Texas Values

Texas Values
Name	Texas Values
Founded	2000s
Type	Advocacy organization
Headquarters	Austin, Texas
Area served	Texas
Key people	Ed Goeas; Jonathan Saenz; Jeffrey Younger
Focus	Social conservatism; family policy; religious liberty

Texas Values is a social conservative advocacy organization based in Austin, Texas that engages in political lobbying, grassroots organizing, and legal advocacy on issues related to family policy, religious liberty, and social legislation. It participates in state legislative debates, electoral campaigns, and public communications where it intersects with actors across the Texas political sphere such as the Texas Legislature, Republican Party, Texas Attorney General offices, and civil society groups including Family Research Council, First Liberty Institute, and Alliance Defending Freedom.

History

Founded in the early 2000s, the organization emerged during a period of intensified activity by conservative advocacy groups alongside entities like Texas Right to Life, NRA, Americans for Prosperity, and faith-based coalitions connected to Southern Baptist Convention, Catholic Church, and evangelical networks. Its strategic development paralleled national movements associated with figures such as James Dobson, Tony Perkins, and campaigns aligned with Focus on the Family. During the 2010s Texas political realignment, Texas Values expanded operations and visibility, coordinating with state actors including members of the Texas Senate and the Texas House of Representatives, while reacting to rulings from courts such as the United States Supreme Court and the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Political and Social Influence

Texas Values has worked to influence policy outcomes by engaging with elected officials like governors and legislators, participating in lobbying practices similar to those of Americans United for Life, and supporting candidates in Republican primaries alongside groups like Tea Party movement activists and Club for Growth. Its advocacy has intersected with high-profile political events such as gubernatorial campaigns involving Greg Abbott and legislative sessions addressing issues raised in debates over Obergefell v. Hodges, Roe v. Wade, and state-level litigation led by offices including the Office of the Attorney General of Texas. The organization coordinates public testimony, legal filings, and electoral mobilization comparable to efforts by Alliance Defending Freedom and Family Research Council Action.

Cultural and Religious Foundations

Drawing on religious constituencies connected to denominations such as the Southern Baptist Convention, Roman Catholic Church, Church of Christ, and networks of evangelical megachurches, Texas Values situates its message within faith-based frameworks familiar to groups like Liberty Counsel and National Association of Evangelicals. Its rhetoric often invokes religious liberty claims in contexts also addressed by organizations including Becket Fund for Religious Liberty and First Liberty Institute, engaging cultural debates resonant with activists tied to events like the Pro-Life March and conferences organized by Focus on the Family affiliates.

Economic and Policy Impacts

On policy, Texas Values has advocated positions affecting legislation on issues such as reproductive health, conscience protections, and municipal ordinances, aligning with policy templates promoted by Americans United for Life, Heritage Foundation, and state-level think tanks like the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Its interventions have implications for regulatory frameworks overseen by agencies such as the Texas Department of State Health Services and intersect with litigation patterns similar to cases before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and state courts in Travis County, Texas and elsewhere.

Education and Family Policy

The group’s activity includes campaigns related to public school policies, parental rights initiatives, curricula debates, and foster care reforms, paralleling advocacy by organizations such as Parents Television Council, Home School Legal Defense Association, and family-policy programs at institutions like Liberty University. Texas Values has weighed in on controversies involving school districts in cities like Houston, Texas, Dallas, Texas, and Austin, Texas, and has sought alliances with legislators sponsoring bills on textbook standards, sex education, and school board governance similar to national efforts by groups associated with American Legislative Exchange Council.

Criticism and Controversies

Critics have accused the organization of promoting exclusionary policies and contributing to social polarization, echoing critiques voiced against groups such as Alliance Defending Freedom and Family Research Council by civil liberties advocates including American Civil Liberties Union and Human Rights Campaign. Controversies have involved disputes over statements by leaders, legal challenges over religious exemptions, and public campaigns that drew responses from municipal officials, civil rights organizations like ACLU of Texas, and media outlets covering conflicts in places such as San Antonio, Texas and El Paso, Texas.

Public Perception and Media Representation

Media coverage of Texas Values has ranged from supportive commentary in conservative outlets associated with voices like The Washington Times and National Review to critical reporting by publications such as The Texas Tribune, The New York Times, and Houston Chronicle. Public perception varies across constituencies—endorsed by segments of evangelical voters and conservative activists represented at events like Values Voter Summit—while drawing opposition from LGBTQ advocacy organizations such as Human Rights Campaign and reproductive-rights groups including Planned ParenthoodCategory:Organizations based in Austin, Texas