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August 27, 2020 Callahan County Republican Party Executive Committee Press Release

The preamble of the Platform of the Republican Party of Texas declares,  “We strive to preserve the freedom given to us by God, implemented by  our Founding Fathers, and embodied in the Constitution.” These very  words are the foundation upon which our Republican Party Principles were  established. The Republican Party is the Party of freedom,  independence, self-reliance, and the Constitution.

 While we here in Callahan County recognize that there is a Virus, we  believe that the Virus is not destroying our economy, but instead, the  current government policies are. We believe that the original intent and  language of the United States and Texas Constitutions do not give the  government the right to tell citizens what we must wear, where we can  go, who we can gather with,  or whether or not we can work. These great  documents were written precisely to give every citizen all of these  rights, unencumbered by government.

The people and economy in Callahan County have been hurt badly by  government mandates that have not even been voted on by any of our  elected officials. Our Committee has communicated with Callahan County  Judge Scott Kniffen about these concerns on more than one occasion. He  has not addressed our concerns about the mandates, but instead has  responded by voting to propose a County-wide tax increase in addition to  putting nearly $20 million in bonds on the upcoming ballot. These bonds  would be funded by the already overtaxed citizens of this county.  The  people of Callahan County are struggling and begging to get back to  work. We need fewer restrictions and the freedom to make a living so we  can all afford to pay our current taxes. We do not need burdensome  restrictions limiting our income while our local leadership promises to  further increase our taxes. The people of this great county have voiced  concerns to members of this Republican Party and we have not only  listened, but we have unanimously decided to stand up for you. We know  that this is our duty to you and if we do not stand up for you, then who  will? It appears that the local governments have chosen not to do so.

Rule 44 of the Republican Party of Texas allows the Party to censure an  office holder who takes three or more actions during a biennium in  opposition to the core principles of the Republican Party of Texas  platform. We believe that several of these principles have been violated  by Judge Kniffen. So, it is with great sadness and humility that the  Callahan County Republican Party County Executive Committee has  officially and unanimously voted to censure Callahan County Judge Scott  Kniffen. Judge Kniffen has had the choice to opt out of Governor  Abbott’s mask mandate, as some other Texas Counties have chosen to do,  but he has not. Judge Kniffen has had the choice to declare Callahan  County a “Sanctuary County for Business”, just as our neighbors to the  east in Eastland County have done, but he has not.

This is an issue of liberty and bringing Callahan County back to normalcy.

We recognize and pray for the families of those who have been affected  by the Virus. We also recognize that the toll from non-virus related  bankruptcies, loan defaults, non-diagnosed diseases, domestic abuse,  depression, drug abuse, death and suicide could be far worse than the  Virus itself. The State of Texas has faced trying times in the past, and  resilient Texans have always managed to persevere and carry on with our  lives as normal. Our only hope of rebuilding our County, State, and  Country is to return to normal life. Step one is to get people back to  work. The Republican Party of Callahan County proudly stands in support  of our local taxpayers, workers, and business owners. Our Committee is  united in defense of liberty and the Constitution. Together, we can  rebuild our County, State, and Country. The rebuilding must begin  sometime, somewhere.

The full Censure Resolution will soon be released for public view.

For Liberty We Stand,

The Callahan County Republican Party County Executive Committee