The Bowie County Patriots have joined other Texas conservatives in calling for a no-confidence vote for Joe Straus, speaker of the Texas House of Representatives.
The group passed the resolution July 27 at its weekly meeting.
The Patriots described Straus as one of the most powerful and influential politicians in Texas, but that during his tenure, few proposed conservative bills have made it to the House for a vote.
According to the resolution, "The Bowie County Patriots call upon our Texas House Representatives to call for a no-confidence vote for the Speaker of the House and elect a conservative speaker who will appoint conservative committee chairmen, who will bring conservative bills to the floor of the House of Representatives for an open and fair up or down vote."
Earlier this month in San Antonio, Republican leaders in Straus' home county, Bexar, passed a resolution calling for "a change in leadership in the Texas House speakership," the first time the local Republican Party has given Straus a vote of no confidence. Other Republicans, including social-conservative activists and Tea Party-backed lawmakers, have threatened to oust him as speaker during the special session.
"There are a lot of people out there who are asking for this. There seems to be an ongoing impression from our elected representatives that they don't have to listen to us. Our goal is for our voice to be heard," said Steve Oglesby, spokesman for Bowie County Patriots.
Bowie County Patriots meet at 6:30 p.m. every Thursday at Smokey Joe's BBQ in Nash, Texas. Meetings are open to the public.