In tea party victory, Texas GOP guts guest worker program it endorsed in '12 platform

  • By WILL WEISSERT Associated Press
  • First Posted: June 07, 2014 - 5:00 pm
    Last Updated: June 07, 2014 - 5:03 pm



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U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz address delegates at the Texas GOP Convention in Fort Worth, Texas Friday, June 6, 2014. Cruz has fired up the Texas Republican Convention, promising to lead a conservative revolution unseen since the days of Ronald Reagan. The tea party favorite is a possible 2016 presidential candidate, and seemed like one during his speech Friday before thousands of adoring delegates who gave him numerous standing ovations. (AP Photo/Rex C. Curry)


FORT WORTH, Texas — Tea party insurgents pushing for a harder line on immigration have scored a major victory at the Texas Republican Convention, gutting support of a guest worker program from the party platform.

Roughly 7,000 delegates endorsed making the change Saturday.

Delegates just two years ago endorsed a platform calling for making it easier for people in the U.S. illegally to get good-paying jobs.

Supporters argued it would meet the needs of Texas' fast-growing economy and could serve as a boon to the state's booming Hispanic population.

The convention had appeared poised to pass a plank largely preserving the guest-worker program. But after hours of debate, those who likened that endorsement to amnesty won out.

The vote was so contentious that the convention called an unusual roll-call vote.

http://www.tribtown.com/view/story/7...can-Convention