AUSTIN, TX – On Saturday, the State Republican Executive Committee passed a resolution calling for all Republican elected officials to work towards increased firearms freedom – including “constitutional carry legislation that removes restrictions on the freedom of law-abiding citizens who possess firearms to carry those firearms and…the elimination of government-mandated zones in which citizens are disarmed.”

The SREC encouraged all law-abiding Americans to exercise “their inalienable right to defend themselves and their property” and affirmed that the “principled and effective response to those with violent intent is to acknowledge that evil will always exist and that the best preservation of our safety as individuals and as a free republic is our citizens bearing arms without government regulation.”

Republican Party of Texas Chairman James Dickey stated, “Texans have long fought for the right to keep and bear arms. During the Battle of Gonzales, a self-organized group of patriots refused to give up their cannon in the fight for freedom and told their enemies to ‘Come and take it!’ Now is not the time for us to cede the ground our forefathers fought for, defended, and won. The Republican Party of Texas stands with law-abiding citizens who wish to exercise their God-given rights without government intrusion.”

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WHEREAS the individual right to keep and bear arms is fundamental to the fabric and preservation of a free republic; and,

WHEREAS our nation is currently experiencing renewed efforts to infringe on this right, efforts that would undermine each individual’s ability to freely defend his life, liberty, and property; and

WHEREAS if successful, these efforts would further threaten the safety and security of all Texans, including children and those most vulnerable to attacks; and,

WHEREAS Texas Republicans know that the principled and effective response to those with violent intent is to acknowledge that evil will always exist and that the best preservation of our safety as individuals and as a free republic is our citizens bearing arms without government regulation; now

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Republican Party of Texas calls upon all Americans to embrace personal responsibility through the exercise of their inalienable right to defend themselves and their property; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Republican Party of Texas renews our call for passage of constitutional carry legislation that removes restrictions on the freedom of law-abiding citizens who possess firearms to carry those firearms and also our call for the elimination of government-mandated zones in which citizens are disarmed; and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we call on all of our elected officials, including state legislators and congressmen, to seek solutions that result in increased safety without sacrificing freedom, to work against all measures that would infringe on the ability of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms, and to work to restore the ability of citizens, including willing teachers, coaches, and school staff, to exercise their rights to own and carry personal arms without government interference or regulation; and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this resolution be distributed to all Republican members of the Texas House of Representatives and Senate, the Governor, all Republican members of the United States House of Representatives and Senate representing Texas, and the President and Vice President of the United States; and,

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the Republican Party of Texas, on behalf of the grassroots, craft a press release in support of this resolution and make reasonable efforts to promote its distribution to the press and the public.

Adopted by the State Republican Executive Committee, April 7, 2018