New players are now on the scene in Texas politics.
The Texas Freedom Caucus, founded by members of the Texas House of Representatives dedicated to carrying out the will of liberty-minded Texans, is beginning to flex its muscles in the Texas State legislature.
Texas Freedom Caucus members, led by pro-gun champion Jonathan Stickland, recently made their presence felt by killing more than 100 local and uncontested bills in short order. Such an unprecedented move was largely in retaliation for House leadership’s failure to address critical pro-liberty legislation during the 2017 legislative session.
Unfortunately, leadership’s inaction on these reforms has been par course in Texas politics. Under Joe Straus’s leadership, the Texas House has put the clamps on all forms of pro-freedom legislation over the past few years. Despite overwhelming Republican majorities in both chambers of the Texas State Legislature, the best that Republicans could do in recent years is pass licensed open carry and a campus carry law that does not go far enough in restoring gun rights in the Lone Star State. In addition, issues like property tax reform and school choice continue to fall by the wayside.
But this status quo is finally being challenged.
The Freedom Caucus is a breath of fresh air in Texas politics. It effectively channels the pent-up frustration of liberty-minded activists that are fed up with do-nothing politicians that mouth generic limited government talking points, while doing nothing to scale back government overreach. Not only that, but the Freedom Caucus has concrete proposals to offer that will allow Texas to continue to prosper as one of the most dynamic economies in the country.
Make no mistake about it, the Texas Freedom Caucus is here to stay in Texas politics. Conservative policies can no longer be ignored by the political establishment in Austin.
With California as a cautionary tale of what happens when states embark on the path of reckless economic interventions and burdensome regulations, Texas would be the wise to not fall for the siren song of socialism. Texas already has the second highest per capita local debt in the country, so it would behoove policymakers to start implementing more market-oriented policies in all spheres of economic life and use fiscal restraint at all levels of government. The Texas Freedom Caucus is the political entity that is ready to embrace the challenge of turning Texas into a beacon of economic freedom worldwide.
Time will tell if the House Freedom Caucus can change policy in Austin towards a more liberty-oriented direction. But one thing is certain, establishment politicians in the House will now face stiff opposition for their “politics as usual” approach from the Freedom Caucus. Not only that, but proactive, limited government measures can now be at the forefront of the public debate in the Texas State Capitol.
Liberty activists deserve better and the Freedom Caucus may just be the vehicle to bring about change in Austin. The Freedom Caucus is only getting started and is the political group that grassroots conservatives can count on to represent their values at the Texas State Capitol.
