Resolution of Concurrence with the Censure of State Representative Dade Phelan

WHEREAS, Rule No. 44 of the Republican Party of Texas states that “a County or District Executive

Committee may, after no less than seven (7) days’ notice and invitation to the Officeholder to appear

and be provided time to speak before a County or District Executive Committee, by a two-thirds (2/3)

vote of those constituent Executive Committee Precinct Chairs present and voting, but in no case by

less than a majority of constituent Precinct Chairs of the County Executive Committee (CEC) in full,

adopt a resolution censuring a Republican public Officeholder representing all or a portion of that

County or District for three (3) or more actions taken during the Officeholder’s current term in

opposition to the core principles of the Republican Party of Texas defined in the Preamble of the Party

Platform as described in Rule No. 43A or to the Legislative Priorities adopted at the most recent State

Convention as described in Rule No. 34(c)”; and

WHEREAS, the constituent Precinct Chairs of House District 21 of the Orange County Republican

Party, at the meeting of the Orange County Republican Party Executive Committee meeting on August

22, 2025, passed a “Resolution to Censure Texas House District 21 Representative Dade Phelan,”

which identified, among other grievances, the following nine actions taken during the Officeholder’s

current term (which began on January 14, 2025) in violation of the Principles or Legislative Priorities

of the Republican Party of Texas:

1. Representative Phelan opposed core RPT Principle 5 “Personal accountability and

responsibility,” by not voting for the Republican Caucus Nominee for Speaker of the House,

and instead voted for Representative Dustin Burrows (Record Vote 2); and

2. Representative Phelan violated RPT Principle 5 by seconding and voting for the “Previous

Question” motion on HR 4, the 2025 House Rules, thereby shutting down all debate and

eliminating any possibility of amending HR 4 to remove the provision that allowed the minority

party to chair standing subcommittees. These actions are a clear violation of RPT Legislative

Priority # 4 – “No Democrat Chairs,” which specifies not to appoint any Democrat Committee

Chairs (Record Vote 9); and

3. Representative Phelan voted in favor of HB 2442, which would loosen mail-in voting

restrictions in violation of Legislative Priority #2 – “Secure Texas Elections” (Record Vote

2615); and

4. Representative Phelan voted for HB 34, allowing state investments in foreign entities, including

adversaries, in violation of Legislative Priority #7 – “Texas is Not for Sale” (Record Vote

3432); and

15. Representative Phelan voted for HB 805, a bill opening the door to policy creep that could

threaten Texas energy sovereignty and grid independence in violation of Legislative Priority

#6 – “Secure the Electric Grid” (Record Vote 392); and

6. Representative Phelan authored and voted in favor of HB 366, a vague and overly broad bill

that would regulate certain types political content, chilling free speech in violation of RPT

Principle 1 “…we support the strict adherence to the original language and intent of the

Declaration of Independence and the Constitutions of the United States and of Texas,” RPT

Principle 3 “Preserving individual, Texan, and American sovereignty and freedom,” and RPT

Principle 4 “Limiting government power to those items enumerated in the United States and

Texas Constitutions” (Record Vote 982); and

7. Representative Phelan co-authored and voted for HB 1738, a bill that would decriminalize

same-sex sodomy in violation of RPT Principle 6 “…traditional marriage between a natural

man and a natural woman” (Record Vote 2714); and

8. Representative Phelan violated Legislative Priority #2 – “Secure Texas Elections” by voting in

committee to oppose SB 2743, an act which would have authorized the Attorney General to

ensure election crimes in Texas do not go unprosecuted (State Affairs Committee; May 23,

2025, 11 a.m. formal meeting); and

9. Representative Phelan voted for SB 22, which allocates up to $2.5 billion to Texas film and

television production incentives, violating RPT Principle 5 “Personal Accountability and

Responsibility” by supporting a massive subsidy funded by taxpayers rather than opposing

government overreach in economic affairs and RPT Principle 9 “A free enterprise society

unencumbered by government interference or subsidies” by supporting substantial state

spending on special-interest programs rather than prioritizing conservative stewardship of

public finances (Record Vote 3541); and

WHEREAS, the Orange County Republican Party provided notice to Representative Dade Phelan’s

office and an opportunity to speak prior to the vote taking place; and

WHEREAS, the constituent Precinct Chairs of House District 21 of the Orange County Republican

Party Executive Committee passed the resolution of censure of Representative Dade Phelan by both a

two-thirds (2/3) majority of those present and voting and a 50% majority of all constituent Precinct

Chairs, even those not in attendance; and

WHEREAS, the term of office for Representative Dade Phelan expires after the 2026 Primary and

General Elections, and he would be eligible to run for reelection to his House seat in the 2026 election

and also eligible to run for any other partisan office in the 2026 election; and

WHEREAS, in discussing resolutions of censure passed by a County Executive Committee, Rule No.

44 of the Republican Party of Texas states in part that “such a resolution may include a request to

impose the penalties below to the SREC. The SREC must confirm or deny penalties prior to early

voting of the Republican Primary Election in which the Officeholder is seeking election.

2Penalties:

If such a request is included, after not less than fourteen (14) days’ notice and opportunity to

the Officeholder to appear and be provided time to speak before the SREC in response to the

request. The SREC, by a three-fifths (3/5) vote of the full membership, may vote to concur with

the resolution of censure and impose one or more of the following penalties:

Penalty 1: Declare that no Rule or Bylaw enacted by any division of the Party at any

level that demands the Party be neutral in intraparty contests shall be observed with

respect to the named Officeholder, and no financial or other support shall be provided

to the Officeholder’s campaign by the Party except that which is required by law. If the

Officeholder files an application to run for any public office in the Republican Party

Primary Election following the censure resolution’s passage, the SREC shall be

authorized to spend up to twelve percent (12%) of the Party’s general fund on voter

education in the Officeholder’s district, by republishing the original censure resolution

verbatim, using a media format determined by the SREC.

Penalty 2: Declare that the named Officeholder is discouraged from participating in the

Republican Party Primary Election following the censure passage.

Penalty 3: Authorize and direct the State Chairman or any County Chairman to refuse

to accept any application for a place on the ballot of a Republican Primary Election for

a period of twenty-four (24) months following adoption of the censure and imposition of

said remedy”; and

WHEREAS, in its resolution of censure, the Orange County Republican Party requested that the SREC

concur with the resolution of censure and that the SREC impose “all applicable penalties outlined in

Rule No. 44 of the RPT Rules”; now

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the State Republican Executive Committee concurs with the

violations of Republican Party of Texas Principles and Legislative Priorities stated in the resolution of

censure passed by the constituent Precinct Chairs of Texas House District 21 of the Orange County

Republican Party and identified in this resolution; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Republican Party of Texas imposes Penalty 1 and Penalty 2

identified in Rule No. 44 on Representative Dade Phelan as follows:

Penalty 1: Declare that no Rule or Bylaw enacted by any division of the Party at any level that

demands the Party be neutral in intraparty contests shall be observed with respect to the named

Officeholder, and no financial or other support shall be provided to the Officeholder’s

campaign by the Party except that which is required by law. If the Officeholder files an

application to run for any public office in the Republican Party Primary Election following the

censure resolution’s passage, the SREC shall be authorized to spend up to twelve percent (12%)

of the Party’s general fund on voter education in the Officeholder’s district, by republishing the

original censure resolution verbatim, using a media format determined by the SREC.

3Penalty 2: Declare that the named Officeholder is discouraged from participating in the

Republican Party Primary Election following the censure passage; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that nothing in this Resolution shall be construed to prohibit the use of

Party resources to encourage voting for Republican Party nominees or officeholders collectively, so

long as Representative Dade Phelan is not identified by name.

Passed by the State Republican Executive Committee, October 11, 2025