with THSC since 2014. A homeschool graduate himself, he passionately believes in fighting for families’ rights to homeschool. Stephen joined the THSC team as an intern during the second legislative session that THSC had interns in Austin. In addition to having had campaign and mock legislature experience before this, the 2015 Texas Legislature is where Stephen really found his passion for public policy and lobbying. Stephen and his beautiful wife Emma live in Austin, Texas, with their three children, Austin, Autumn, and Barrett. In their free time, they love spending time in their community, discovering new restaurants and coffee shops, and exploring the outdoors. Stephen and his family worship and serve at The Austin Stone Community Church in downtown Austin where Stephen is a deacon.
About Jeramy Kitchen:
Jeramy Kitchen serves as the Executive Director of Texans for Fiscal Responsibility. Born in Meadows Place, Texas, Jeramy graduated from Texas Tech University with a B.A. in Political Science. A veteran, Jeramy served in the U.S. Army and Texas Army National Guard deploying to Iraq twice in service of Operation Iraqi Freedom as an Intelligence Analyst. Jeramy has managed campaigns for Conservative lawmakers across the state of Texas and has served as Chief of Staff for multiple state lawmakers as well as the Director of Legislative Affairs for the largest public policy think tank in Texas. Most recently, Jeramy served as the Capitol Correspondent for Texas Scorecard to focus on bringing transparency to the Texas legislative process.