Cecil Bell Jr.

Cecil Bell Jr.
Member of the Texas House of Representatives
from the 3rd district
Assumed office
January 8, 2013
Preceded by Erwin Cain (redistricted)
Personal details
Born (1962-05-17) May 17, 1962
Rosenberg, Texas, USA
Nationality American
Political party Republican
Spouse(s) Jo Ann
Residence

Magnolia, Montgomery County

Texas
Occupation General contractor
Military service
Allegiance  United States
Service/branch  United States Army
Rank Major
Unit Texas State Guard

Cecil Bell, Jr. (born May 17, 1962) is a Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives for District 3, which encompasses Waller County and part of Montgomery County in Southeast Texas.

Politics

[1]

Representative Bell serves on the Appropriations and Land & Resource Management Committees and the Subcommittee on Articles VI, VII & VIII.[2]

In January 2015, Bell introduced legislation, HB 623,[3] that prevents salary, pension, and other benefits from being paid to any Texas state employee who issues a same-sex marriage license. The bill included a provision to forestall legal action challenging the proposed law by mandating that state courts dismiss any such challenges and award court costs and attorney fees to the state.[4][5] Rep. Bell is a strong advocate for traditional values, an advocate for state and citizen sovereignty and for a limited federal government.

Bell supports expanding career and technology training at public high schools so that interested, motivated students can enter the job market with a career certification, without following the college or university route.

In 2015, Representative Bell sought unsuccessfully to prohibit the State of Texas from complying with Obergefell v. Hodges, the United States Supreme Court legal opinion sanctioning same-sex marriage. In 2017, Bell introduced a more comprehensive bill to allow his state to declare federal laws and court edicts unconstitutional and therefore unenforceable within the boundaries of Texas. Bell proposes that federal treaties and presidential executive orders be subject to state scrutiny to block actions which the state considers unconstitutional. The legislation would establish a 12-member Joint Legislative Committee on Constitutional Enforcement, with six members each from the House and the Texas State Senate, to consider federal actions in light of constitutional interpretation in 1787. "I think it is important for patriotic Americans to recognize the strength and necessity of our Constitution. It is also important that we defend that Constitution,” Bell told the Texas House Select Committee on State and Federal Power and Responsibility.[6]

Bell is a member of the Texas State Guard.[7]

Electoral history

2012

[8]

Election Runners Votes %
Republican Primary
May 29 [9]		 Troy Bonin 2,133 16.74
Bob Bagley 3,359 26.36
Cecil Bell Jr. 7,249 56.90
Democratic Primary
May 29[10]		 none
General Election
November 6		 Cecil Bell Jr. 46,383 100

2014

[11]

Election Runners Votes %
Republican Primary
March 4[12]		 Cecil Bell Jr. 11,761 100
Democratic Primary
March 4[13]		 none
General Election
November 4[14]		 Larry Parr[15] 2,818 8.92
Cecil Bell Jr. 28,760 91.08

2016

Election Runners Votes %

2018

Election Runners Votes %

References

  1. ↑ "State Rep. Cecil Bell Jr. (R-Magnolia)". Texas Tribune. Retrieved May 27, 2013.
  2. ↑ Representatives, Texas House of. "Texas House of Representatives".
  3. ↑ "Bill Aims to Bar Issuance of Same-Sex Marriage Licenses". Texas Observer. 8 January 2015.
  4. ↑ Baume, Matt (January 12, 2015). "More Sneaky Anti-Gay Laws Popping Up". Huffington Post. Retrieved January 12, 2015.
  5. ↑ McGaughy, Lauren (January 8, 2015). "Same-sex marriage hearing all about timing for gay Texans". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved January 12, 2015.
  6. ↑ Chuck Lindell (April 13, 2017). "Could Texas nullify U.S. laws, rulings deemed unconstitutional?". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved April 17, 2017.
  7. ↑ Fikac, Peggy (10 September 2017). "State lawmakers on the front lines of Harvey response". San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  8. ↑ "Texas House of Representatives elections, 2012". ballotpedia.org. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  9. ↑ "2012 Republican Party Primary Election". elections.sos.state.tx.us. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  10. ↑ "2012 Democratic Party Primary Election". elections.sos.state.tx.us. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  11. ↑ "Texas House of Representatives elections, 2014". ballotpedia.org. Retrieved June 5, 2018.
  12. ↑ "2014 Republican Party Primary Election". elections.sos.state.tx.us. Retrieved June 5, 2018.
  13. ↑ "2014 Democratic Party Primary Election". elections.sos.state.tx.us. Retrieved June 5, 2018.
  14. ↑ "2014 General Election". elections.sos.state.tx.us. Retrieved June 5, 2018.
  15. ↑ "Larry Parr". ballotpedia.org. Retrieved June 5, 2018.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.