Lawyers for Attorney General Ken Paxton filed six motions Monday to quash the three indictments against him, citing problems with the grand jury process. In a 19-page filing Thursday, special prosecutors delivered a scathing response to Paxton's motion, calling the attorney general's legal arguments a "pre-trial shell game" based on a "quicksand-like foundation."
House Speaker Joe Straus issued more than 150 interim charges Wednesday, directing committees to study issues such as the effectiveness of border security operations and the impact of the plummeting cost of oil on the local economy. These homework assignments will help direct the work of the House's work over the remainder of the legislative interim.
If Texas sheriffs do not cooperate with federal immigration authorities, they will face losing state grant money, Gov. Greg Abbott said Wednesday. The governor's criminal justice grants provide counties with funding for a range of resources, including drug courts, juvenile justice programs and body cameras. So far this calendar year, Abbott's office has awarded $4 million in criminal justice grants.
U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady, R-The Woodlands, on Wednesday gained the upper hand in becoming the House's next lead tax-writer when he won the endorsement of a key House steering committee. His bid for the job was helped by incoming Speaker of the House Paul Ryan who until now was the Ways and Means chairman. Brady becomes the seventh Texan to currently chair a standing — or permanent — House committee.
Paxton issued a formal opinion Wednesday saying there's nothing wrong with the Childress Police Department sporting "In God We Trust" stickers on its patrol cars. In his opinion, Paxton said the stickers are “a passive use of a motto steeped in our nation’s history” and that the police department would likely win if someone challenged the stickers in court.
Democratic state Rep. Sylvester Turner led the field for Houston mayor, but Houston Democrats took two big hits during Tuesday's election in the nation's fourth largest city. A controversial nondiscrimination ordinance lost decisively after opponents were able to frame the measure as one on access to bathrooms. And Adrian Garcia, who stepped down as sheriff to run for mayor, finished a distant third behind Bill King who consolidated GOP support behind him.
After a Houston psychologist was discovered vouching for the mental health of would-be police officers without even meeting them, the state is revamping its approach to screening the psychological and emotional health of law enforcement applicants.
Chancellor Bill McRaven said Thursday he will require that a woman or minority candidate be interviewed for every high-level position at the UT System's 14 universities and medical schools. The requirement will be similar to the National Football League's Rooney Rule, which mandates that a minority head coaching candidate be interviewed before a final hire is made. McRaven designed the rule to ensure that women and minorities will be strongly considered and he will also require each school to submit a report to him detailing how it plans to close the gender gap.
The University of Texas System plans to build a new campus on 300 acres in the southwestern part of Houston, an initiative its leaders say will drastically expand the system's presence in the state's biggest city. The property, which is mostly vacant, is in an area called Buffalo Point about 3.5 miles south of the Texas Medical Center. A rendering displayed during the board meeting showed the potential for as many as a dozen buildings on the site, as well as sports fields and green space. The announcement was a surprise to some in the area, particularly supporters of the University of Houston.
House Speaker Joe Straus announced Thursday that a new House Committee on Federal Environmental Regulation will examine a litany of new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency efforts that have roiled Texas leaders and industry. An ambitious effort to combat climate change launched by President Barack Obama could significantly affect Texas, an industrial juggernaut that generates more electricity and emits far more carbon than any other state.
A state appeals court ruled Thursday that conservative activist Michael Quinn Sullivan lives in Austin despite his claims otherwise, so his dispute with the state Ethics Commission will play out in Travis County. Sullivan and the Texas Ethics Commission have been sparring for years over whether Sullivan's past political activity makes him a lobbyist under state law. The appeals court made clear it did not buy Sullivan's arguments establishing his residency in Denton County.
Voters overwhelmingly favored seven changes to the Texas constitution, including measures that will cut property taxes, boost funding for road projects beginning in 2017 and let state officeholders live outside of Austin. All seven propositions drew at least 66 percent support. Voter turnout was approximately 11 percent. After legislative sessions, lawmakers typically require multiple amendments to the state's rigid constitution to allow for some laws to be enforced. Since it was adopted in 1876, Texans have amended their constitution more than 400 times.
Former University of Texas at Austin Athletics Director Steve Patterson will receive up to $3 million from his old school after his "resignation," according to an exit agreement released by the school Wednesday. Patterson and the university reached that agreement after he left his job under pressure in September. He had four years left on his contract at the time at a salary of almost $1.5 million per year.
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