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TRANSCRIPT
Republican Party of Bexar County
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Robert Stovall ............. 2
Rep. Lamar Smith ....... 2
Speaker Joe Straus ..... 3
State Convention ........ 4
Rep. Will Hurd ........... 5
Upcoming Events ........ 6
RPBC Leadership ........ 7
SPECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST
State Party Leadership
Voter Reg. Dates
Committee Sign Up
Honor the Texas Flag;
I pledge allegiance to thee,
Texas. One state under God,
one and indivisible.
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June 2016
Vivian D Brown, Editor
On April 6th, the Alamo Pachyderm Club hosted its 3rd annual golf tour-
nament to raise money for families whose children have been diagnosed
with cancer. This year’s event was held at the fantastic J.W. Marriott’s
TPC golf course. As before, we partnered with the non-profit Teed-Off
at Cancer, and proceeds will benefit the Children’s Hospital of San Anto-
nio. Teed-off at Cancer is a non-profit organization founded in 1998 with
the motto H.O.P.E (Helping Others Persevere Everyday). The $10,000
raised from our tournament will be used to provide each newly admitted
patient and their family with a H.O.P.E bag. These bags are filled with
essential items for the families, such as: shampoo, conditioner, soap,
toothpaste, toothbrush, deodorant, a comb, brush, lotion, laundry deter-
gent, blanket, water, Gatorade, snacks, parking passes, gift cards to HEB
and Valero, a phone with minutes, food vouchers for the hospital, and
entertainment such as coloring books and crayons. Teed-off at Cancer
will also use the funds to support “Camp Discovery”, a summer camp
specifically for kids with cancer.
Special thanks to our sponsors, Jefferson/Cano; SWBC; Catholic Life;
AmegyBank; R.W. Knight, P.C.; Hooters; Center Court Pizza; Hill
Country Hyatt; JW Marriott and C5. Another super special thanks to all
the golfers who found the time to join us and participate in the event!
(You know who you are!) Next year’s event will be a repeat of venue,
the TPC Canyons course, on April 13, 2017. This date is on a Thursday,
the week after The Masters and the week before the Texas Open! Dona-
tions, sponsorship, and assistance are all greatly appreciated. We have
several sponsorship levels available, from the Title Sponsor ($10,000) to
the Hole Sponsor ($200). We also are offering a “Benevolent Sponsor-
ship”, where any donation in any amount is welcome and recognized on
our website (apcgolf.com) and at the event.
Congressman Lamar Smith, chairman of the House Science, Space, and Tech-
nology Committee, released the following statement after the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) released its proposed Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS)
rule, which sets renewable fuel volumes for 2017:
“The EPA’s proposed rule is more of the same and sets biofuels requirements
that are not achievable in today’s energy market. While the EPA claims the pro-
posed rule will benefit the environment, data shows that the Renewable Fuel
Standard has increased costs for American consumers and increased emis-
sions. More unrealistic mandates won’t lead to innovation in biofuels technolo-
gy. It’s time for the Obama administration to work with Congress to reform this
mandate.”
The EPA’s proposed rule requires 18.8 billion gallons of renewable fuels to be
blended into the fuel supply by 2017, an increase from the EPA’s 2016 rule but
less than the target required in current law. The proposal increases biofuel vol-
umes in every category, despite evidence that the U.S. is not currently on track
to meet 2016 targets.
The Science Committee has held two hearings on the RFS in the 114th Congress
in which witnesses testified that the RFS increases both fuel costs and emis-
sions.
UNITE TO WIN
CONGRESSMAN LAMAR SMITH ON EPA’S
PROPOSED FUEL REGS
The primary season has wrapped up and we have a presumptive nominee, Donald J. Trump. As
Republican’s we must rally and support our candidate. This election cycle is about more than se-
lecting the next president of the United States. The fate of the Supreme Court is at stake for the
next generation and the next president could appoint up to four justices. That could swing the bal-
ance of the court significantly. It’s imperative we have a Republican selecting the next justices.
As Republican’s it is up to us to get behind our nominee and do everything within our realm of
possibility to make sure we do not have a President Hillary Clinton. Our country cannot afford
four more years (possibly eight) of the failed Obama policies.
Mr. Trump is a patriot who will make America Great again and bring back the level of respect the
office of the president deserves. The policy of leading from behind needs to end and Mr. Trump
will not take a back seat when it comes to foreign policy and will be leader this nation deserves.
We must UNITE to WIN! I urge you to get involved and recruit your friends, family, and neigh-
bors to also become involved. In order to win we must have citizen activists dedicated to preserv-
ing America for the next generation. We owe it to our children and grandchildren.
Ready to get involved? Contact Bexar County headquarters (210-824-445) and find out what you
can do to help.
Our nation is counting on you to make a difference and rally around our nominee. Want to show
your support for Trump? Come by HQ and pick up a yard sign for $5 or a bumper sticker for a $1.
Let’s show the Democrats and Battleground Texas we are unified and ready willing and able to
WIN in November.
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Congressman Lamar Smith
CD 21
1100 NE Loop 410, Ste. 640
San Antonio, TX 78209-1302
(210) 821-5024
2409 Rayburn House
Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-4236
Congressman Smith represents
constituents of Texas’s 21st Con-
gressional District in the U.S.
House
Chairman Robert Stovall
(210) 824-9445
A BETTER SYSTEM FOR STUDENTS AND
TAXPAYERS
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Speaker Joe Straus HD 121
7373 Broadway, Ste. 202-A
San Antonio, TX 78209
(210) 828-4411
Capitol Office
Room 2W.13
P.O. Box 2910 Austin, TX 78768
(512) 463-1000
Joe Straus represents Texas House District 121 in Bexar County and serves as the Speaker of the Texas
House of Representatives.
Over the last several years, hundreds of Texas school districts have been suing the state
in order too force changes to our state’s school finance system. That cash recently came
to an end, however, when the Texas Supreme Court declared that our school funding
system meets the requirements of the Texas Constitution.
But the Supreme Court hardly endorsed the status quo. In fact, the Court said the way
we pay for education in Texas is “undeniably imperfect, with immense room for im-
provement.” The justices also stressed that it is the Legislature’s job, and not that of the
judicial branch, to strengthen education policy.
That’s why we’re going to continue working to do in the Texas House. After the Court’s
ruling, I instructed two committees to recommend ways that we can address key aspects
of the state’s school finance system during the next legislative session, which begins next
January. School finance is one of the most complex issues facing state government,
which is why it usually takes a court order for the Legislature to act. But I believe that we
can reform the system to achieve two key goals: providing a better education for stu-
dents, and using taxpayer dollars in a more efficient way.
One of the aspects of the current system that is most in need of reform is the so-called
“Robin Hood” provision, which requires some districts to share some of their local tax
revenue with other school districts. The number of school districts that send local dol-
lars to other school districts has risen steadily over the last 10 years, because property
taxes have accounted for more and more of total education spending. Texas school dis-
tricts now send about $1.5 billion of their local revenue to the state every year.
To be sure, all students should have access to quality schools regardless of where they
live, and some communities certainly have more resources than others. But the growth
in the amount of money that school districts have to send away is troubling, and it’s
something that we in the Legislature need to address. I believe that we should keep
more local tax dollars in our local schools, and that’s one of the key reasons why I have
instructed legislators to focus on this issue.
As I mentioned, school finance affects every community of the state differently, and that
can make it difficult to form a consensus at the Capitol. But I believe all Texans want
quality public schools and an efficient system, and that’s a pretty good place to start. In
the Texas House, we will continue working to improve education for students while
providing better value for taxpayers.
State Party Leadership
elected at the 2016 State Convention
State Leadership
Tom Mechler - Chair
Amy Clark - Vice-Chair
Toni Anne Dashiell -
National Committeewoman
Robin Armstrong -
National Committeeman
Bexar County SRECs
Terri DuBose – SREC SD 19
Scott Stratton - SREC SD 19
Naomi Narvais - SREC SD 21
Michael Goldman - SREC SD 21
Linda Kinney – SREC SD 25
Mark Dorazio - SREC SD 25
Fred Rangel - SREC SD 26
Marian Stanko - SREC SD 26
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BEXAR COUNTY DELEGATES ATTEND
STATE CONVENTION Hundreds of Bexar County state delegates traveled to Dallas, TX to attend the 2016
Texas Republican State Convention held at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Cen-
ter May 12-14th. As a delegation, we voted in three different forums. As a full delega-
tion, we debated and voted on party rules, the party platform, party Chair, party Vice
Chair, RNC National Committeeman, and National Committeewoman. The 2016 Per-
manent Republican Party of Texas rules can be downloaded from: https://
www.texasgop.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/PERMANENT-RULES-as-Amended-
by-Gen-Body-5-13-16-1.pdf, and 2016 Permanent State Party Platform can be down-
loaded from: https://www.texasgop.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/PERM-
PLATFORM-as-Amended-by-Gen-Body-5.13.16.pdf. For the first time, we voted on
each plank of the party platform, and there were over 200 of them, using a scantron-
like paper ballot. You can see the plank-by-plank vote results at: https://
www.texasgop.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Weighted-Totals-Percentages.pdf.
One of the most controversial items, a platform plank related to state secession, did not
make it out of the platform committee, but was moved to be reinserted on the general
session floor. That also did not earn enough votes, but it made for a lively debate and
creative use of parliamentary motions. At state senatorial district caucuses, we voted
on SREC members, and at congressional district caucuses, we voted on National dele-
gates/alternates and Presidential elector. All the different locations and caucuses made
for busy days walking to/from different rooms, but it gave everyone the opportunity to
meet Republicans from all over the state. Congratulations to everyone who was elected
as SREC members, National Delegates and Alternates, and Presidential Electors. Bexar
County was well-represented!
“We simply cannot afford to let terrorists slip through the cracks”
Washington, DC –Congress came one step closer to tightening visa loopholes that could be used by terrorists. The House Committee of Homeland Securi-ty unanimously approved legislation authored by U.S. Representative Will Hurd, a former CIA officer from San Antonio, as part of an ongoing counter-terrorism initiative to enhance U.S. visa screening procedures at posts over-seas. Under the bill, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) would be authorized to deploy trained law enforcement personnel for applicant vetting and biometric screening technology to fifty U.S. Embassies abroad.
“We simply cannot afford to let terrorists slip through the cracks,” said Hurd. “We live in a day and age when bad actors from all over the world could exploit our legal visa process and plot against Americans. It is time we send trained professionals to properly vet travelers in order to push out our borders and stop those who seek to do us harm before they even get to our shores.”
The U.S. Travel Association offered their support of the Strong Visa Integrity Secures America Act of 2016: “The enhanced security protocols included in H.R. 5253 will not only intelligently advance visa security efforts in our con-stantly changing global threat landscape, but also keep our country connect-ed and competitive on the world stage. For those reasons, the travel industry supports this legislation and looks forward to continually working with com-mittee members on visa security issues.”
“I would like to express our strong support for H.R. 5253, the Strong Visa Integrity Secures America Act, which is aimed at improving visa applicant vetting and overall visa security measures,” said Don Erickson, CEO of Secu-rity Industry Association. “Strengthening visa integrity will help protect all Americans, and the federal government must be able to utilize the reliable technologies that are readily available.”
“The Chamber applauds the Committee for focusing on the important issue of national security as it pertains to the visa granting process,” said R. Bruce Josten, Executive Vice President of the Chamber of Commerce of the U.S. “The Chamber was also pleased with the focus of the bill’s sponsors on po-tential risks to the country. This approach is reflected throughout the bill, whether it concerns the placement of Homeland Security personnel at diplo-matic and consular posts around the world, performing visa security assis-tance remotely, or the new requirements for CBP to conduct continuous screening of individuals seeking to enter the U.S.”
The Strong Visa Integrity Secures America Act of 2016 is expected to ad-vance to the House floor in upcoming weeks.
NEW COUNTERTERRORISM MEASURERS
CLOSER TO THE FINISH LINE
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Congressman Will Hurd
CD 23
Washington DC Office
317 Cannon House Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20515
Phone (202) 225-4511
San Antonio Office
17721 Rogers Ranch Pkwy
Suite 120
San Antonio, TX 78258
Phone (210) 921-3130
A former undercover CIA officer, entrepreneur and cybersecurity expert, Will Hurd is the U.S. Repre-s e n t a t i v e f o r t h e 23rd Congressional Dis-trict of Texas. In Wash-ington, he serves as Vice Chair of the Maritime and Border Security Subcom-mittee on the Committee for Homeland Security, and as the Chairman of the Information Technolo-gy Subcommittee on the Oversight and Govern-
Committees are now form-
ing call 210-824-9445
to sign up.
Available Committees:
Budget
Audit
Finance
Candidate Recruitment &
Development
Campaign Activities
Volunteer Recruitment
Communication
Precinct Organization
Bylaws
Legislation
Event Planning
Elephant Club
Get Out the Vote
Records & Storage Review
Election Workers
Poll Watchers
Voter Registration
Community Engagement
Bexar News
Public Relations
June 18—BCRW “Ladies Who Rule”
June 19—Father’s Day
June 21—ACRW monthly luncheon
HCR Republicans Meeting
June 22— Republican Club of Bexar County monthly luncheon
June 23– Young Republicans of Bexar County monthly meeting
June 29—BCRW membership brunch with First Lady Cecilia Abbott
July 4—Independence Day
July 8 BCRW monthly luncheon
July 18—22 RNC National Convention
July 19—ACRW monthly luncheon
HCR Republican Meeting
July 27 –Republican Club of Bexar County monthly luncheon
July 28—SARW Summer Spectacular with Sen. Donna Campbell
and Comptroller Glen Hagar
DEPUTY VOTER REGISTRAR TRAINING
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All deputy voter registrar appointments expire December 31, 2016. All regis-trars must take a class to get another two year certification. Classes are held monthly at the elections warehouse.
2016 Schedule
(10 a.m. or 6 p.m.)
July 5 Aug. 9 Sept. 13
Call (210) 335-6625 to register
Management Committee
Precinct 1 Committeewoman Dawn Lothringer
[email protected] Committeeman Olean Dangerfield
Precinct 2 Committeewoman Betty Eckert
[email protected] Committeeman Ray Rodriguez
Precinct 3 Committeewoman Ann Chandler
[email protected] Committeeman James Cotter
Precinct 4 Committeewoman Jeanne Melendez
[email protected] Committeeman Bradley Chandler
Newly Appointed Committee Chairs
Candidate Recruitment & Development Charles Hardy & Matt Lair
Audit Fred Bible
Budget Scott Stratton
Finance Lawrence Stovall
Campaign Activities Justin Clark
Volunteer Recruitment Kris Coons
RPBC 2016 LEADERSHIP
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Treasurer Scott Stratton
Legal Counsel Cynthia Smith
Cynthia@cdsmith law.com
Vice Chair Anna Maria Farias
Republican Party of
Bexar County
909 NE Loop 410
Suite 514
San Antonio, TX 78209-1302
210-824-9445
Email: [email protected]
Email Editor:
Communications
Website
bexargop.org
Chair: Rober t Stovall
Vice Chair: Anna Maria Far ias
Secretary: Deanna Abiassi
Treasurer: Scott Stratton
Director of Operations: Becky Edler
Bexar News Editor: Vivian Brown
Corresponding Secretary: Sue Solcher
Management Committee
Precinct 1 Dawn Lothringer
Ollie Dangerfield
Precinct 2 Betty Eckert
Ray Rodriguez
Precinct 3 Ann Chandler
James Cotter
Precinct 4 Jeanne Melendez
Bradley Chandler
Political Advertising paid for by Republican Party of Bexar County