Texas Republicans acted on multiple resolutions and platform changes at their state convention this weekend—including declaring that President Joe Biden was "not legitimately elected" and demanding an end to abortion.
The Texas GOP's convention in Houston reinforced how many remain fixated on former president Donald Trump's baseless claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 presidential election—even after the House panel investigating the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol presented evidence that those claims were false and showed testimony from Trump's closest advisers saying they did not believe them during televised hearings.
Earlier this week, the party's Permanent 2022 Platform & Resolutions Committee advanced a resolution claiming the 2020 election had violated the Constitution.
"We reject the certified results of the 2020 Presidential election, and we hold that acting President Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. was not legitimately elected by the people of the United States," the resolution says.
Convention delegates also voted on a measure calling for "equal protection for the Preborn."
"We urge lawmakers to enact legislation to abolish abortion by immediately securing the right to life and equal proaction of the laws to all preborn children from the moment of fertilization, because abortion violates the US Constitution by denying such persons the equal protection of the law," it states.
Abortion is currently prohibited after around six weeks of pregnancy in Texas after the state's Legislature passed a restrictive law last year that bans abortions after a fetal heartbeat has been detected.
But a trigger law making abortion illegal would go into effect in Texas if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade. A decision is expected later this month that could reverse the landmark 1973 decision that guaranteed abortion rights nationwide.
The Texas GOP's new platform would also call for Texas students "to learn about the Humanity of the Preborn Child," including teaching that life begins at fertilization and witnessing live ultrasounds.
It also described homosexuality as an "abnormal lifestyle choice" and that the party "oppose all efforts to validate transgender identity."
Votes from convention delegates were collected to add several items to the official Texas GOP as the convention closed on Saturday, the Texas Tribune reported.
They handed in two sets of ballots—one asking delegates to choose eight of 15 legislative priorities and another voting on over 270 platform planks.
The votes will be tallied and certified in Austin, but it is rare for a plank to be rejected, party spokesperson James Wesolek told the Tribune.
Wesolek has been contacted for additional comment.
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