Texas GOP Delegates Rebuke Senior Senator Over Gun Control Legislation
Texas GOP Delegates Rebuke Senior Senator Over Gun Control Legislation

By Darlene McCormick Sanchez

In a unanimous vote, Texas GOP delegates passed a resolution rebuking their senior U.S. Senator and other Republicans working with Democrats for gun control laws that disregard the Second Amendment.

The resolution was against the Gang of 20 gun control bill, including Republican U.S. Sens. John Cornyn (Texas), Thom Tills (N.C.), Roy Blunt (Mo.), Bill Cassidy (La.), Susan Collins (Maine), Lindsey Graham (S.C.), Rob Portman (Ohio), Mitt Romney (Utah), and Pat Toomey (Pa.).

It rejected the “bipartisan gun agreement” and said red flag laws violate due process and are a pre-crime punishment for people not adjudicated guilty. The resolution added that those under 21 are “most likely to be victims” of violent crime and need to defend themselves. It said all gun control is a violation of the Second Amendment.

The rebuke comes on the heels of many delegates booing Cornyn and calling him a RINO during a speech he gave at the GOP state convention on Friday. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) had tapped Cornyn to negotiate with the Democrats as they push gun control legislation that incentivizes state red flag laws.

The bipartisan effort came on the heels of the Uvalde, Texas, school shooting where a teen gunman killed 19 children and two teachers in May. President Joe Biden and many Democrats are pushing for stricter gun laws as a solution, while others and many Republicans are looking to shore up school security and initiatives to address early detection and mental health.

Cornyn ignored his critics while speaking over the din about gun legislation, right-to-life issues, and opposing the Green New Deal, which calls for phasing out fossil fuels.

Mark Ramsey, a delegate from Harris County and a former Congressional candidate, told The Epoch Times that resolutions don’t occur at every state GOP convention, and to have one pass unanimously—which happened on the gun control resolution—was something “that never happens.”

The delegates voted to narrow down 15 top legislative priorities to eight. However, the results of the vote were not immediately available. They also voted on a platform that included 275 issues, called “planks,” with results to be released later.

The No. 1 ranked legislative priority was to protect elections, which has been a top priority in the past. The election security measure would restore felony penalties and enact civil penalties for election code violations, while allowing any Texas jurisdiction, including the state Attorney General, to enforce election laws.

True the Vote founder and president Catherine Engelbrecht makes a point during a presentation on ballot trafficking at the Arizona statehouse on May 31, 2022. Seated next to her is True the Vote data investigator Gregg Phillips. (Allan Stein/The Epoch Times)

Delegates passed a second resolution saying they believe that the 2020 election violated the U.S. Constitution, and that various secretaries of state illegally circumvented their state legislatures to conduct their elections.

That resolution went on to say that the Texas delegates believe that substantial election fraud in key metropolitan areas significantly affected the results in five key states in favor of Biden.

Other noteworthy issues on the legislative priority list included:

  • Gun rights.
  • Abolishing abortion.
  • Stopping the sexualization of children.
  • Banning gender modification of children.
  • Giving parents school choice.
  • Removing social theories from the classroom.

The Texas legislature already passed a law prohibiting critical race theory but now wants to give parents the power to leave a school and take their child’s educational dollars with them.

James Wesolek, communication director for the Republican Party of Texas, told The Epoch Times that 5,500 delegates attended the convention, which offers Republicans an opportunity to set priorities for the next legislative session in 2023 and elect party leaders.

Delegates reelected Matt Rinaldi as the Texas GOP chairman and Dr. Dana Myers as vice-chair.

USNN World News (USNN) USNN World News Corporation is a media company consisting of a series of sites specializing in the collection, publication and distribution of public opinion information, local,...