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Republican Liberty Caucus of Texas Thanks Senator Bob Hall and Other Allies for Their Leadership in Defending Individual Liberty and Protecting Government Transparency and Accountability

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The Republican Liberty Caucus of Texas thanks Senator Bob Hall for his stalwart leadership for individual liberty and government accountability by voting NO on HB 15 (89S2) in its various forms throughout 2025. The Republican Liberty Caucus also thanks Representative Harrison for standing up for Texans and voting no on HB 15.

“Republican Liberty Caucus of Texas is dedicated to promoting individual rights, limited government and free enterprise.

“HB 15, in its various forms, sought to seal “any document relating to” police, jailers and 911 call operators and any law enforcement personnel, potentially doing great harm to government transparency and accountability. The bill made no exception for the hundreds of tiny and even single-officer agencies in Texas, where officers would be charged with examining their own behavior for misconduct and incentivized to make it secret. The bill made no exception for elected officials, who owe a duty of transparency to the voter. 

“Finally, the bill made no exception to allow for community transparency and accountability which is necessary for good policymaking after tragedies like what took place at Robb Elementary in Uvalde three years ago, where families and the public are still left in the dark.

Stephen F. Austin, often called the “Father of Texas,” played a critical role in its early history. Initially, he opposed secession and instead supported federalism, seeking to preserve Texas’ allegiance to the Mexican government while gaining more autonomy. However, after being imprisoned in Mexico City in 1834 under charges of treason and held without a fair trial, Austin returned to Texas convinced that independence was increasingly necessary, eventually becoming a strong advocate for breaking away from Mexico.

“CJ Grisham, well known Texas civil rights attorney and 2nd Amendment advocate, called this bill “among the worst” he had ever seen come from the legislature. Defenders of the second amendment and the constitution saw the danger in this bill.

“The Republican Liberty Caucus thanks Senator Bob Hall and Representative Harrison for voting No at the urging of grieving families, 2nd Amendment advocates, and many conservative activists, even as most Republicans fell in line behind the bill.

“Courage matters in the legislature, and courage is a value that Texans assume their elected officials will display. The Republican Liberty Caucus thanks both Senator Hall and Representative Harrison for their courage on this issue.”