Texas Representative for House District 4, incumbent Representative Keith Bell’s true priorities have come under scrutiny, and Kaufman and Henderson County constituents deserve to know why.

In a recording recently shared with THSC, Bell told a constituent that stepping in to help a homeschool family (who are THSC members) whose son was illegally removed by CPS would have been like putting a noose around his own neck and waiting for someone to pull the lever to hang him. 

This family was facing a wrongful CPS removal of their 4-year-old son, but Keith Bell sat on the sidelines, afraid of tarnishing his reputation. Despite Bell’s professed pro-family stances, his voting record presents a contrasting narrative.

Notably, he was among the 21 Republican House members who voted to defeat Governor Abbott’s parental choice in education bill last year. Similarly, he opposed legislation in 2021 aimed at allowing homeschooled children to participate in extracurricular activities within their local school districts. Based on Bell’s voting record and refusal to defend families wrongfully targeted by CPS, families in House District 4 may have been better served by having no state representative at all.

Bell’s Silence in THSC Member Family Case:

In 2019, a family in Kaufman County reached out to THSC because Child Protective Service (CPS) had illegally taken their 4-year-old special needs son from their home with police without even an investigation and refused to tell them why. The case quickly garnered widespread media attention due to the flagrant and repeated violations of legal protocols by CPS. THSC’s legal team promptly intervened, embarking on a rigorous five-month legal battle to reunite the young boy with his family.

In a battle that went all of the way to the Texas Supreme Court, numerous other elected officials came to the family’s defense. Senator Bob Hall and State Representative Valoree Swanson from Houston repeatedly took CPS to task over its illegal handling of the case and traveled to court hearings to support the family. Notably, Bell was missing from all of these efforts, even though the family lived in his House District.

• Keith Bell did not co-sign the Amicus Curiae Brief to the Supreme Court of Texas with numerous other lawmakers from both parties who publicly defended the family.
• Keith Bell’s signature was missing from a letter signed by a bi-partisan coalition of 26 lawmakers and policy leaders delivered to the Commissioner of the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) demanding the Pardo family be removed from the Child Abuse Registry after they had been found innocent in court.
• Bell made no contributions at all towards legislative solutions to address problems brought to light by the case.

Ultimately, the Supreme Court of Texas intervened and ordered the return of the 4-year-old to his family, as CPS had failed to demonstrate any danger to the child. Throughout this ordeal, Keith Bell remained passive and silent, neglecting to advocate for the innocent family within his own district, thus perpetuating the cycle of abuse without taking any action.

The recording where Bell made his comments appears to have been from a phone conversation between Bell and a constituent sometime in 2019, while the Pardo case was active. The wide-ranging conversation focused mostly on other political issues going on at the time, such as the political controversies that ultimately led to the ouster of then-Speaker Dennis Bonnen.

But in a key section of the recording, Bell brings up the Pardo case. It appears from his comments that his refusal to help the family is because he viewed any public defense of the family as being akin to tying a noose around his own neck, and he feared it would jeopardize his political career.

In Bell’s own words, sticking up for the family would be like putting, “a noose around your neck and waiting for someone to pull the lever”. While Bell implies in the recording that he would be happy to help once all the important facts on the case were known, he pointedly never did so.

Bell’s Voting Record

On top of Bell’s lack of concern for his own constituents, Bell’s voting record is a crucial point of analysis. Despite casting himself as a conservative, pro-family candidate, Bell’s record shows something different.

• Bell voted against the UIL Equal Access Bill (HB 547), which authorized Homeschooled Students to Participate in University Interscholastic League Activities.
• Bell voted against a second UIL Equal Access Bill, HB 699, which ensures that school districts that grant homeschool students access to UIL extracurricular activities won’t be punished for doing so. Previously, UIL has attempted to punish these districts by forcing them to play in higher brackets against bigger schools. HB 699 helps ensure that more schools will grant equal access to homeschooled students.
• Bell voted for an amendment on HB 1 to block all funding for any education choice bills – ESAs and vouchers, ultimately limiting parental choice in education. (Learn more about ESAs).
• Bell voted again against the passage of parental choice in education (HB 1) – ESAs and vouchers – during the 4th Special Session.

It’s Time for Change in Representation

As the election season progresses, the stark contrast between Keith Bell’s rhetoric and actions underscores the critical need to elect candidates who not only profess to support parental rights and educational freedom but who actually do so.

In light of this, THSC proudly backs homeschool dad Joshua Feuerstein for State Representative in HD 4, confident in his unwavering commitment to advocating for homeschooling families and parents’ rights. 

Early voting is from February 20 – March 1, 2024, and election day is March 5, 2024. Find polling locations near you.

Explore THSC’s endorsement page for more information on endorsed candidates like Joshua Feuerstein and make an informed choice when casting your vote. Let’s join together in ushering in a future where genuine pro-family representation prevails and Texas families are advocated for with integrity and steadfast dedication.