Young Conservatives of Texas

Young Conservatives of Texas
Chairman Jeff Morris
Founded 1980
Headquarters Austin, Texas
Website
yct.org

Young Conservatives of Texas (YCT) is a nonpartisan conservative youth organization based in Texas. Founded in 1980, it has chapters at seven universities—including Baylor University, the University of Houston, St. Edward's University, the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Texas at Dallas, Tarleton State University, and Texas Tech University.[1]

A total of 177 delegates attended the first convention. YCT and its members participate in a wide spectrum of Texas politics, attempting to shape the policies of the state of Texas and the whole of the United States.[2]

History

Young Conservatives of Texas was formed by a faction that split off from Young Americans for Freedom (YAF) in 1980.

The Texas chapter of YAF, led by student activist Steve Munisteri, broke off after a dispute with the national organization. The Young Conservatives of Texas was founded on March 2, 1980, (Texas Independence Day) in Austin. There was a convention held that day wherein Congressman Bill Archer, Ernest Angelo (former Mayor of Midland and former National Committeeman), and many others spoke at a gathering to launch the group. A total of 177 persons attended part or all of the convention. At the conclusion of the convention, it was decided that Young Conservatives of Texas would be founded.[3]

Chronology

A few selected events from the YCT history:

List of State Chairmen

YCT alumni in politics

YCT alumni can be found working in a number of political capacities, and several members and alumni have successfully run for public office. A partial list can be found below.

Activities

Protests and demonstrations

Some YCT chapters have garnered media attention from their often deliberately controversial protests. These demonstrations have included such events as the American Civil Liberties Union Nativity scene, Affirmative Action Bakesales, Catch an Illegal Immigrant, playing Rush Limbaugh on a PA System "because we can," and protesting Ted Kennedy's reception of the George Bush Award for Excellence in Public Service. The Texas A&M YCT chapter has also conducted mock wedding ceremonies with things such as bicycles, books, and animals to protest against gay marriage.[6]

Endorsements and campaign

Each election cycle, members of YCT meet with candidates for office in the state of Texas to conduct interviews to determine that candidate's adherence to conservatism. Based on these interviews, YCT offers its official endorsement of the candidate in each race who it believes to be the most conservative. Members then campaign for the endorsed candidates in their respective races. The endorsements are decided by the board of state officers and chapter chairmen from each university. Individual chapters are not allowed to issue endorsements.

Rating the Texas Legislature

YCT has consistently rated the Texas legislature going back to the 1975 Legislative Session. In doing so, Young Conservatives of Texas has now compiled 38 years worth of ratings of the Texas Senate and Texas Legislature which track the ideological shift in Texas political parties over that time.[7]

Controversy

On October 1, 2013 the Young Conservatives chapter at UT Austin held a bake sale to show the effects of affirmative action on minorities. Prices were different depending on the person's race. The head of the chapter Lorenzo Garcia[8] said they wanted to show how affirmative action can be more harmful then helpful and said it can cause reverse racism. However, it received negative reactions even from the school's own news columnist. Pavel Nitchovski, a columnist at the Horn, a local newspaper that covers UT Austin said "What’s so sad about this whole bake sale (aside from its utter tastelessness and caricaturization of a very serious issue) is that the people involved actually think that they’re making a valid intellectual point with their childish actions," Nitchovski wrote. "They are convinced that rather than behaving like attention-seeking children, they are genuinely starting an intellectual discourse." [9]

The next month, the same chapter made national headlines when they proposed an on-campus game called "Catch an Illegal Immigrant," involving students in red shirts that said Illegal Immigrant whose capture would net a player 25 dollars. They cancelled plans after criticism from other students, the administration, and state attorney general Greg Abbott, a Republican.[8] This time chapter head Garcia said, "The idea for the event was intentionally over-the-top in order to get attention for the subject."[8]

References

  1. ↑ "YCT Chapters".
  2. ↑ "About YCT".
  3. ↑ "Interview with Steve Munisteri".
  4. ↑ "Second YCT Anti-Obama Carnival Draws Crowd Of Protesters To Texas A&M". CBS News. November 4, 2008.
  5. ↑
  6. ↑ "Tech YCT Protest".
  7. ↑ "YCT Legislative Affairs".
  8. 1 2 3 "Texas young conservatives group cancels 'Catch an Illegal Immigrant' game". NBC News. Nov 19, 2013.
  9. ↑ Kingkade, Tyler (October 1, 2013). "Conservative Students Think Affirmative Action Bake Sale Is A Good Idea". Huffington Post.
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