State Feed: Texas

Texas Republican Insiders Don't Want Voters Heard

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 14:24:03 -0400

On Tuesday, June 8, I testified before the subcommittee of the Republican Party of Texas (RPT) Platform Committee that handled the pro-initiative and referendum (I&R) resolutions that came out of the Senatorial District Conventions. The cards were stacked against us as members of this subcommittee were hand picked and all were anti-I&R. Shirley Spellerberg, the woman who proudly told me at the hearing that she was the one responsible for getting I&R of the platform in 1996, was selected for this committee to ensure that it would fail again.

Alamo Heights, TX City Council Proposes Initiative, Referendum and Recall Process

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 16:47:58 -0400

As Alamo Heights initiative and referendum activists geared up for a petition drive to ask the city to recognize the power of citywide initiative, referendum and recall three new members of the city council beat them to the punch by proposing such a process themselves. Activists in the city of 7,400 inform me that expansion of democracy was on the agenda for the new members at the outset of their terms. You can read about it here.

Texas: Possibility of alcohol initiative

Wed, 26 May 2010 15:04:10 -0400

Dry regions in Georgetown follow stricter liquor laws, but one group wants to make those regions wet. It’s all in an effort to get local businesses more money. “This is not a liquor issue. This is an economic issue,” Karin Truxillo said. Truxillo is helping lead the Georgetown Winery Initiative. “This is leveling the playing field for downtown [and] for Sun City. The areas that are dry versus the areas that are wet. They have an advantage at the present time.”

Update from Texans for Initiative & Referendum Rights

Tue, 11 May 2010 14:19:06 -0400

I have some good news and bad news to report. The good news is that a resolution to put a pro I&R plank back on the Republican Party of Texas (RPT) Platform has made it through the Senatorial District conventions and is headed to the Platform Committee at the State Convention next month. A pro-I&R plank was on the RPT platform from 1979 to 1996. Two separate advisory referendums on the Republican party primary ballots showed the rank and file favored I&R by margins of 7 to 1 and 5 to 1.

Texas: Farm group meeting over ballot initiative

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 15:17:07 -0400

The farm bureau says HSUS claims it is only attacking “puppy mills,” but that is not their true intent. HSUS has shut down or seriously hampered animal agriculture in states like California, Arizona, Colorado and Ohio by first claiming to only be concerned with “puppy mills,” Farm Bureau said. True farmers and ranchers are among the best animal caretakers around and none tolerate cruel treatment to their animals, it said in a release.

On the Road with the Texans Taking Charge Tour

Fri, 16 Apr 2010 11:46:57 -0400

As the Texans Taking Charge tour rolls on, I got the chance to travel to Longview, TX on April 5 and speak to the We the People of Longview, a grassroots non-profit organization similar to a Tea Party. I addressed a group of about 70 and their support for initiative & referendum rights was overwhelming. Mike & Cindy Schwartz established the group which began with about 6 people and has no

Settlement Reached in Big Spring, TX Petition Dispute

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 14:53:47 -0400

Regular readers will recall that Trevor Ford and I traveled to Big Spring, TX back in January to help residents of the city obtain justice, and I am now happy to say that a settlement has been reached between the Concerned Citizens Council of Big Spring and the city of Big Spring, TX.

Kicking off the "Texans Taking Charge" Tour

Wed, 24 Mar 2010 20:57:58 -0400

As Chairman of Texans for Initiative & Referendum Rights and Citizens in Charge Foundation Texas Citizen State Coordinator, I got to kick off the “Texans Taking Charge” speaking tour in an address to the Kingwood Tea Party Society on Why Texans Need Initiative & Referendum Rights. One of the society’s leaders, Robin Lennon, welcomed me, and the entire presentation was videotaped and it can be found on the Kingwood Tea Party Society website.

Texas: Alcohol sales focus of Dallas petition drive

Wed, 24 Mar 2010 13:14:16 -0400

A group backed by major grocery store chains, restaurants and other retailers launched a drive Tuesday to place on the November ballot two measures to allow alcohol sales in “dry” areas of Dallas. Progress Dallas has 60 days to collect the signatures of 68,846 Dallas voters in order to bring the issue to a vote. The group plans to place petitions in Kroger, Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club, Albertson’s, Whole Foods and restaurants throughout Dallas. If they succeed, the ballot will include two initiatives, each of which could be voted up or down.

Texas: Referenda on the ballot in numerous communities

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:08:01 -0500

The candidates aren’t the whole story in the May 8 elections. Voters in four communities also will decide the fate of ballot referendums. In Galveston the school district is pushing to replace the aging Kermit Courville Stadium with a multiuse sports venue that would be home of the Ball High football team and other sports. The proposal would allow the district to spent up to $35 million to build the complex on property it owns on 83rd Street.

Read the story from The Daily News

Big Spring, TX Lawsuit Filed Over Petition Rejection

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 17:37:09 -0500

The Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas has filed suit against the city of Big Spring on behalf of the Concerned Citizens Council, whose petition was rejected last month. A reaction to the city council’s violation of Texas public meeting law last month, the suit seeks to void a meeting in which a tax rollback petition was rejected.

Video: Government Reform in Big Spring, Texas

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 11:50:31 -0500

There is a new video up on our homepage and our Youtube page from our trip last month to Big Spring, Texas. This is the second video from the trip; we asked citizens of Big Spring what government reform means to them. Check the video out here.

Big Spring, Texas Citizen Group Honored with February Lilburne Award

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:29:56 -0500

Today, Citizens in Charge Foundation, a transpartisan national voter rights group focused on the ballot initiative and referendum process, presented the Concerned Citizens Council of Big Spring, Texas with the February 2010 John Lilburne Award. The group is being recognized for standing up for the petition rights of all citizens by filing suit against the city council for violating the state open meetings law in an attempt to block the Concerned Citizens Council’s petition.

Big Spring Citizens Defend Their Petition Rights, File Suit Against Council Actions in Texas City

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:18:14 -0500

(LAKE RIDGE, VA) – Today, Citizens in Charge Foundation, a transpartisan national voter rights group focused on the ballot initiative and referendum process, presented the Concerned Citizens Council of Big Spring, Texas with the February 2010 John Lilburne Award. The group is being recognized for standing up for the petition rights of all citizens by filing suit against the city council for violating the state open meetings law in an attempt to block the Concerned Citizens Council’s petition.

Big Spring Citizens Defend Their Petition Rights, File Suit Against Council Actions in Texas City

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:18:14 -0500

Texas: Annexation referendum falls short

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 11:13:03 -0500

An ongoing disagreement has come to an end concerning the recently passed annexation by the City of Taylor. While the protestors reported collecting 565 signatures for their petition, they still fell short of the 744 signatures required. Section 15.2 of the city charter offers guidelines for a referendum on approved ordinances. According to this section of the charter, any ordinance passed by the city council is subject to a 30-day protest period, during which a minimum of 10 percent of qualified voters can sign a petition to request a referendum vote by the people.

Texas Citizen Video

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 10:41:05 -0500

I posted about it last week, but I just wanted to mention that the new video from our trip to Texas is up on our website now as well as on our Youtube page. There will likely be another video featuring our good friends in Texas later this week. Stay tuned.

New Video Posted

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 15:28:36 -0500

I just put up a new video from our quick trip down to Big Spring, TX. We met with the Concerned Citizens Council and talked with them about their situation with the Big Spring City Council.

They are a great group of citizens that are standing up for their petition rights, and not letting them be taken away by the powers that be. So make sure to check it out.

Texas: Anti-smoking petitioners say cold stunted their signature collection efforts

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 09:35:13 -0500

An anti-smoking effort in Lewisville appears to be extinguished – for now. Citizens for a Smoke Free Lewisville launched a campaign last month to put a no-smoking referendum on the May 8 ballot. They had 45 days to collect 2,247 signatures. With five days to go, the group has collected only about a third – 750 to 800 – of the required signatures, said TJ Gilmore, one of the organizers of the grassroots effort. “I have to admit we’re getting frozen out,” he said of the petition drive that ends Monday. “It was bad timing on everybody’s part.”

Texas: Concerned Citizens Council Votes to File Lawsuit Against Big Spring

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 16:55:16 -0500

It’s been a hot topic for months that’s now headed to a courtroom. On Monday night, several people in Big Spring made a decision to go up against the City Council. They’re even bringing in watchdog groups from as far away as Virginia. On Monday night, the Concerned Citizens Council met at the Howard County Library and voted to file a lawsuit against the City of Big Spring for what they call an illegal meeting. They claim city leaders used an emergency meeting about valuations to dismiss their petition - calling for an election.