July 10, 2017
Jared Woodfill
Editor-in-Chief, CRTX News
www.crtxnews.com
CRTX News launched the “Oust Straus Petition” on Thursday, June 29th. You can sign it at, http://crtxnews.com/oust-straus-petition/. Then send this link to your conservative family members and friends, so they can sign it too.
Dr. Hotze’s Facebook video has reached nearly 540,000 Republican voters and has been viewed over 478,000 times. This is an 89% viewership by those who received this Facebook video by Dr. Hotze. It has already gone viral. The likes are running 92% positive.
Dr. Hotze’s three Facebook videos calling for the removal of Straus as speaker in the Special Session have been viewed by over a million Republican voters. This demonstrates overwhelming support by Republican voters for removing Straus as speaker during the Special Session.
You can view Dr. Hotze’s Facebook video about the “Oust Straus Petition” at https://www.facebook.com/CRTxNews/videos/381286528939705/.
Gov. Abbott had to call a Special Session of the Texas Legislature, starting July 18, because, during the past regular session, Speaker Joe Straus and his puppeteer, Rep. Byron Cook, blocked most of the conservative legislation that Gov. Abbott supported and which had been passed by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and the Texas Senate. Now the chickens have come home to roost for Straus and his RINO Republican state representative supporters.
Straus’ Recent Comments in the New Yorker Magazine
In commenting on SB 6, The Women’s Privacy Act, “No Men in Women’s Bathrooms!,” Straus said, “We came very close this session to passing a sweepingly discriminatory policy. It would have sent a very negative message around the country.”
In reality, Straus has it backwards. Not passing SB 6 would discriminate against women and girls who want to have their privacy and safety protected from men and boys, who claim to be women, from entering women’s and girls’ bathrooms, showers and locker rooms.
Straus has bowed his neck against Governor Abbott, Lt. Governor Patrick, the Texas Senate and the overwhelming majority of Texans who support SB 6, The Women’s Privacy Act.
Straus stated that, “The legislature is not obligated to act upon his (Abbott’s) agenda items within the thirty-day period, and the Governor would have the option to call as many thirty-day sessions as he would like.”
The article’s author asked, “So the bill could stay in committee and not get voted out?”
Straus smiled and said, “We’re under no obligation to pass anything.”
Straus Insulted Gov. Abbott
Straus insulted Gov. Abbott, after Abbott called for the Special Session, saying, “Abbott’s Special Session Agenda is a pile of manure,” and that “Texas is off track with proposals such as the “Bathroom Bill.” http://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas-take/texas-take-podcast/article/Listen-House-Speaker-compares-special-session-11223902.php?cmpid=btfpm.
Republican state representatives will have a hard time explaining to their conservative base why over 20 pieces of conservative legislation passed by the Texas Senate, under the leadership of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, never saw the light of day in the Texas House. Many were never even sent to a House committee, most notably SB 6, the Women’s Privacy Act, known as “No Men in Women’s Bathroom’s!”, and SB 2, the Property Tax Reduction Bill.
Now Republican state representatives must decide whether they are going to follow Straus like lemmings, as Straus once again blocks Gov. Abbott’s conservative agenda, or whether they are going to have the courage to remove Straus as Speaker and replace him with a stalwart conservative who will make sure that Gov. Abbott’s conservative legislation is passed. Their political future will ride on their choice. It will be difficult for Republican state representatives to stick with Straus and still expect grassroots conservative Republican voters, including Tea Party leaders, to stick with them in the upcoming 2018 March Republican Primary.
CRTX News Statewide Poll on Straus’ Leadership, a Poll in Straus’ San Antonio District and a Texas Tribune Poll on Straus
CRTX News commissioned a statewide phone poll of Republican Primary voters on Joe Straus’s leadership as Speaker, which was completed on Sunday, June 25, 2017. Over 1000 voters were interviewed. By an overwhelming margin, 68% of grassroots Republicans want Straus removed as Speaker in the Special Session and want him replaced with a conservative Republican who would pass Gov. Abbott’s Conservative legislative agenda.
Speaker Joe Straus now finds himself between a rock and a hard place. CRTX News ran a phone poll of Republican Voters in Straus’ District on Wednesday, June 28. A random sample of 450 voters was performed. 81% of Republican voters in Straus’ district agree that there should be “No Men in Women’s Bathrooms!”
There is further confirmation of the need to remove Joe Straus as speaker. Straus was viewed unfavorably in a recent poll conducted by the Texas Tribune and the University of Texas. Straus’ favorable rating was only 25% with 29% unfavorable.
Governor Abbott had a 45% favorable rating.
Straus Opposes SB 6
Why doesn’t Straus support SB 6, the Women’s Privacy Act, “No Men in Women’s Bathrooms!”? His district voters overwhelmingly support it, yet Straus would not even refer it to committee after it passed the Texas Senate during the regular legislative session. Straus is married and has two daughters. Does Straus really support the idea of letting men and boys, who claim that they feel that they are women, to be allowed to use women’s and girls’ bathrooms, showers and locker rooms?
Straus’ opposition to protecting the privacy and safety of women and girls is inexplicable. My experience has taught me that when a politician does something that makes no sense and that is in direct opposition to the wishes of the voters in his district, then there must be a money trail somewhere. You have to ask yourself the question, “Who are the money people that are influencing Straus to oppose the Women’s Privacy Act?”
The CRTX News poll tracks with the overwhelming response that Dr. Hotze’s Facebook video post received supporting Gov. Abbott’s call for a Special Session to pass conservative legislation. That video reached nearly 700,000 of our supporters, has been viewed over 425,000 times, had 23,100 likes, 2,900 comments and 2,300 shares. The fact that 61% of those who received the video post viewed it demonstrates the strong interest of Republican primary voters in passing conservative legislation and in protecting the privacy and safety of women and girls. This Facebook video can be viewed at https://www.facebook.com/CRTxNews/videos/370181750050183/.
Dr. Hotze’s latest Facebook video, which was posted on June 20, calling for Straus to be replaced as speaker in the upcoming Special Session of the Texas Legislature on July 18, has also gone viral. It has reached over 291,000 Republican voters with over 156,000 views.
Dr. Hotze’s latest video and comments can be viewed at https://www.facebook.com/CRTxNews/videos/376603722741319/.
Republican voters are mad as a hornet at Straus. Be sure to read the comments to feel the anger that Republican voters have toward Straus for blocking conservative legislation passed by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and the Texas Senate. Gov. Greg Abbott supports this conservative legislation.
The reason that Gov. Abbott has called the Special Session is to pass the conservative bills that Straus blocked during the regular legislative session.
Texas Deserves Better
Texas is the most conservative state in America. We have both a conservative Republican Governor and Lt. Governor. Republicans have a 20-11 majority in the Texas Senate. The Republicans outnumber the Democrats 95-55 in the Texas House, yet Straus has appointed an equal number of Democrats as Republicans to Committee Chairmanship or Vice-Chairmanship leadership positions. Most of the Republicans that Straus appointed were RINO Republicans. This is why almost all the conservative legislation passed by the Texas Senate under the leadership of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick never had a chance to pass in the Texas House.
Straus currently has as his base support, 55 Dems who have agreed to support him. All RINO Straus needs is 21 RINO Republican state representatives to support him to keep his position.
With 95 Republican state representatives, out of 150 in the Texas House, it is inconceivable that we do not have a stalwart conservative Republican as Speaker of the Texas House.
With the outpouring of support, demonstrated by the response to Dr. Hotze’s Facebook video, which has been viewed by over 425,000 Republican voters, for Gov. Abbott’s call to add SB 6, The Women’s Privacy Act, “No Men in Women’s Bathrooms!”, to the Special Session, many state representatives realize that they must remove Straus as Speaker in this Special Session. They realize that their constituents want them to protect the privacy and safety of women and girls in public and school bathrooms, showers and locker rooms, as well as pass the conservative legislation supported by Gov. Abbott and Lt. Gov. Patrick. Straus opposes SB 6 because he vehemently opposes Gov. Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and wants to do whatever is necessary to block their conservative agenda.
Straus Blocked Conservative Legislation
During the recent legislative session, Straus not only blocked SB 6, but he also blocked the following conservative bills:
- Providing for property tax reform
- Providing school vouchers for special needs children
- Spending limits on local and state governments
- Prohibition for state and local governments for collecting union dues
- Prohibiting state and local governments for spending money on killing unborn children
- Prohibiting insurance companies from requiring coverage for killing unborn children
- Preventing voter fraud
- Restricting local governments’ ability to confiscate private property through “Eminent Domain.”
Gov. Abbott has called for a total of 20 pieces of conservative legislation to be addressed in the Special Session.
Gov. Abbott was forced to call the Special Session because Straus blocked conservative legislation passed by the Texas Senate and supported by Gov. Abbott.
Straus’ Base of Support
Straus base is built upon 100% support from Democrat state representatives. Straus was initially elected speaker in 2009 when his puppeteer, Rep. Byron Cook, organized everyone of the 65 Democrats with 11 RINO Republicans to support Straus and remove conservative Speaker Tom Craddick. This gave Straus the 76 out of 150 state representatives that he needed to become speaker. Straus is beholden to the Democrat state representatives for his job. Straus has appointed an equal number of Democrats as Republicans to Committee Chairmanship or Vice-Chairmanship leadership positions.
Straus receives more money from the liberal labor unions than any other Republican State Speakers and all but 3 Democrat State Speakers in the United States. Straus received $195,000 from the alt-left unions prior to his 2014 race for state representative. This past legislative session Straus and his House Committee Chairmen killed a bill that passed the Texas Senate that would have ended the collection of union dues by local and state governments on behalf of public employee unions that then direct most of those funds to elect Democrats.
Straus supports the pro-abortion agenda. Straus voted for third-trimester abortions in 2005, received a 100% rating from the National Abortion Rights Action League in 2007, and Straus received $1,000 from Planned Parenthood in 2008. No wonder Planned Parenthood thanked him for his “tireless work” in 2009 after he became House Speaker.
Straus has remained silent in the face of exposé videos which document that Planned Parenthood has profited from the sale of baby body parts.
Straus vehemently opposes SB 6, the Women’s Privacy Act, “No Men in Women’s Bathrooms!” Why would anyone support allowing perverted men and boys to use enter women’s and girls’ public and school bathrooms, showers and locker rooms, much less Straus, the Republican speaker of the Texas House, who is married with two daughters? I just don’t get it! Not only is SB 6 the right thing to do, it is politically supported by 84% of Republican Primary voters.
Straus also blocked SB 2, the Property Tax Reduction Bill, in the Texas House. Under the leadership of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, it overwhelmingly passed the Texas Senate 18-12.
Time and time again liberal, career, RINO politician Straus has either blocked or watered down conservative legislation passed by the Texas Senate under the leadership of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.
Since the Texas House leadership is made up of RINOs, the disturbing result is that mainstream conservative legislation, which passes the Texas Senate, ultimately dies in the House. As the Speaker of the House, Straus has worked overtime to oppose Gov. Abbott and Lt. Gov. Patrick, and block the passage of conservative legislation. Straus uses his committee chairmen to delay and block conservative bills. Straus has killed conservative bills in session after session.
The Republican state representatives know that their failure to pass these strong pieces of conservative legislation will make them vulnerable to conservative opponents in the upcoming 2018 primaries. They do not want RINO Straus’ liberal politics wrapped around their neck when they run for reelection.
I am not going to tell you that Straus must be removed from the Speaker position in the Special Session in order for conservative legislation to be adopted. You can decide that for yourself.
Texas Republicans deserve better! It’s time for a change.
Contact Your Republican State Representative
Contact your Republican state representative today and tell him or her to vote to remove Straus from the speaker position in the upcoming Special Session which begins on July 18. You can click on this link to find out who your state representative is, http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/find-your-representative/.
Wouldn’t it be great if we had a Speaker of the House who was as conservative as Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Governor Dan Patrick?
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