The Republican Party of Texas will not be able to hold an in-person convention that was scheduled to start this week and attract some 6,000 participants in Houston after the Texas Supreme Court denied appeals for the event to go ahead, The Texas Tribune reported on Monday.
Last week, citing concerns over the coronavirus, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner told the city's legal department to work with Houston First Corporation, the operator of the convention center where the event was to be held, to review its contract with the Republican Party.
Houston has emerged as a national hotspot for the virus, with hospitals filling up with coronavirus patients, according to The Dallas Morning News.
Houston First later sent a letter informing the GOP that the convention was canceled, citing a “force majeure” clause in the contract as cause.
But over the weekend the State Republican Executive Committee reaffirmed its commitment to go ahead with the convention, the Tribune reported.
The Republican Party of Texas, arguing that the convention was protected under both the Texas and U.S. Constitutions, said it would sue Turner, the city of Houston and Houston First.
But a Harris County judge denied a request by the GOP to allow it to proceed with the convention, resulting in the party saying it would file an appeal to the Texas Supreme Court.
In its ruling, the Texas Supreme Court said it is "unquestionably true” that the party has constitutional rights to hold a convention and engage in electoral activities, “but those rights do not allow it to simply commandeer use of the Center.”
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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