AG Paxton Condemns DA Who Prosecuted Atmy Sgt. In Protester Shooting

[#TexasPolitics365]

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is lashing out at a "Soros-backed" prosecutor after a Travis County jury found Daniel Perry, a U.S. Army sergeant, guilty in the shooting death of Garrett Foster, an armed protester in Austin during anti-police "Black Lives Matter" demonstrations in the summer of 2020.

"This week has shown us how rogue prosecutors have weaponized the judicial system. They must be stopped!" said Paxton.

"When Garrett Foster pointed his AK-47 at Daniel Perry, Daniel had two tenths of a second to defend himself. He chose to live," Doug O’Connell, an attorney for Perry, perviously told Fox News, in a statement. 

(Full story HERE.)
--------------------------------------------------

** We are dedicated to bringing you Texas Politics, 365 days a year! Tips? texaspolitics365@gmail.com

Advertisement

For advertising opportunities, email us.

Abbott Issues Disaster Order For 7 Counties

[#TexasPolitics365]

 
Governor Greg Abbott has issued a disaster declaration for seven Texas counties impacted by this week’s ice storm that caused widespread property damage, hazardous travel disruptions, and localized power outages that left over 200,000 without power 

The disaster declaration includes Denton, Hays, Henderson, Milam, Smith, Travis, and Williamson counties. Additional counties may be added to the declaration as damage assessments are completed.

(Full story HERE.)
--------------------------------------------------

** We are dedicated to bringing you Texas Politics, 365 days a year! Tips? texaspolitics365@gmail.com

Advertisement

For advertising opportunities, email us.

AG Paxton Ordered By Dem. DA To Hand Over Jan. 6-Related Emails, Texts

[#TexasPolitics365]

The Travis County district attorney's office in Austin informed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) on Thursday that he had violated the state's open record laws by refusing to release any of his communications from around last Jan. 6, when Paxton was in Washington, D.C., and appeared at the rally that preceded the Capitol siege. 

Democrat District Attorney José Garza gave Paxton four days to "cure this violation" by turning over the documents or face a lawsuit. 

(Full story HERE.)
--------------------------------------------------

** We are dedicated to bringing you Texas Politics, 365 days a year! Tips? texaspolitics365@gmail.com

Advertisement

For advertising opportunities, email us.

AG Paxton Again In Legal War With Austin Over Local Mask Mandate

[#TexasPolitics365]

Accusing Austin and Travis County officials of violating Gov. Greg Abbott's pandemic-related orders, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton threatened Wednesday to sue unless a local mask mandate for businesses was rescinded, the Austin American-Statesman reports.

The legal drama is likely to be playing out today in Texas courts.

Abbott's most recent executive order, which ended a statewide mask mandate and prohibited limits on business operations, "has the force and effect of state law and supersedes local rules and regulations," Paxton said in a letter to Austin Mayor Steve Adler and Travis County Judge Andy Brown.

The governor's order urges all people in the state to continue to follow best practices oh, and allows businesses to individually require masks within their stores.
--------------------------------------------------

** We are dedicated to bringing you Texas Politics, 365 days a year! Tips? texaspolitics365@gmail.com

Advertisement

For advertising opportunities, email us.

Gov. Abbott Tells Austin's Mayor His New Year's Curfew Is Illegal

[#TexasPolitics365] 

Gov. Greg Abbott has a message for Austin mayor Steve Adler: your New Year's Eve curfew is not allowed.

Adler ordered all businesses in Austin to close over the New Year's holiday tomorrow night, from 10 p.m. until 6 a.m. January 3rd. The order closes bars and restaurants during one of their busiest holidays of the year.

A news release published on the city's official website explained:

"Venues serving food and drink may still operate between 10:30 p.m. and 6 a.m. using drive-thru, curbside pick-up, take-out, or delivery service. This change applies to any venue serving food or drink from an onsite kitchen, food truck, or catering service. Between 6 a.m. and 10:30 p.m., venues are permitted to continue dine-in operations."

County Health officials in Travis County also went along with the curfew order.

In the official City resolution, issued Tuesday, Adler cited the governor's previous order (GA-32) allowing reopenings if counties exceeded certain hospital admission standards.

His resolution ordering the closures, issued Tuesday, notes, "Travis County has experienced 48,951 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 542 deaths as a result ofthe disease." 

But Gov. Abbott was not having any of it. He took to Twitter almost immediately, tweeting late Tuesday night:

"This shutdown order by Austin isn't allowed. Period. My executive order stops cities like Austin from arbitrarily shutting down businesses. The city has a responsibility to enforce existing orders, not make new ones."

KVUE TV reported that the Texas Attorney General's Office also weighed in on Twitter, noting that the city's orders, "violate @GovAbbott’s Exec Order GA-32. They must rescind or modify their local orders immediately."

At risk are potentially hundreds of jobs in tens of thousands of dollars in earnings over the New Year's holiday, which brings to a close a year in which hundreds of thousands of lost their jobs in the restaurant and bar industries throughout the state.

Is unclear whether habit or the Attorney general's office would seek an injunction Wednesday to override the order, or whether businesses in Austin and Travis County would simply ignore it, risking fines.

--------------------------------------------------
** We are dedicated to bringing you Texas Politics, 365 days a year! Tips? texaspolitics365@gmail.com

Two Austin City Councilors Face GOP Challengers In Runoffs

[Texas Politics 365]

The Austin Chronicle reports on the Republican challengers seeking to unseat two Progressive Democrats on Austin's city council, most notably Mackenzie Kelly's runoff against far-left leaning Jimmy Flannigan, who has infamously proposed literally dismantling the city's police headquarters.

A GOP party official working with Kelly says the Republicans have been vigorous in their block walking efforts throughout the campaign.

--------------------------------------------------
** We are dedicated to bringing you Texas Politics, 365 days a year!