Elected Officials, Candidates, Leaders Call for Texas Supreme Court to Hear Houston Same-Sex Benefits Case

A large coalition of elected officials, candidates, conservative leaders, and pastors have filed an amicus brief in support of Jack Pidgeon and Larry Hicks requesting that the Texas Supreme Court reconsider hearing the case of Jack Pidgeon and Larry Hicks v. Mayor Sylvester Turner and City of Houston.

Two weeks ago, Pastor Jack Pidgeon and Larry Hicks, taxpayers from Houston, Texas, formally asked the Texas Supreme Court to reconsider hearing their case against former Houston Mayor Annise Parker (and the City of Houston), the lesbian mayor who violated the Texas Constitution by issuing same-sex benefits long before the U.S. Supreme Court’s Obergefell same-sex marriage ruling. The case Jack Pidgeon and Larry Hicks v. Mayor Sylvester Turner and City of Houston (formerly Pidgeon et al, v. Parker) began in 2013 and 2014 when Mayor Parker directed city staff to violate the Texas Constitution and specific state statutes on “benefits” by giving legal status and recognition to same-sex marriages in Texas and offering benefits to “spouses” of employees who “legally” obtained a same-sex marriage in another state. These illegal benefits were paid for by Houston taxpayers.

Texas Values President and Attorney, Jonathan Saenz, and Texas Values Action Board Member Jared Woodfill are the lawyers representing Houston taxpayers in the case.

Jonathan Saenz stated, “This large coalition of Texas leaders is sending a clear message to the Texas Supreme Court – a hearing of this case is critical to maintain the rule of law in our state and that justice must be given to the Houston taxpayers who were robbed by Mayor Annise Parker’s illegal political agenda. We strongly urge the Texas Supreme Court to reconsider hearing this case.”

Jared Woodfill stated, “The Texas Supreme Court has every reason to take up this case for the sake of law and order in Houston and the great state of Texas. We thank this coalition of Texas leaders for clearly articulating the need for a hearing of this case and for their support of the Houston taxpayers.”

The Texas leaders who signed on to the amicus brief in support of Jack Pidgeon and Larry Hicks include:

Texas Railroad Commissioner Ryan Sitton.

Texas State Senators:
Sens. Bob Hall; Robert Nichols; Brandon Creighton; Paul Bettencourt; Don Huffines; Donna Campbell; Charles Perry; Kel Seliger; Lois Kolkhorst; Larry Taylor; and Van Taylor.

Texas State Representatives: Reps. Dan Flynn; Cecil Bell; Stuart Spitzer; Bryan Hughes; Matt Schaefer; David Simpson; Travis Clardy; Mike Schofield; James White; Dade Phelan; Wayne Faircloth; Dennis Bonnen; Greg Bonnen; Rick Miller; John Zerwas; Ed Thompson; Andrew Murr; Molly White; Trent Ashby; DeWayne Burns; Matt Shaheen; Jeff Leach; Scott Sanford; Jonathan Stickland; Matt Krause; Tony Tinderholt; Bill Zedler; Matthew Rinaldi; Dennis Paul; Allen Fletcher; Jim Murphy; Gary Elkins; Dwayne Bohac; Gilbert Pena; Chris Paddie, Paul Workman; Scott Turner; Jodie Laubenberg; and Charles “Doc” Anderson. 

Republican Candidates for State Senate and House of Representatives: Briscoe Cain; Valoree Swanson; Kyle Biederman; and Dawn Buckingham.

Conservative Leaders throughout Texas (each person joins this brief in their individual capacity and not as a member of any particular organization): Ann Hettinger; David Barton; Charlie Hartland; Terry Lowry; Tim Lambert; Gary Polland; Rick Scarborough; Allan Parker; Jeff Yates; Steven F. Hotze, M.D.; George Lavender; Jim Graham; Marc Cowart; Sam Malone; and Mayes Middleton.

 The U.S. Pastor Council, a nonprofit, bipartisan coalition of pastors based in Texas representing over one thousand churches with a diversity of ethnic, denominational and cultural backgrounds, assisting with the development of Pastor Councils in communities to address social, cultural, policy and justice issues of concern from a Biblical perspective.

The Texas Leadership (A.K.A. Texas Pastor Council) includes some of the largest churches in Texas such as Second Baptist Church, Dr. Ed Young (Houston); Grace Community Church, Dr. Steve Riggle (Houston); First Baptist Church, Dr. Robert Jeffress (Dallas); Gateway Church, Dr. Robert Morris (Southlake); Hyde Park Baptist, Dr. Kie Bowman (Austin); Church of the Open Door, Dr. Ronnie Holmes (Waco); World Outreach Center, Pastor Charles Flowers (San Antonio); Iglesia Rios de Aceite, Dr. Hernan Castano, (Houston) and many others.

Mayor Parker is the former Houston official that shocked the nation when she issued a subpoena for pastor sermons on sexuality issues in 2014. Houston’s current mayor, Sylvester Turner, has continued to defend these unlawful actions in court.

About Texas Values
Texas Values is a nonprofit organization dedicated to standing for faith, family, and freedom in Texas. More information is available at txvalues.org.

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