Rep. Cecil Bell - District 3[/caption] Updated July 27 at 12:30 p.m. A total of 17 legislators have signed on to support the PACT organized by state Rep. Cecil Bell Jr., R-Magnolia. The senators include Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels; Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe; Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham; and Charles Perry, R-Lubbock. The representatives include Dwayne Bohac, R-Houston; John Cyrier, R-Lockhart; Gary Elkins, R-Jersey Village; Allen Fletcher, R-Cypress; Ken King, R-Canadian; Will Metcalf, R-Conroe, Rick Miller, R-Sugar Land; Jim Murphy, R-Houston; Gilbert Pena, R-Pasadena; Matt Shaheen, R-Plano; Drew Springer, R-Muenster; James White, R-Woodville; and Molly S. White, R-Belton. Posted July 6 at 5:41 p.m. State Rep. Cecil Bell Jr., R-Magnolia, held a press conference in Magnolia July 6 to announce the rollout of his PACT for Constitutional Restoration of State Sovereignty. The PACT is a response to a number of rulings imposed by the Supreme Court of the U.S. over the past few years, including the June 26 legalization of same-sex marriage, Bell said. “Among my constituents and through my business dealings across the country, there’s this perception that a band of justices have acted politically outside of their constitutional authority by taking on the role of lawmakers and usurping the proper process of legislative authority inherent to the legislature and different branches of government,” Bell said. Within the PACT, Bell said he has detailed an action plan for residents to advocate for the constitutional restoration of state sovereignty and support the dissent of Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts in the same-sex marriage ruling. Bell said he plans to pull other legislators on board as well as residents to advocate for the PACT's ideals. “[The PACT] will not be accomplished because I wrote a plan,” Bell said. “It will not be accomplished because you as a citizen elect to participate in the plan. It will be accomplished because we in a collaborative right will push for sovereignty within our states as citizens.” In the 84th legislative session this year, Bell filed multiple bills to protect states' rights to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman, including House Bill 4105 that would have prohibited state or local government employees and courts from granting or recognizing same-sex marriage licenses. HB 4105 was placed on the General State Calendar May 12 after a favorable hearing in the State Affairs Committee, but no further action was taken. Bell also filed HB 3602, which was designed to protect the religious freedom of conscientious objectors regarding certain issues, such as marriage, sexual orientation and gender. The bill was referred to the State Affairs Committee March 23, and no further action was taken. In addition, Bell filed House Concurrent Resolution 29 to declare that presidential executive orders cannot interfere with state rights, which was left pending in the State and Federal Power and Responsibility select committee April 9. The 84th regular legislative session ended June 1. After the June 26 Supreme Court decision on same-sex marriage, Harris, Montgomery and Waller county officials began issuing same-sex marriage licenses to couples. Bell said the goal of the PACT is to create a state with constitutional values outlined by the country’s founding fathers. “The immediate challenge facing us is what do we do right now as citizens to stop the aggression that is underway to literally reinvent our society,” Bell said. “It’s predicated not on the rule of law but on what [Supreme Court] Justice [Anthony] Kennedy and his writings described as individualism and love—none of which are premises for constitutional authority.”

Future plans

During the press conference, Bell was asked whether he is interested in placing a bid for speaker of the Texas House of Representatives. Bell did not say whether he is open to running for the position, which has been held by state Rep. Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, since January 2009. “Interestingly enough the big challenge to the conversation of the day is, ‘Why aren’t you stepping into the arena?’” Bell said. “That’s a conversation for another day. I think anyone who is in the legislature should never act to limit any conversations or authority they might have as a member of the body.” The members of the Texas House will vote to name a speaker on the first day of the next regular legislative session—Jan. 10, 2017. In 2012, Bell was elected to serve as the first representative of the newly formed District 3. For more information on the PACT, visit www.cecilbelljr.com.