February Newsletter

Programs

President's Note

Last month we took a look at Republican accomplishments at the federal level during the Trump presidency thus far.  You’ve been armed with plenty of information to talk to your friends and neighbors about federal level successes.  Now, let’s take a look at three of the biggest accomplishments of the Republican led Texas Legislature and Governor Greg Abbott. 

Education Reform.  For the first time ever and without the threat of a lawsuit hovering over them, the 86th Texas Legislature passed real, bona fide school finance reform.  House Bill 3, the major school finance reform plan, transforms public education funding in Texas.  $4.5 billion in new dollars are devoted to education reforms, including an increase in the basic allotment for every student and full-day pre-K for low income students.  $2 billion is devoted to teacher pay and incentive programs that promote teacher quality, increasing the minimum teacher salary schedule, and creating merit pay programs for our best educators.  Importantly, recapture is reduced by $3.6 billion through a property tax buy-down and reform of school finance formulas.

Property Tax Transparency.  Thanks to the passage of Senate Bill 2, if local governments want to increase our property taxes by more than 3.5%, they must come to us taxpayers for approval. Something that might have flown under the radar with a lot of folks that is very consequential in Senate Bill 2 is that it increases transparency in the property taxing process with electronic, simple to understand, and real-time tax notices.  Because of SB 2, voters will have more information and opportunities to participate in the tax-setting process and increased protections against rising appraisals.  Watch for those tax rate hearing notices, and show up, participate, and make your voice heard.

Balanced Budget.  Unlike the federal government, the State of Texas is required by law to have a balanced budget.  The Texas Legislature passed a balanced budget and met the financial needs of our State.  In addition to billions of dollars for property tax relief and increased education funding, shortfalls in Medicaid, foster care, women's health, and state hospitals were addressed.  $600 million was added to restore TRS to financial solvency, ensuring that past, current and future teachers will have their pension needs met.  $210 million new dollars were appropriated for the state's driver's license program to reduce wait times.  $6.1 billion was allocated for new non-tolled highway construction, and over $900 million annual dollars are dedicated for border and public safety efforts.     

Our Texas Republican leaders listened to us and delivered during the last session.  Now it’s our turn to deliver by helping secure solid Republican majorities in both the Texas House of Representatives and the Texas Senate. 

"Texas can make it without the United States, but the United States cannot make it without Texas."
-- Sam Houston

Once again, kindly remind your friends in the middle of these simple truths:

A vote for Republicans is a vote for freedom; 
it is a vote for personal responsibility;
it is a vote for the rule of law;
it is a vote for freedom of speech;
it is a vote for free enterprise;
it is a vote for freedom of religion;
it is a vote for reduced federal regulation;
it is a vote for limited taxes;
it is a vote for energy independence; and,
it is a vote for national security. 
There is a choice.  

Let’s do our part to keep Texas great!

Save the Date

Campaign Activities

• GOP Truth Squad
• Voter Registration
• Adopt a Precinct
• Engagement Event Volunteer
• Block Walking
• Phone Banking
• Office Support

Americanism

Minutes

Meeting was called to order at 11:30 A.M. President Harrington welcomed everyone.
 
Chaplain Robyn Harrison gave the invocation. Justice Ken Wise and Mr. Bruce Bain led the attendees in the Pledges.
 
President Harrington introduced the new VRW Board Members, Elected Officials, Candidates, and Guests.
 
The Previous Minutes were approved as distributed.
 
Mrs. Fran Marintsch gave the Finance Review Committee Report. The committee, Julie Jaehne, Nolia Rohde, and Fran Marintsch, met on January 20 at the home of VRW Treasurer Nancy Scott. Everything was found to be in order. There are three recommendations from the Committee:
            •  Only the checks in the VRW checkbook should be used for financial transactions. No temporary checks issued by the bank should be used.
            •  Continue to file State Comptroller filings on an annual basis.
            •  Only the Treasurer should make deposits to the VRW bank account
The Committee thanked Nancy Scott for her hard work as Treasurer during 2019.
Mrs. Scott then presented the Treasurer’s Report. A motion to approve was made by Mrs. Marintsch and seconded by Mrs. Kosmoski. The motion passed.
 
Announcements were made by Mrs. Harrington about the VRW Directory, the Republican Westside Campaign Headquarters, Deputy Registrar training, membership dues, and a lunch event on June 6 to celebrate the Centennial for the Women’s Right to Vote. She also mentioned an article on Impeachment Process that Mrs. Bain wrote for the January Newsletter.
 
Mrs. Kosmoski, Program Chair, introduced two HD-138 Candidates: Claver Kamau-imani and Josh Flynn. Lacey Hull, a third candidate was absent. The candidates were given 2 minutes to talk about the single most important item on their agenda plus two additional questions from Mrs. Kosmoski. She then introduced Steve Munisteri, the program speaker. His topic was “Get off on the RIGHT Foot in 2020.” A donation to Patriot Paws will be made in honor of Mr. Munisteri.
 
Meeting was adjourned at 12:57 P.M.
 
Nolia Rohde, Recording Secretary
 

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Legislative

Republican Talking Points

The 2020 Republican Party of Texas State Convention
will be held in Houston - May 14-16, 2020.

To affect legislation at any level of government, Republicans must win elections and influence those who we vote into office.  Once the state and federal primary elections are completed, we must turn our attention to Republican precinct, county, and state conventions.  This is the BEST time to take your involvement to the next level.  Here’s a quick summary of the pathway for serving as an official delegate to the 2020 Republican Party of Texas Convention:

Step 1:  Vote in the Republican Primary on March 3, 2020.  Make sure to have the election clerk stamp your voter registration card “Republican.”  If you don’t have your card, ask for a “Certificate of Party Affiliation” showing that you voted in the Republican primary.  One of these pieces of paper will serve as your ticket to participate in your precinct convention. 

Precinct conventions are held at your physical polling locations on Primary Night, Tuesday, March 3, 2020, starting at 7:00 p.m. or as soon as the last voter leaves the polls.  Even if you voted early, go to your precinct convention location on election night. Because of the change in election day voting locations, your precinct convention may be in a different location than you are used to – check the HCRP website.  If you’re the only one who shows up, you can be the host of your precinct convention - it's happened to me many times.   Ask the election judge for “the packet” or obtain it from the party headquarters.  If you’re all alone at your precinct convention, go ahead and nominate (and elect) yourself to be a precinct delegate and feel free to call others in your precinct to see if they are willing to be delegates.  Move on to Step 2.

Step 2:  Senate District/County Conventions are held the third Saturday after the precinct conventions unless there is a conflict with Easter or Passover. This year the SD conventions will be held on Saturday, March 21st, 2020, at various locations in Harris County.....see the HCRP website for details.  Each Senate District gets to elect convention delegates from their pool of candidates selected through the precinct conventions.  If you are elected to be a state convention delegate, the first thing you should do is make your hotel reservation in Houston if you want a hotel room, then watch your mail/email for how to register as a delegate or alternate. You do NOT have to pay a registration fee – see the next section.

Step 3:  State Convention.  Now you are a full-fledged voting delegate at the state convention! You get to vote to elect the State Chairman, Vice-Chair, State Republican Executive Committee members, The GOP Party Platform and various resolutions.  This is also the year that delegates and alternates to the RNC Convention will be elected during the State Convention, at your Congressional District caucuses.

This convention, and the next two, will be in Houston at the Marriott Marquis downtown…..so easy for all of us in Houston to attend.  Even if the only reason that you wish to go to convention is to participate in the various elections, all you have to do is show up as a duly elected delegate -  you do not have to pay a registration fee.  According to state law, it is not legal for the party to charge you to attend and participate if you are a duly elected delegate.   You may choose to donate, but the party cannot force you to pay a registration or convention fee.

Texas Election Code Sec. 174.004. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS EXCLUSIVE. A political party may not impose eligibility requirements in addition to those prescribed by this title for serving as a delegate to a county, senatorial district, or state convention held under this code.

If you have more questions about how to get to the convention as a delegate, you can always reach out to your precinct chairs, the Harris County Republican Party or the Republican Party of Texas.