Reflecting plummeting patience with overstepping federal overlords, the Texas Republican Party has adopted two platform planks that call for legislators to assert state sovereignty, and to schedule a secession referendum in the next general election after November's.
"This historic vote at the 2024 Republican Party of Texas Convention represents a substantial shift towards enhancing state sovereignty and exploring the potential for Texas to operate as an independent nation," said the Texas Nationalist Movement (TNM) in a statement. "It reflects the growing sentiment among Texans for greater autonomy and the protection of our rights against federal overreach."
Fittingly, that historic vote took place in San Antonio -- home of the Alamo, aka "the cradle of Texas liberty." Though it represented a setback, the 1836 Battle of the Alamo was a key chapter in the fight for independence that culminated in Texas becoming a self-governing republic.
The first plank asserts that the US government is infringing on powers reserved to Texas and all other states, and calls for unwarranted federal laws to be thwarted by Texas government. It also affirms the right of Texas to secede:
“Pursuant to Article 1, Section 1, of the Texas Constitution, the federal government has impaired our right of local self-government. Therefore, federally mandated legislation that infringes upon the 10th Amendment rights of Texas shall be ignored, opposed, refused, and nullified.
Texas retains the right to secede from the United States, and the Texas Legislature should be called upon to pass a referendum consistent thereto and pass the Texas Sovereignty Act as filed in the 88th Legislative Regular Session as HB 384.”
The second plank is a pointed directive to put the question of secession to the people of Texas in the next general election:
“The Texas Legislature should pass a bill in its next session requiring a referendum in the next General Election for the people of Texas to determine whether or not the State of Texas should reassert its status as an independent nation. This referendum should be a legislative priority.”
From the San Antonio convention, here's a brief but interesting clip of the Texas Nationalist Movement's Nate Smith speaking in support of the independence-minded platform planks -- and ably fielding a question from a delegate who suggests TNM is guilty of treason.
We'd have liked to hear Smith answer his critic's attempted second question -- as to whether Smith had recited the Pledge of Allegiance earlier that day as part of convention rituals. It's likely the questioner would have next pointed to the pledge's reference to "one nation...indivisible."
In making a case for why patriots shouldn't pledge allegiance, Brian McGlinchey has argued that, of several objectionable components of the pledge, "'indivisible' should give greatest offense to American patriots. The very existence of the United States -- created by secession from the British empire -- is a testament to political divisibility as a foundational human right...By reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and proclaiming the United States of America 'indivisible,' Americans disclaim their human right of self-determination."
The Texas Nationalist Movement's GOP convention success comes on the heels of a state Republican Party controversy over the issue. Despite TNM having amassed more than 139,000 signatures requesting that a secession question be placed on the March 5 primary ballot, the Texas GOP's leadership refused to include it. TNM appealed to the state supreme court, which refused to hear the controversy.
The party chair who presided over that decision, Matt Rinaldi, is out. Now, party's top two officials are both signers of the "Texas First Pledge." In addition to promising to place the interest of Texans "before any other nation, state, political entity, organization, or individual," signatories commit to bringing about a secession referendum and, if it is approved by a majority of Texans, to work for an expeditious exit from the union.
The TNM is constantly looking for new members to join our ranks.
— Texas Nationalist Movement (TEXIT) (@TexasNatMov) June 7, 2024
If you want to pledge your support for TEXIT, you can do so here: https://t.co/2CLOGuWMtQ.
After seceding from Mexico, Texas was an independent country from 1836 to 1845 and, economically, is extraordinarily well-suited for independence today. It's by far the largest oil producer of any US state, accounting for a whopping 42% of American production, with no other state exceeding even 10%. It has deep-water ports, abundant agriculture, and is a major high-tech hub.
There's fixin' to be another feather in Texas's hat. As we examined earlier this week, the booming Lone Star State economy -- and rising aggravation over compliance costs and woke regulations -- has spurred BlackRock, Citadel Securities and other investors to back a new challenger to the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq: the Texas Stock Exchange.
