- Grassroots America We the People, an organization that purports to advocate for conservative values, has announced its opposition to Proposition 3 on the November ballot
- Proposition 3 is a bail reform measure that was supported by public safety advocates and conservative organizations and had no opposition among Republican lawmakers
- George Soros’ Open Society Foundations have donated millions of dollars to organizations that opposed SJR 5, the legislation putting Proposition 3 on the ballot
Grassroots America We the People, an organization that holds itself out publicly as “the largest constitutional conservative citizen organization in East Texas and one of the largest in Texas”, has aligned itself with George Soros by opposing Proposition 3 – a proposed amendment to the Texas Constitution that seeks to address problems involving career violent offenders that continue their life of crime while free on bond.
Proposition 3 is one of 17 proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution that will be on the November 4, 2025, ballot. The ballot language for Proposition 3 reads, “The constitutional amendment requiring the denial of bail under certain circumstances to persons accused of certain offenses punishable as a felony.”
On its website, Grassroots America states that its Board of Directors had reviewed recommendations made by Jeramy Kitchen, who leads the organization Texas Policy Research, and endorsed his recommendations.
In the explanation regarding the opposition to Proposition 3, Grassroots America’s Executive Director JoAnn Fleming added a statement from State District Judge Austin Reeve Jackson expressing his opposition to the proposal. Jackson, a Republican, presides over the 114th District Court in Smith County.
This measure will appear on the upcoming ballot as a result of the passage of SJR 5 during the legislative session earlier this year. Proponents of SJR 5 included conservative organizations such as the Texas Public Policy Foundation and public safety advocates, including Crime Stoppers, the Texas Municipal Police Association, and the Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas. Organizations opposing SJR 5 included left-wing advocacy groups, such as the Texas Civil Rights Project, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the Vera Institute of Justice.
SJR 5 passed the Texas House by a vote of 133-8 and the Texas Senate by a vote of 28-2, with only some of the most liberal members of each chamber voting in opposition.
Even though Grassroots America purports to oppose Republican “betrayers” who they allege side with liberals, it opposes Proposition 3 even though the only votes against its related legislation in the legislature came from liberal Democrats. On its website, Grassroots America states that its Board of Directors had reviewed recommendations made by Jeramy Kitchen, who leads the organization Texas Policy Research, and endorsed his recommendations.
In the explanation regarding the opposition to Proposition 3, Grassroots America’s Executive Director JoAnn Fleming added a statement from State District Judge Austin Reeve Jackson expressing his opposition to the proposal. Jackson, a Republican, presides over the 114th District Court in Smith County.
Many of the most prominent organizations that opposed SJR 5 have received funding from liberal megadonor George Soros through his Open Society Foundations.
Known officially as Oficina Legal del Pueblo Unido, Inc., the Texas Civil Rights Project received a $1.2 million grant from Soros’ Foundation to Promote Open Society in 2023. According to a grant database maintained by the Open Society Foundations, the grant has a three-year term.
Vera Action, Inc., which is affiliated with the Vera Institute of Justice, received $1.5 million grants from Soros’ Open Society Action Fund in 2023 and 2024, and a $750,000 grant in 2022. The Vera Institute of Justice has also received financial support from Soros’ foundations.
The American Civil Liberties Union has also received significant funding from Soros’ foundations. It received a $15 million grant with a three-year term from Soros’ Open Society Policy Center in 2022, in addition to numerous other grants awarded to other American Civil Liberties Union entities by Soros’ foundations.
Grassroots America’s Political Action Committee has recently received contributions from several political officeholders and candidates, including sitting members of the judiciary and judicial candidates, as well as Party officials within the Republican Party of Texas.
The largest contribution received by Grassroots America’s PAC during the most recent campaign finance reporting period came from Texas House candidate Kathaleen Wall. Now calling herself Kat Wall, she donated $25,000 to Grassroots America’s PAC on August 6, 2025. According to a review of campaign finance data on file with the Texas Ethics Commission, Wall’s donation is tied for the second-largest donation that Grassroots America’s PAC has ever received since its formation in 2009.
Wall, who has largely self-funded her campaigns for public office, unsuccessfully ran for Congressional District 2 in Harris County in the 2018 Republican Primary. She failed to make the runoff despite spending $6.2 million during that campaign. In 2020, Wall relocated to Fort Bend County, where she ran for the 22nd Congressional District. Troy Nehls, who then served as Fort Bend County Sheriff, defeated Wall by a 69.9-30.1 margin in a runoff. Wall spent $9.4 million during his unsuccessful campaign against Nehls.
Now residing in Leon County, Wall is now challenging incumbent Republican State Representative Angelia Orr in the largely rural Texas House District 13. Orr, who supported SJR 5 and other public safety proposals that Soros-funded advocacy groups opposed, has earned endorsements from President Donald Trump, Governor Greg Abbott, and other conservative leaders in her re-election campaign.
Wall is not the only candidate opposing a Trump-endorsed lawmaker who recently donated to Grassroots America’s PAC.
Dan Hunt, a criminal defense attorney and former member of the State Republican Executive Committee, donated $2,095.70 to Grassroots America’s PAC during the most recent campaign finance reporting period. Hunt is challenging Republican State Representative Cody Harris in Texas House District 8. Harris is also endorsed by President Trump and has supported public safety legislation, including SJR 5.
Tom Glass, who is running against Republican State Representative Stan Gerdes in Texas House District 17, donated $530 to Grassroots America’s PAC during July and August of this year. Like Orr and Harris, Gerdes is endorsed by President Trump and voted for SJR 5 and other public safety bills.
A group of Republican activists in Harris County recently published a list of recommendations for the upcoming State Constitutional Amendment election, which included opposition to Proposition 3. However, they changed their public position on the measure amid intense negative backlash from other Republicans.
Harris County Activists James Buntrock, Bill Ely, and Mark Ramsey published Constitutional Amendment recommendations that characterized Proposition 3 as a “flawed statewide amendment” that “weakens personal liberty while expanding state power.” Their comments explaining their opposition to Proposition 3 also acknowledged that their opposition put them on the same side as Soros-funded organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union, the Texas Civil Rights Project, and the Vera Institute for Justice.
The activists changed their public recommendations to reflect support of Proposition 3 only after receiving pushback from other Republican leaders, including State Senator Paul Bettencourt.
Buntrock serves as Senate District 7 Chairman within the Harris County Republican Party and is a pastor at Glorious Way Church in Houston. Ely is the Vice-Chairman of Senate District 7 within the Harris County Republican Party and is a leader of the newly formed “Harris County MAGA PAC.” Ramsey is a former member of the State Republican Executive Committee who has previously served as Chairman of the Platform and Rules Committees at the Republican Party of Texas’ State Conventions.
Although all three activists have extensive experience serving in Republican leadership positions, it remains unclear why they initially chose to align with George Soros on a public safety measure.
