Wayne Christian, fourth generation resident of Shelby County, and current State Representative of House District 9 has an unassailable conservative record and dedication to the rural East Texas principles from which he was raised. He has been awarded throughout his career by many conservative organizations for that record, including the Torch of Freedom from the Young Conservatives of Texas, Hero of the Faith from Vision America, Fighter for Free Enterprise from the Texas Business Association, Man of the Year in Texas Agriculture from the Texas County Extension Service, and National Legislator of the Year from the American Legislative Exchange Council.

“I’m ready to run on my record. I have consistently proven that I do not just talk the talk when it comes to conservatism. I can’t wait to meet more of the good citizens of the new House District 9 and make my case to them,” said Rep. Christian.

Rep. Christian currently enjoys the re-election endorsement of several conservative grassroots organizations and individuals, including The Young Conservatives of Texas, Texas Right to Life PAC, Michael Quinn Sullivan, President, Empower Texans/Texans for Fiscal Responsibility, Tim Lambert, President, Texas Home School Coalition, Kelly Shackelford, President, Liberty Institute, David Barton, Former Vice-Chairman, Republican Party of Texas and Founder and President, Wallbuilders, Peggy Venable, Texas Director, Americans for Prosperity, and Pat Carlson, President, Texas Eagle Forum.

“As the first Republican elected to the State House from Deep East Texas, I have witnessed and been a part of the conservative revolution in my district and across the state. We have accomplished much, with Texas serving as an example to the nation, but our work is never done. I look forward to continuing to be a faithful representative of the people of rural East Texas and the opportunity to spread the good word and keep fighting for the common folk of our state,” said Rep. Christian.

“Rep. Wayne Christian brings a wealth of experience, a demonstrated record of principled conservatism, and steady leadership to the Texas Legislature,” said Tony McDonald, YCT Senior Vice Chairman. “Conservatives need the leadership Representative Christian provides in the House.”

Representative Christian completed the 81st Texas Legislature with a 94 career rating on YCT’s Legislative Ratings, earning his sixth consecutive placement on YCT’s Honor Roll. At YCT’s 31st annual State Convention in February, Rep. Christian was awarded the group’s coveted “Torch of Freedom” award for his achievements throughout his legislative career.

The Young Conservatives of Texas this morning announced their unanimous endorsement of Rep. Wayne Christian for continued public service, and have declared that YCT members from chapters across the state will be encouraged to volunteer on behalf of Rep. Christian through blockwalking and phonebanking to support his reelection to the Texas House of Representatives.

“To confer an endorsement this early in the process is rare,” said Daniel Cervera, YCT’s Director of Chapter Development. “This reflects the great level of trust YCT places in Rep. Christian’s proven commitment to conservative values and our belief that no other candidate who might enter the race could exceed Rep. Christian’s dedicated leadership on behalf of our values.”

“I am extremely honored and humbled by YCT’s endorsement of my reelection campaign this early in the process,” responded Representative Christian. “Their conservative principles and standards for endorsement are of the highest level, and I appreciate that I have earned the trust and respect of such an important grassroots organization that has been a staunch defender of small government and Texas families for over thirty years. I look forward to working with YCT during my efforts for reelection.”

Rep. Christian’s amendment affects all hospital districts that raise local taxes for the use of providing abortions, but only one hospital district was currently engaged in the practice—Central Health of Travis County, which allocated $450,000 annually towards providing abortion services and claims to have paid for the termination of 720 pregnancies last year. However on Thursday, August 11th, with the threat of losing state funds due to Rep. Christian’s amendment to SB 7, the board of Central Health voted unanimously to redirect all funds from abortion services to other areas of care.

“For me, personally, this is a powerful moment,” proclaimed Rep. Wayne Christian. He continued, “I just feel blessed to be involved with the creation of policy that is actually going to save the lives of hundreds of children a year…it’s what public service is all about for me. I want to thank my fellow pro-life members of the House and all the hard working organizations in the pro-life community that worked closely with my office to make this happen. This is truly a monumental victory for life.”

After the unanimous vote of its board, Central Health of Travis County will no longer spend taxpayer funds to provide abortions after September 12th, 2011.

First, Rep. Christian wants to examine all areas of scope of practice and look at the best ways to increase affordable access to health care by allowing trained medical professionals (such as Nurse Practitioners, Optometrists, Podiatrists, etc.) greater ability to give care. Currently, laws and regulation erroneously restrict what these medical professionals can do, and by allowing them to do more in the areas they are trained, we can provide greater access, which will drive down medical costs, which are skyrocketing across Texas.

Second, Rep. Christian wants to reevaluate the structure of our social services and find new ways of helping our most vulnerable citizens (i.e. children and single mothers) while ensuring that we are not creating incentives that discourage the formation of strong, nuclear families. Additionally, Rep. Christian wants to study how best to engage our business community and educate them on the tax benefits of charitable contributions, which will bolster our local charities and churches, enabling them to provide the care our most vulnerable citizens need.

Third, Rep. Christian wants to look at the structural revenue problem in our state which is stemming from our margins tax. He wants to make certain that the tax is capable of capturing the revenue it was designed to bring into the state so that the necessary functions of state government are properly funded. He also wants to address statutory language in the margins tax that allows large corporations/businesses to pass their margins tax liability down to small businesses that contract through them, which is causing these small businesses to be subject to a tax that was never intended for them.

And lastly, Rep. Christian wants to reexamine the system for preference in granting government contracts. There is a long history of the current system being gamed, which is causing an unnecessary increase in cost, a marked lowering of quality, and in some cases the contract work is so poor that it must be completely redone, which leads to budget busting waste. The state needs to review the process and make sure the taxpayer is getting the best product for their dollars. Also, contracts should be given first and foremost to local businesses, then at-large Texas businesses, and finally out-of-state businesses. There is no reason for Texas tax dollars to employ folks in other states when we have hard working Texans in need of jobs.

“I appreciate the opportunity to throw my ideas in the hat. I hope the Speaker looks carefully at the issues I’ve raised and commissions our House committees to study up on these items,” said Rep. Christian when asked about his interim study charges. He continued, “Scope of practice, state welfare reform, fixing the margins tax, and reevaluating the way we issue government contracts are all extremely important to the future of Texas. I look forward to seeing where this takes us.”

State Rep. Wayne Christian (R-Center) supported related legislation last session, which allowed residents on the Bolivar Peninsula to rebuild their homes on the part of their property that was behind the new vegetation line after Hurricane Rita devastated the area. Despite facing criticism for his stance, the Supreme Court validated his efforts with their decision today.

After the hurricane, Carol Severance, a homeowner in Galveston, filed suit against the General Land Office when she received a letter declaring that her property now belonged to the State, and won. The Court’s opinion reads, in part:

‘While losing property to the public trust as it becomes part of the wet beach or submerged under the ocean is an ordinary hazard of ownership for coastal property owners, it is far less reasonable to hold that a public easement can suddenly encumber an entirely new portion of a landowner’s property that was not previously subject to that right of use.’

“This decision is consistent with my understanding of private property rights in Texas,” said Rep. Christian. “We have faced several similar battles in recent years, and from leading the fight against the Trans Texas Corridor to standing up against unnecessary uses of eminent domain, I have always fought to protect the rights of landowners. I am pleased that the Supreme Court has agreed with my belief that our citizen’s private property is worth protecting.”

Rep. Christian continued, “Although maintaining open access to public beaches is important, the Court established that the Open Beaches Act does not give the government the right to take land as they see fit every time we have a natural disaster hit our coast. In a time when the federal government is continually overreaching their powers, I am happy to know that we have a Supreme Court here in Texas that is dedicated to protecting our Constitutional rights.”

“The citizens of Texas have expressed their political beliefs like never before through the Tea Party movement. They have played a big role in this year’s elections, but I want to make sure that their views are expressed past election day,” said Rep. Christian. “They want to hold their elected officials accountable to a conservative voting agenda, and I think that this caucus will be an effective way to do that.”

Continued membership in the caucus will be based on performance in three areas: supporting key Tea Party issues; signing the Texas Conservative Coalition (TCC) Pledge with Texas; and keeping a conservative voting record that is in line with the TCC annual report card.

“Through the Legislative Tea Party Caucus, grassroots activists will maintain a connection with our elected representatives throughout their life cycle ‐ before they are elected and as long as they are in office,” said Julie Turner of the Texas Tea Party Patriots. “We will support them when their votes reflect our core values and challenge them when they stray.”

Rep. Christian has joined the board of the new caucus and will be involved asking Tea Party leaders from across the state to form a legislative committee that will meet with the caucus throughout the session. The formal announcement of the caucus will come at the beginning of the session with a planned rally at the Capitol of caucus members and Tea Party members.

The caucus will be guided by a board of 11 members of both the Texas House of Representatives and Senate. Senator Brian Birdwell, Rep. Brandon Creighton, Rep. Ken Paxton, Rep. Todd Hunter, and Rep. Sid Miller, will join founder, Senator Dan Patrick, to comprise the current board. After this session, future board members will be voted upon by the full membership of the caucus.

“I stand with Senator Patrick and my conservative colleagues to affirm that our state and our nation were designed to be governed by the people,” stated Rep. Christian. “Former U.S. Senator Daniel Webster (1782‐1852) said, ‘Make them (the people) intelligent, and they will be vigilant; give them the means of detecting the wrong, and they will apply the remedy.’ Through the alliance of our new Tea Party Caucus and the Texas Conservative Coalition we pledge to again make Texas, ‘of the people, by the people and for the people’.”

“Conservative leadership over the past decade has made Texas the most successful state in the nation, and we must continue to adhere to the principles that have led us here,” said Rep. Christian. “We are honored to have statewide officials such as Governor Perry and Comptroller Combs recognize the importance of such a pledge and offer their commitment to uphold it.”

By signing the Pledge with Texans, signatories promise to support the following policies:

• Balance the budget without raising taxes
• Limit federal intrusion
• Improve election integrity
• Cut taxes
• Secure the Texas border

“As President of TCC, I have traveled to town hall meetings across the state talking with thousands of citizens about the issues that are most important to them,” continued Rep. Christian. “People want a limited government that protects individual liberties, defends state’s rights, and promotes fiscal responsibility. They also want their elected officials to be held accountable to these values. The Pledge with Texans is principled guide for how to address our most pressing issues, and provides our constituents a clear picture of how we plan to tackle them.”

Following a press conference announcing the new signatories, Rep. Christian joined Judge Andrew Napolitano, Governor Rick Perry, Attorney General Greg Abbott, and members of TCC for a town hall meeting in Humble to discuss the five policy priorities outlined in the pledge.

To read the Pledge with Texans in its entirety or to view a list of signatories, please visit the Texas Conservative Coalition’s website at www.txcc.org.

The group released multiple recordings, toured the United States, and were featured performers at such venues as Disney World, the World’s Fair, university and community concert series, and church and school concerts for over a decade. The group was responsible for founding the Poultry Festival in 1977, which is now the “Official” Poultry Festival of Texas, and they will be honored for their contribution during this year’s celebration.

Join Rep. Christian as he reunites with his former band mates on October 8th at 7:00 PM at the Rio Theater on the historic Center Square. Admission is free with Poultry Festival pass, but since seating and parking are limited, advanced reservations are suggested and can be made by calling (936) 598-9966 or (800) 447-7424.

Rep. Christian, President of TCC, stated, “Conservative leadership over the past decade has made Texas the most successful state in the nation, validating the difficult but principled decisions the Legislature has made. We have garnered national recognition and praise for our relatively strong economy from numerous sources, including ABC News, CNN, The Economist, The Atlantic, and The Weekly Standard.”

“Moving forward,” Rep. Christian added, “we must continue to adhere to the principles of limited government, individual liberty, free enterprise, and traditional values.”

Rep. Christian continued, “Our state faces many challenges, and the TCC Pledge with Texans is our conservative plan of action. Next session, conservatives must fight to defend and advance our principles as we directly address a revenue shortfall without raising taxes, a federal government that too readily and too frequently intrudes on our liberty, and the challenge of protecting Texans from increasing violence along the Texas border.”

The TCC Pledge with Texans serves as a roadmap for the long-term success of the State of Texas by offering conservative solutions to the five most pressing issues that the next Legislature must address:

• Balance the Budget without Raising Taxes
• Limit Federal Intrusion
• Improve Election Integrity
• Cut Taxes
• Secure the Texas Border

To date, forty-nine conservative state legislators, including Rep. Christian have signed the TCC Pledge with Texans. Rep. Christian concluded, “I am glad to stand with my fellow conservatives to make sure that Texas’ values and principles are upheld as the Legislature tackles the state’s major issues next session.”

On Tuesday, August 3, approximately 71 percent of Missouri voters rejected the portion of the new federal health care law which requires individuals to purchase health insurance, commonly known as the “individual mandate”. Earlier in the same day, a federal judge refused to dismiss a suit filed by Virginia against the federal health care takeover.

Rep. Christian stated, “We are seeing victories against ObamaCare because the unprecedented legislation infringes on individual liberty and encroaches on states’ constitutional rights. I strongly support each element of the Texas Conservative Coalition’s Health Care Liberty Plan, which will be among our top priorities when the 82nd Session of the Texas Legislature convenes in January 2011.”

The TCC Health Care Liberty Plan is comprised of these action items:

 Continue to support Attorney General Abbott’s lawsuit against the unconstitutional federal health insurance mandate
 Call on Congress to “Repeal and Replace” ObamaCare
 Pass the Health Care Freedom Act, which, according to the American Legislative Exchange Council, preserves and protects individuals’ right to make their own health care and health insurance choices.
 Support sensible state-based alternatives to federal health care

Rep. Christian continued, “Conservative state legislators are united in our resolve to restore liberty and improve health care for all Texans.” Seventy-seven members of the Texas Conservative Coalition have signed a letter of support to General Abbott, which reads in part:

“By challenging the constitutionality of the legislation, you offer fresh hope that Texans can be protected from this damaging legislation and that the framework of the US Constitution may be restored.”

Rep. Christian concluded, “Our principled fight is imperative to upholding the United States Constitution and ensuring the future fiscal solvency of our state and nation. Like Missouri, Virginia, and other states, Texas will play a central role in the fight to reassert our constitutional rights.”