FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DECEMBER 14, 2020
TRUE TEXAS PROJECT BOARD ADOPTS RESOLUTION TO OPEN THE CAPITOL
The Board of True Texas Project on Friday, unanimously adopted a resolution in support of opening the Capitol Building in Austin during the 87th Legislative Session beginning in January.
The Texas Constitution protects the right of citizens “in a peaceable manner, to assemble together for their common good; and to apply to those invested with the powers of government for redress of grievances or other purposes, by petition, address or remonstrance”.
Keeping the Capitol closed to the public or imposing unreasonable restrictions on entrance to the building would be a gross violation of the Texas Constitution, and a denial of Texans’ most basic right to participate in the governance of the State.
Our US Declaration of Independence states that “Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” Consent of the governed requires participation of the governed, and that cannot be accomplished with legislators conducting business behind locked doors without public input and participation.
Lawmakers might love the opportunity to hide from the pesky public as they complete their duties in the Legislative Session, but the citizens of Texas will not stand for it. The Capitol must be open to the public without restrictions during the Legislative Sessions.
True Texas Project is a 501(c)4 organization whose mission is to educate and motivate citizens to engage in politics at every level.
Fran Rhodes, President, True Texas Project
RESOLUTION TO OPEN THE TEXAS CAPITOL WITHOUT RESTRICTIONS
Whereas, our taxpayer funded Texas Capitol in Austin has been closed to the public since March 17th, 2020; and,
Whereas, the Texas Bill of Rights says in Art. 1, Sec. 2: “All political power is inherent in the people, and all free governments are founded on their authority, and instituted for their benefit;” and,
Whereas, the Texas Bill of Rights says in Art. 1, Sec. 27: “The citizens shall have the right, in a peaceable manner, to assemble together for their common good; and apply to those invested with the powers of government for redress of grievances or other purposes, by petition, address or remonstrance;” and,
Whereas, the Texas Bill of Rights says in Art. 1, Sec. 29. “BILL OF RIGHTS EXCEPTED FROM POWERS OF GOVERNMENT AND INVIOLATE. To guard against transgressions of the high powers herein delegated, we declare that everything in this “Bill of Rights” is excepted out of the general powers of government, and shall forever remain inviolate, and all laws contrary thereto, or to the following provisions, shall be void.”; and
Whereas, the Texas State Capitol is “the People’s house”; and allowing some Texans to petition for redress of grievance and peaceably assemble in the Texas Capitol and not others would violate the equal protection provision of the Texas Bill of Rights (Art.1, Sec. 3); and
Whereas, mask mandates, which presume guilt of being a threat without probable cause, violate the Texas Bill of Rights (Art. 1, Sec. 19) due course of law provision and the Tex. Code Crim. Proc. § 38.03 which states that “All persons are presumed to be innocent and no person may be convicted of an offense unless each element of the offense is proved beyond a reasonable doubt.”; and
Whereas, the Texas Legislature has already passed the “Communicable Disease Prevention and Control Act” codified in Chapter 81 of the Health and Safety Code which is designed to address the concerns about communicable diseases in a manner consistent with due course of law, but has not been used during the COVID-19 scare; and,
Whereas, a requirement without probable cause to take a COVID-19 test known for producing false positives, for being invasive and painful, for having unacceptable wait times, would be an infringement on the rights mentioned above; and
Whereas, Texans are resilient, responsible people who are capable of making their own decisions and have the natural right to choose the level of risk they are willing to take; and
Whereas, nowhere in the Texas Constitution is the mission of our government defined to be protection of health or safety;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that True Texas Project unconditionally insists that the Texas Preservation Board (including its individual members), Texas House Representatives, and Texas State Senators avoid creating mandates and/or rules that would prevent all Texans from physically participating, without restrictions, in the 87th Legislative Session, from beginning to end; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this Resolution shall be distributed to all members of the Texas Preservation Governing Board, Texas House Republican Representatives, and Texas State Republican Senators by True Texas Project as soon as possible.
Adopted this 11th Day of December, 2020
True Texas Project Board of Directors