Don’t Mess with Texas

Published on:

May 5, 2025

Chairman's Monday Message

Greetings, and good Monday morning!

I first moved to Texas back in 2002 to be stationed at Ft. Hood with the 4th US Infantry Division. I remember our drive from Ft. Bragg, entering Texas and seeing the signs “Don’t Mess with Texas.” It was not just about creating a mess along the roadways, it was also about a spirit, a message not to mess with Texas values, principles, or the rugged individualism that defines the Lone Star State. The West family was blessed to have the opportunity to return to Texas in 2014, and now we have two first generation Texans, Jaxton Bernard and Levi Allen, my grandsons. Many folks here in Texas are proud to boast of the level generation Texan they are: 5th, 6th, 7th, etc. As well, there are many newcomers to Texas who proudly take up that moniker and happily say, “I was not born here but got here as fast as I could.”

However, when conducting a careful analysis, there are folks who are, indeed, “messin’ with Texas,” and it is highly disconcerting.

Just last week, the Texas State House, where Republicans hold an 88-62 majority over Democrats, voted 102-40 to pass a bill that criminalizes political memes and forms of satire. Now, one would think that would be a piece of legislation emanating from a leftist blue state, not Texas. It appears that elected officials, in this case, the author of HB 366, deposed House Speaker Dade Phelan, was not pleased with a mailer sent out. Sadly, the public are not able to criminalize lies and falsehoods offered by elected officials, but how disturbing that we could be facing regulation of political speech in Texas. This comes on the heels of a Texas State House with majority Republican control, where 36 Republicans joined with 49 Democrats to select the Texas House Speaker, an acolyte of Dade Phelan, Dustin Burrows.

As well, we are in the final month of the biennial Texas legislature, — the 89th — and once again, Republican Party of Texas legislative priorities are being killed by Republicans. This is happening mainly in the House State Affairs Committee, headed by a Republican. One has to ask, do you think that States like California, New York, or any blue-controlled state, Democrats would kill their own legislative priorities? We are not talking about unreasonable pieces of legislation. For instance, look at bills to end the practice of taxpayer-funded lobbying, they are dying. Or how about legislation such as SB 618, which would have ended the ability of the Texas Secretary of State’s office to grant waivers to Texas election law? Last time I checked, government agencies are not allowed to waive law; that is a responsibility of the legislative branch, an enumerated duty and power by amendment.

Texas State Representative Andy Hopper has offered legislation, HB 4914, that would reorganize the Texas State Guard to have a mission focused on disaster relief and border security. Needless to say, Texas should never find itself at the mercy of the federal government to protect its 1,254 mile border shared with a nation that openly harbors transnational narco-criminal terrorists, and enables other terrorist organizations. The Governor of Texas, who by the Constitution is Commander-in-Chief of Texas military forces, has stated that the legislation would be dead upon arrival; he does not support it. Why would the Governor of Texas not support legislation enabling them to protect Texas, and Texans? Yet, a story by the Daily Signal revealed how the Texas governor supported an illegal immigrant sanctuary called Colony Ridge. You can read about that here.

Last November, voters in the city of Dallas decided by 55 percent that they wanted to hold City Council officials accountable and responsible for not following City statutes, the law. Now, a Democrat Texas State Senator, Nathan Johnson, is offering legislation to overturn the democratic process and deem elected officials immune from constituent scrutiny. Yep, in Texas. Why would a Republican majority Texas State House want to pass a resolution honoring former head of Planned Parenthood, Cecile Richards, who carried out the diabolical vision of Margaret Sanger, resulting in the deaths by dismemberment of millions of unborn American babies?

Texas is also facing a mess with the infiltration of leftist, Marxist, organizations, namely one called Indivisible. Indivisible is the metastasized cancer of the Obama for Action grassroots organization. If you were to go to Brigitte Gabriel’s Act for America website, you can type in your zip code and witness how many of these groups are in your locale. The number here in Dallas County, where I reside, is alarming. We also face the infiltration threat of Islamic jihadism, yep, right here in Texas, especially North Texas.

The revelation of the East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC) vision of a “Muslim” only enclave near Josephine, Texas, is of grave concern. Of course, there will be the insidious claims of “xenophobia,” but that is a weak attempt to promote self-censorship. The Islamic Center of Frisco (IACC), the Islamic Society of North Texas, and the Islamic Association of North Texas, along with EPIC, are concerning not because they are Muslim, but because of an association with the Council for American Islamic Relations (CAIR). CAIR is an unindicted co-conspirator in the largest Islamic terrorist funding trial in US history, the Holy Land Foundation case of 2008, right here in Houston, Texas. CAIR is an offshoot of Hamas, which is associated with the Muslim Brotherhood, an organization that should be designated in America as a terrorist organization and banned, as the nation of Jordan just did.

Ladies and gents, there is a lot of “messin’ with Texas” going on, and if we do not become activated to stem this, well, will Texas be the Texas of its reputation? Texas Independence Day is not a state holiday, it should be, after all, no other state in America has its own Declaration of Independence. Donald Trump is not going to save Texas; that mission is up to every true Texan, generations old, and newcomers. It is about a spirit, not a bumper sticker slogan, and it is worth the effort, the fight. 

How many of you voted in the recent municipal elections? If you did not, well, it’s a doggone shame because you can make a difference. It just takes will, determination, and the courage to make a stand. Next March is the Texas primary election, part of the midterm election cycle. There are decisions to be made, if you want to end the “messin’ with Texas.”

Steadfast and Loyal.