Justice Kyle Hawkins

Justice, Supreme Court of Texas.

[Justice Kyle Hawkins @JusticeKHawkins]

Eight months ago, I swore an oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States and of Texas.

[Justice Kyle Hawkins @JusticeKHawkins]

Context:

[Justice Kyle Hawkins @JusticeKHawkins]

I love our Texas Constitution, and summer seems like a good time to reflect on its history, structure, and provisions. I thought I’d share some thoughts with the twitterverse. Today I am kicking off what I hope will be a—fun? informative? boring?—series. Please join me!

[Justice Kyle Hawkins @JusticeKHawkins]

And the State must “pay all expense that should be necessary for the preservation of religious worship, agreeably to the concordates the nation should ratify with the Apostolic See, and to the laws that shall be prescribed on the exercise of the patronato throughout the republic.”

[Justice Kyle Hawkins @JusticeKHawkins]

You will not be surprised to hear that Roman Catholicism is no longer the exclusive and mandatory state religion of Texas. That changed in 1836, which I will discuss next.

[Justice Kyle Hawkins @JusticeKHawkins]

Then there is this: “The Roman Catholic Apostolic Religion shall be the religion of the state. The state protects it by wise and just laws, and prohibits the exercise of any other.”

[Justice Kyle Hawkins @JusticeKHawkins]

4. One might argue that Texas’s first state Constitution was the Constitution of the Mexican State of Coahuila y Tejas, of 1827. If you count this as a Texas Constitution, then we’ve had seven. Some of its provisions are familiar. Others…not so much. 🧵

[Justice Kyle Hawkins @JusticeKHawkins]

Its familiar provisions include limited government: “The sovereignty of the state resides originally and essentially in the general mass of individuals who compose it, but they shall not, of themselves, exercise any other acts of sovereignty than those pointed out in this constitution, and in the form which it provides.”

[Justice Kyle Hawkins @JusticeKHawkins]

Preamble: “In the name of the Creator and Supreme Lawgiver of the Universe, the Congress of the State of Coahuila and Texas, desiring to comply with the will of the people, their constituents, and for the purpose of duly fulfilling the grand and magnificent object of promoting the glory and prosperity of said state, decrees for its administration and government the following Constitution.”

[Justice Kyle Hawkins @JusticeKHawkins]

@ProfKMCrocker @adam_shniderman I will be sharing all my tips and tricks (well, at least as to petitions for review) at the Appellatepalooza in September! https://t.co/r0xy3yk4X9

[Justice Kyle Hawkins @JusticeKHawkins]

More about Justice Sondock:

[Supreme Court of TX @SupremeCourt_TX]

Supreme Court of Texas Mourns the Passing and Honors the Life of Justice Ruby Kless Sondock.
https://t.co/wpSjz6iBIU

[Justice Kyle Hawkins @JusticeKHawkins]

I was saddened to learn of the passing of former Justice Ruby Sondock, the first woman to serve as a Justice of the Texas Supreme Court in regular service. My colleagues and I issued a proclamation honoring her legacy on her 100th birthday this past April. May she rest in peace.

[Justice Kyle Hawkins @JusticeKHawkins]

I was fortunate enough to work with Ben a number of times over the past decade, including when we served together as Solicitors General of our respective States. He is a great lawyer. He’ll be an excellent judge. Congratulations! @BenFlowersOH

[Senate Cloakroom @SenateCloakroom]

Confirmed, 49-46: Confirmation of Executive Calendar #775, Benjamin M. Flowers to be United States Circuit Judge for the Sixth Circuit.

[Justice Kyle Hawkins @JusticeKHawkins]

(If you’re not familiar with the “6-7” meme gripping our Nation’s youth, count yourself lucky.) https://t.co/iA24hW1NnS

[Justice Kyle Hawkins @JusticeKHawkins]

3. We call it the Constitution of 1876 because there were, well, some previous Constitutions. How many Constitutions has Texas adopted? Depends on what counts!

[Justice Kyle Hawkins @JusticeKHawkins]

I will lay out Texas’s previous Constitutions in the coming days. Depending on how you count, we’ve had either six or seven…which is deeply unfortunate for anyone with a kid.

[Justice Kyle Hawkins @JusticeKHawkins]

2. The Preamble to our Texas Constitution is simple and beautiful: “Humbly invoking the blessings of Almighty God, the people of the State of Texas, do ordain and establish this Constitution.”

[Justice Kyle Hawkins @JusticeKHawkins]

Just 20 words. The U.S. Constitution’s preamble is beautiful, too. It’s more than twice as long, at 52 words. The U.S. Constitution, by the way, never uses the word “God.” The Texas Constitution invokes God in its opening sentence.

[Justice Kyle Hawkins @JusticeKHawkins]

I love our Texas Constitution, and summer seems like a good time to reflect on its history, structure, and provisions. I thought I’d share some thoughts with the twitterverse. Today I am kicking off what I hope will be a—fun? informative? boring?—series. Please join me!

[Justice Kyle Hawkins @JusticeKHawkins]

2. The Preamble to our Texas Constitution is simple and beautiful: “Humbly invoking the blessings of Almighty God, the people of the State of Texas, do ordain and establish this Constitution.”

[Justice Kyle Hawkins @JusticeKHawkins]

(I did not try to steal it.)

[Justice Kyle Hawkins @JusticeKHawkins]

You can see the original copy at our State Archives building in Austin—1201 Brazos Street. I went to check it out in December.

[Justice Kyle Hawkins @JusticeKHawkins]

Me looking at the Constitution of 1876