The State Freedom Caucus Network is holding its first summit this week in Dallas, bringing together a dozen state Freedom Caucuses that represent their legislatures’ hard-line conservative Republicans.
Andy Roth, a veteran GOP strategist who serves as president of the network, said the summit demonstrates how the conservative principles of the House Freedom Caucus have spread to legislatures across the U.S.
“The Freedom Caucus is no longer just a group of men and women in D.C. It is a nationwide movement, and our goal is to get into all 50 states,” he told The Washington Times.
“This is through and through the farm team [of the House Freedom Caucus]. We are equipping these state lawmakers to fight in their state capitals, but we also are giving them the relationships, the tools, the connections, all behind the Freedom Caucus brands, so that when they do run for higher office, people know who they are.”
The summit, which is hosted by the State Freedom Caucus Foundation, kicks off Friday with an anticipated 200 state lawmakers from around the U.S., members of third-party conservative organizations and several House Freedom Caucus members.
House Freedom Caucus members Reps. Chip Roy of Texas, Andy Biggs of Arizona, Ralph Norman of South Carolina, Mary Miller of Illinois and Michael Cloud of Texas are expected to attend.
At the summit, seminar topics will include strategies for impacting annual state budgets and opposing liberal legislation.
“Because they’re all in different states, they really don’t have an opportunity to meet each other and to learn from each other,” Mr. Roth said. “They can come together and learn how to fight the budget, how to fight woke ESG crap, and just learn from each other.”
He said communication between lawmakers in different states is key to heading off left-wing legislation because lobbyists draft a bill for one state and, if they’re successful, take it to other states.
“If we can equip our lawmakers to see where those bills are and alert each other, then they’ll be a lot more effective,” Mr. Roth said.
Conservative activist organizations, including America First Legal and Gun Owners of America, Center for Renewing America, and Prager University, also will be at the summit to network with lawmakers.
“We’ve won with their help, and so we want to help them get connected so we can file more lawsuits against woke agencies and governors,” Mr. Roth said.
The gathering will be capped with an awards ceremony honoring various Freedom Caucuses and their staffs for achievements such as best communicator, best floor speech, best press conference, best state director and best town hall.
One award will honor the caucus that faced the “pettiest punishment” from their Republican Party.
Some of the penalties included being kicked off of legislative committees, ejected from GOP caucuses and booted from housing provided to state lawmakers.
The State Freedom Caucus Network has quickly grown since it launched with the founding of the Georgia Freedom Caucus in December 2021.
Freedom Caucuses are now operating in the legislatures in South Carolina, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, South Dakota, Missouri, Arizona, Idaho, Oklahoma, Montana and Wyoming.
Mr. Roth said he expects a new Freedom Caucus to launch by the end of the year in the Democratic stronghold of Maryland.
• Kerry Picket can be reached at kpicket@washingtontimes.com.
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