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'{{short description|Texas legislator}} {{use mdy dates|date=January 2021}} {{Infobox officeholder | image = Bryan Slaton by Gage Skidmore.jpg | caption = Slaton at the 2022 Hazlitt Summit hosted by [[Young Americans for Liberty]] Foundation | name = Bryan Slaton | state_house = Texas | district = 2nd | term_start = January 12, 2021 | term_end = | predecessor = [[Dan Flynn (politician)|Dan Flynn]] | successor = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1978|2|2}} | birth_place = [[Mineola, Texas]], U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | party = [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] | alma_mater = [[Ouachita Baptist University]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])<br/>[[University of North Texas]] (BA)<br/> [[Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary]] ([[Master of Divinity|M.Div.]]) | occupation = Pastor; Financial Services | spouse = Sharmen | children = 1 | residence = [[Royse City, Texas|Royse City]], [[Texas]], U.S. | website = https://bryanslaton.com/ }} '''Bryan Lee Slaton''' (born February 2, 1978)<ref name=votesmart>{{cite web|url=https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/biography/166532/bryan-slaton|title=Bryan Slaton's Biography|publisher=votesmart.org|access-date=26 January 2021}}</ref> is a former [[pastor]] and American politician. He and his wife have one child. Slaton has represented the 2nd District in the [[Texas House of Representatives]] since 2021. A member of the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]], Slaton also works for his family business, Slaton Financial Services. In 2023, allegations of inappropriate behavior, including furnishing alcohol to a minor and having an inappropriate relationship with an intern, were made just prior to legislative votes.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Despart |first=Zach |last2=Barragán |first2=James |last3=Svitek |first3=Patrick |date=2023-04-10 |title=Complaint alleges Rep. Bryan Slaton had “inappropriate relationship” with an intern |url=https://www.texastribune.org/2023/04/10/bryan-slaton-texas-legislature-ethics-criminal-attorney/ |access-date=2023-05-06 |website=The Texas Tribune |language=en}}</ref> ==Early life, education, and career== Born in [[Mineola, Texas]].<ref name="AB4TX11172020">[https://bryanslaton.com/about-bryan/ About Bryan], Bryan Slaton for Texas campaign. Retrieved November 17, 2020.</ref> He attended [[Ouachita Baptist University]], where he received a [[Bachelor of Arts|BA]] in youth ministry and speech communication. He then attended [[University of North Texas]] and earned a degree in accounting.<ref name="AB4TX11172020"/> Slaton later earned a [[Master of Divinity]] from [[Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary]].<ref name="AB4TX11172020"/> He served in the ministry as a youth and family minister for 13 years, for three of those years at River Hills Baptist Church in [[Corpus Christi, Texas]].<ref name="AB4TX11172020"/> Bryan works for his brother's small business, Slaton Financial Services.<ref name="AB4TX11172020"/> ==Career== In 2016, Slaton filed to run against incumbent state representative [[Dan Flynn (politician)|Dan Flynn]]. On March 1, 2016, Slaton narrowly lost to the incumbent in the Republican primary. Flynn polled 14,917 votes (51 percent) to Slaton's 14,336 (49 percent).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://enrpages.sos.state.tx.us/public/mar01_273_state.htm?x=0&y=6692&id=875|title=Republican primary returns|publisher=Texas Secretary of State|date=March 1, 2016|access-date=March 3, 2016|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306124616/https://enrpages.sos.state.tx.us/public/mar01_273_state.htm?x=0&y=6692&id=875 |archive-date=March 6, 2016}}</ref> In 2018, Slaton decided to take on the incumbent again. In the 2018 primary election, Flynn defeated Slaton again, 11,803 (51.7 percent) to 11,013 (48.3 percent). However, on July 14, 2020, Slaton defeated Flynn by a 22-point margin in the Republican primary runoff, forcing the incumbent into a runoff election.<ref>Pollock, Cassandra & Reese Oxner. [https://www.texastribune.org/2020/07/14/texas-house-incumbents-runoff/ Three Texas House incumbents — Bryan Slaton, Anna Eastman and J.D. Sheffield — lose in primary runoffs], ''[[Texas Tribune]]'', July 14, 2020. Retrieved July 15, 2020.</ref><ref>Rowen, Ben. [https://www.texasmonthly.com/politics/texas-primary-runoff-results-2020/ Roundup: Texas Primary Runoffs 2020], ''[[Texas Monthly]]'', July 15, 2020.</ref> Slaton ran to Flynn's right.<ref>Haslet, Mark. [https://www.texasstandard.org/stories/dan-flynn-bryan-slaton-compete-in-july-14-gop-primary-runoff/ Dan Flynn, Bryan Slaton Compete In July 14 GOP Primary Runoff], ''[[Texas Standard]]'', July 9, 2020.</ref> Slaton criticized Flynn for unnecessary and superfluous spending.<ref name="TSWaltens05022020">Waltens, Brandon. [https://texasscorecard.com/state/runoff-review-incumbent-dan-flynn-faces-bryan-slaton-head-to-head/ Runoff Review: Incumbent Dan Flynn Faces Bryan Slaton Head-To-Head], ''Texas Scorecard'', May 2, 2020.</ref> He sent out mail which pointed out Flynn's campaign-funded lifestyle expenses such as nearly $14,000 in spending on cookies and using his campaign fund to pay for a Netflix subscription.<ref name="TSWaltens05022020"/> Slaton campaigned on abolishing property taxes, ending overly broad laws that give government excess power during emergencies, and pledging to oppose any tax increase.<ref name="TSWaltens05022020"/> In March 2021, Slaton introduced a bill that would abolish [[abortion]] and make it a criminal act, whereby women and physicians who received and performed abortions, respectively, could receive the [[capital punishment|death penalty]]. The bill made no exceptions for [[rape]] or [[incest]]; it did provide exemptions for [[ectopic pregnancy|ectopic pregnancies]] that threaten the life of the woman "when a reasonable alternative to save the lives of both the mother and the unborn child is unavailable."<ref name="Abortions">{{cite web |last1=Najmabadi |first1=Shannon |title=Another Texas GOP Lawmaker Is Attempting to Make Abortion Punishable by the Death Penalty |url=https://www.wltx.com/article/news/national/texas-gop-lawmaker-is-attempting-to-make-abortion-punishable-by-the-death-penalty/501-224aad46-8bc1-4ccf-8842-f9787e4fe00c |website=News 19/WLTX |access-date=14 March 2021 |date=11 March 2021}}</ref> In June 2022, Slaton said in a social media post that he planned to introduce legislation in the 2023 legislative session that would ban minors from [[drag show]]s in Texas.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Will DuPree |first=Nexstar Media Wire |date=2022-06-06 |title=Texas lawmaker proposes banning drag shows in presence of minors |url=https://thehill.com/news/3513618-texas-lawmaker-proposes-banning-drag-shows-in-presence-of-minors/ |access-date=2022-06-06 |website=The Hill |language=en-US}}</ref> Slaton supports a ban on Democrats being given committee chairmanships as long as the Republicans hold the majority of seats in the Texas House.<ref>Johnson, Brad. [https://thetexan.news/the-back-mic-legislators-opposed-to-democratic-chairs-listed-rep-moody-quells-da-appointment-rumors-house-rules-discussed/ The Back Mic: Legislators Opposed to Democratic Chairs Listed, Rep. Moody Quells DA Appointment Rumors, House Rules Discussed], ''The Texan'', December 9, 2022.</ref> On December 6, 2022, Slaton proposed a rule change to the Texas House Administration Committee that would end Democrats receiving committee chairmanships. These chairmanships enable them to kill conservative priority legislation.<ref>Henry, Sydnie. [https://texasscorecard.com/state/state-rep-slaton-proposes-house-rule-to-eliminate-democrat-committee-chairs/ State Rep. Slaton Proposes House Rule to Eliminate Democrat Committee Chairs], ''Texas Scorecard'', December 6, 2022.</ref> On February 27, 2023, Slaton introduced HB 2889, which would allow a tax credit for married residents of Texas that would increase as the number of children increases, either by procreation or adoption.<ref>[https://legiscan.com/TX/text/HB2889/2023 HB 2889]</ref> On March 6, 2023, Slaton introduced HB 3596, the "Texas Independence Referendum Act" (TEXIT),<ref> [https://legiscan.com/TX/bill/HB3596/2023 Texas House Bill 3596]. TX State Legislature page for HB3596. Retrieved March 6, 2023.</ref> which would allow for a referendum to investigate the [[Texas secession movements|secession of Texas from the U.S.]] The U.S. Supreme Court case ''[[Texas v. White]]'' ruled in 1869 that the Constitution did not permit states to unilaterally secede from the United States.<ref>{{cite news|last=Ramirez|first=Nikki McCann|date=March 6, 2023|title= Texas Republican Introduces Bill Calling for Vote on Secession|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/texas-republican-bill-secession-referendum-1234691622/|work=Rolling Stone|access-date=March 6, 2023}}</ref> == Inappropriate relationship controversy == On April 10, 2023, a complaint surfaced that alleged that on March 31, Slaton had invited an intern, Cadence Vaughan<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=CAPITOL INSIDE |url=https://capitolinside.com/slaton411.html |access-date=2023-05-05 |website=capitolinside.com}}</ref>, with whom he had been previously drinking alcohol, to his apartment in Austin late at night. Cadence<ref name=":0" /> was under the age of 21. It is also alleged that Slaton had an inappropriate relationship with her the same night. After the initial incident, it was alleged that Slaton had shown Cadence<ref name=":0" /> fake emails on the incident, as something as a loyalty test, and he is believed to have told them not to speak with anyone on the matter.<ref>{{Cite web |title=State Rep. Bryan Slaton hires lawyer amid possible investigation in Texas House |url=https://www.statesman.com/story/news/politics/state/2023/04/10/texas-legislature-bryan-slaton-hires-lawyer-amid-possible-house-probe/70100271007/ |access-date=2023-04-11 |website=Austin American-Statesman |language=en-US}}</ref> The next day, two fellow Republican members of the House called on him to resign and one Democratic member also.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Barragan |first1=James |title=Two GOP Texas House members call for Rep. Bryan Slaton to resign |url=https://www.texastribune.org/2023/04/11/bryan-slaton-resign-texas-legislature/ |access-date=12 April 2023 |date=11 April 2023}}</ref> The House Committee on General Investigating looked into the matter, and on May 6, 2023 unanimously recommended Slaton's expulsion from the House.<ref>https://www.texastribune.org/2023/05/06/texas-legislature-bryan-slaton-investigation/</ref> ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== * [https://bryanslaton.com/ Campaign website] * [https://house.texas.gov/members/member-page/?district=2 State legislative page] {{s-start}} {{s-par|us-tx-hs}} {{s-bef|before=[[Dan Flynn (politician)|Dan Flynn]]}} {{s-ttl|title=Member of the<br>[[Texas House of Representatives]]<br>from the 2nd district|years=2021–present}} {{s-inc}} {{s-end}} {{Texas House of Representatives}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Slaton, Bryan}} [[Category:1978 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Republican Party members of the Texas House of Representatives]] [[Category:21st-century American politicians]] [[Category:People from Royse City, Texas]] [[Category:American Christians]]'