BREAKING: Texas Supreme Court DENIES petition seeking to toss out almost 127,000 Harris County votes cast in drive-thru lanes.
Denial is without comment.
BREAKING: Federal judge GRANTS injunction barring enforcement of Gov. Abbott's order limiting counties to 1 mail-in ballot drop-off location.
Story to come.
BREAKING: The State Bar of Texas has sued state Attorney General Ken Paxton, arguing that he should be reprimanded for making dishonest election fraud claims in a 2020 petition that asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Joe Biden's election victories in four swing states.
BREAKING: A federal judge has blocked Texas from temporarily closing abortion clinics as part of the state’s response to the coronavirus outbreak. Story coming soon.
#txlege
BREAKING: Gov. Abbott issues proclamation CLOSING (as of Oct. 2) satellite offices where voters can drop off completed mail-in ballots.
Counties can only have 1 dropoff point, he says.
Travis has 4, including 3 downtown.
Harris has 12.
BREAKING: Texas Supreme Court REJECTS, without comment, appeals by Alex Jones and InfoWars, upholding lower-court rulings that allowed defamation lawsuits to proceed by parents of children killed at Sandy Hook AND guy misidentified as Parkland school shooter.
BREAKING: Texas Supreme Court BLOCKS Austin and Travis County orders that require dine-in beverage and food service to stop from 10:30 pm to 6 am tonight and Saturday night.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, one of the biggest Trump boosters in Texas, says he'll pay up $1 million to encourage and reward those who report voter fraud. If info leads to arrest/ conviction for voter fraud. expect at least $25,000, he says.
BREAKING: In a late-night ruling, the 5th Circuit Court UPHOLDS Gov. Abbott order that limits counties to 1 mail-in ballot drop-off location.
3-judge panel, all Trump nominees, says Abbott in fact expanded access to voting by allowing drop-offs before election day.
The Texas Supreme Court on Sunday rejected, without comment, a bid by three Republican candidates and a GOP activist to toss out almost 127,000 votes cast in drive-thru lanes in the emerging Democratic stronghold of Harris County.
The developing story at:
Abbott says move, which also requires early voting clerks to let poll watchers observe ballot delivery, is an election security measure.
Clerks said the multiple dropoff spots were to help voters, particularly amid questions about Postal Service efficiency.
There is still, however, am emergency hearing Monday morning before US District Judge Andrew Hanen on a similar challenge, this time federal, by the same 3 GOP candidates and GOP activist to toss out the votes in the emerging Democratic stronghold of Harris County.
Judge says Abbott’s order placed an unacceptable burden on the voting rights of elderly and disabled Texans, who are most likely to vote by mail and to hand deliver those ballots early to ensure that they are counted.
The developing story at:
BREAKING: US judge says he WILL NOT invalidate almost 127,000 Harris County votes cast in drive-thru lanes. Plaintiffs lack standing. Generalized injury.
In new petition, GOP candidates and state Rep. Toth ask Texas Supreme Court to REJECT Harris County votes cast in drive-thru lanes (100,000+ so far), calling it illegal curbside voting reserved for sick/disabled.
A new argument after earlier bid to end drive-thru voting failed.
BREAKING: Top aides of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton have asked federal law enforcement authorities to investigate allegations of improper influence, abuse of office, bribery and other potential crimes against the state’s top lawyer.
Judge tells lawyer Mark Bankston that he is free to turn over to the Jan. 6 committee the Jones' texts and cellphone data that had been mistakenly revealed to him by opposing counsel.
BREAKING: Rejecting Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Travis County judge ALLOWS Austin and Travis County to continue requiring face masks in local businesses.
Motion for injunction is denied.
This will be appealed.
Story coming soon.
BREAKING: Texas Supreme Court REJECTS appeal from Texas GOP trying to force Houston to honor contract for in-person convention. Also DENIES Hotze petition seeking same.
The lawsuit is similar to one the state bar's Commission on Lawyer Discipline filed almost 3 weeks ago against Paxton's top lieutenant, Brent Webster.
Background:
Judge Ho's concurrence questions Abbott's authority to suspend state laws, saying that's the Legislature's job.
"It is surely just as offensive to the Constitution to rewrite Texas election law by executive fiat as it is to do so by judicial fiat. Yet that is what occurred here."
From the lawsuit:
"(Paxton's) representations were dishonest. His allegations were not supported ... and failed to disclose to the Court that some of his representations and allegations had already been adjudicated and/or dismissed in a court of law."
And:
"In addition, (Paxton) misrepresented that the State of Texas had “uncovered substantial evidence … that raises serious doubts as to the integrity of the election process in Defendant States.”
Latest Rodney Reed news:
16 Texas senators -- 8 Republicans, 8 Democrats -- send letter urging Gov. Abbott to halt the Nov. 20 execution.
You'll notice some of the Senate's most conservative Republicans on the list below:
#txlege
The Texas Supreme Court directs Harris County to respond to a petition that seeks to invalidate more than 117,000 votes cast in drive-thru lanes -- interest that came an unwelcome surprise to those expecting a quick dismissal:
BREAKING: State District Judge Jan Soifer of Travis County GRANTS temporary restraining order sought by Harris County and Harris school district allowing for local mask mandates, blocking Gov. Abbott's executive order banning such mandates.
JUST IN: Tomorrow, local leaders will declare Austin and Travis County to be a safe and inclusive place for transgender families.
This is in response to Gov. Abbott's directive to treat gender-affirming medical care as child abuse.
I have news.
This is my last day at the American-Statesman, my home since 1989 and one of the loves of my life.
I took the buyout; it felt like the right time.
Reporting for y'all has been, and I mean this sincerely, an honor.
BREAKING: A Travis County judge issued a temporary restraining order Wednesday that blocked the state's child-welfare agency from investigating a family for child abuse because they provided gender-affirming medical care to their teen daughter.
Background:
NEW: Biden administration moves to counter Gov. Abbott's order equating gender-affirming care w/ child abuse.
HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra: "The Texas government’s attacks against transgender youth and those who love and care for them are discriminatory and unconscionable."
1/
This comes after the Texas Supreme Court rejected efforts to shut down drive-thru voting last week by the Republican Party of Texas and a separate petition by Hotze, the Harris County GOP and and Hemphill.
BREAKING: Texas Supreme Court STRIKES DOWN a statewide injunction barring child abuse investigations for families that provide gender-affirming care, but AFFIRMS the injunction as it pertains only to the one family that sued.
BREAKING: Texas Court of Criminal Appeals DENIES Ken Paxton's request to reverse its earlier ruling that said the AG does not have unilateral power to prosecute election crimes.
Background: via
@statesman
BREAKING: Jurors return a punitive damages verdict of $45.2 million against Alex Jones.
That's on top of the $4.1 million he was ordered to pay the parents of Sandy Hook victim Jesse Lewis yesterday.
US District Judge Lee Yeakel grants temporary restraining order until April 13, when he will hold a hearing via phone to whether to grant a preliminary injunction.
.
JUST IN: Democratic Sens. Eckhardt of Austin and Gutierrez of San Antonio file federal lawsuit arguing that the Texas Constitution forbids redistricting in a special session, requiring a federal judge to draw interim maps for 2022.
#txlege
BREAKING: State District Judge Amy Clark Meachum GRANTS injunction barring child abuse investigations for providing gender-affirming care to adolescents.
Says Gov. Abbott's order to do so is unconstitutional and beyond scope of his authority.
That was cathartic, Lewis said.
Also:
"For me to literally watch that video that had clips of Jesse running, after all the time he said Jesse doesn't exist, to make him sit there and watch that, it was a beautiful moment."
2 justices dissent from denial of Alex Jones' petition in lawsuit filed by the parents of Noah Pozner, who was 6 when killed at Sandy Hook Elementary.
Justices Boyd and Devine gave no reasons for dissenting.
Perhaps wisely, given the trolling and ridicule that has greeted other GOP 1-800 numbers and reporting sites, Patrick says tipsters should turn over their evidence to local law enforcement.
BREAKING: Federal judge in San Antonio BLOCKS provision in SB 1, the new GOP voting/elections bill, that made it a crime for election officials to send vote-by-mail applications that were not requested by a voter.
Background: via
@statesman
Some news:
I've landed at the Dallas Morning News as politics editor starting Jan 2.
Really looking forward to this.
But there's more.
We're hiring reporters. If you have a passion for policy and accountability ... in the best state to cover politics ... DM me
It's gonna be fun
BREAKING: Texas Supreme Court REJECTS bid from Texas GOP to halt drive-thru voting centers in Harris County, where more than 75,000 early votes have already been cast.
The Austin Animal Center is out of space, particularly for dogs, and is waiving all fees to adopt or reclaim a pet this weekend.
Go get yourself a friend.
Hotze is a GOP activist in Houston
Champion is a GOP candidate for Congress.
Hemphill is a GOP candidate for District Court.
Toth is GOP member of Texas House from The Woodlands.
Today, we said a final goodbye to my Dad.
A self-employed house painter, he raised 7 kids, and I had the privilege of working with him from age 12, learning the value of hard work and family.
After all those Phoenix summers, nothing seems too difficult.
But this is.
Love you, Dad
BREAKING: Abbott says he will issue executive order today requiring those flying into Texas from airports in NY, NJ or Conn (the epicenter of COVID-19 outbreak in US) to a mandatory 14 day quarantine, or until leave Texas, whichever is shorter.
BREAKING: With no quorum present, the House adjourns until 10 am Monday for the last day of session, sine die.
SB 7 is dead.
Bail bill is dead.
Both will come up in a special session.
When that special will be called is up to the governor.
#txlege
BREAKING:
From the Secretary of State's office:
SOS David Whitley has delivered his letter of resignation to Gov. Abbott. His nomination needed, but didn't get, Senate approval before end of session.
#txlege
AG Paxton thanks court for ending "oppressive, illegal" curfew:
"Local declarations cannot order needless shutdowns in conflict with the governor’s order, and these orders demonstrated blatant contempt for the citizens and businesses of our great state.”
Patrick said Texas counted a lot of mail-in votes fast, ignoring a state law that let counties process the ballots (verify signatures, flatten ballots for scanners, etc) early -- something other states don't allow, sometimes because GOP lawmakers opposed it.
Scarlett Lewis:
"I got to look into his yes and I got to tell him the impact of what his actions had on me and my family, and not just us but all the other Sandy Hook families, all the people who live in Sandy Hook, and then the ripple effect that had throughout the world."
On the Texas cap of $750,000 on punitive damages, Bankston says:
"In the next 24 hours everyone's going to be talking about the cap and everyone's going to think that they know what's going on with the cap, including me, and none of us do. We don't know."
US judge in San Antonio REQUIRES all voters, poll workers, and poll watchers in Texas to wear a mask at voting locations. Judge, a Trump appointee, VOIDS portion of Gov. Abbott’s mask mandate that exempted polling places.
More to come.
BREAKING: 5th Circuit Court STRIKES DOWN Texas abortion law that banned "the safest and most common method of second trimester abortions."
It's a 2-1 ruling with dissent from Judge Willett to come later.
Story coming.
BREAKING: Board of Pardons and Paroles votes unanimously to recommend that Gov. Abbott GRANT a 120-day reprieve DELAYING Rodney Reed's execution, set for Wednesday.
Abbott can accept or reject the recommendation
#txlege
#RodneyReed
This morning, Gov. Greg Abbott ordered Texas flags to be lowered to half-staff in memory of those killed in the El Paso mass shooting.
Flags should remain lowered through sunset on Thursday
#ElPasoShooting
"You already violated that oath to tell the truth twice today. It seems absurd to instruct you again that you must tell the truth while you testify, yet here I am," judge tells Jones. "This is not your show."
BREAKING: Travis County judge REJECTS AG Paxton bid to block Austin/Travis County pandemic rule ending dine-in food and beverage service at 10:30 p.m. for the next three nights.
AG will ask 3rd Court of Appeals to reverse, and if unsuccessful there, go to Texas Supreme Court.
BREAKING: Travis County judge issues injunction barring child-abuse investigations against 2 Texas families for providing gender-affirming care to their transgender adolescents.
BREAKING: Austin-based 3rd Court of Appeals DISMISSES AG Ken Paxton's appeal in the challenge to Gov. Abbott's directive to treat gender-affirming care as child abuse.
Paxton sought to toss TRO blocking CPS investigation into family.
More to come.
Patrick didn't say where the money would come from (tho given the caveat that a tipster needs an arrest AND final conviction, could take a while).
His campaign fund had a healthy $15.5 million at the end of June.
Since it's political, maybe qualifies as campaign expense.
So ... Texas is free to resume child abuse investigations into families that provide gender-affirming care except for the family that sued (injunction against investigations remains in force for them).
BREAKING: 3rd Court of Appeals UPHOLDS trial court injunction allowing 19 school districts -- including Austin, Dallas, Houston -- to impose mask mandates despite Gov. Abbott's anti-mandate executive order.
Tees this case up to join similar rulings before Texas Supreme Court.
BREAKING: Texas Supreme Court UPHOLDS Gov. Abbott's order limiting counties to 1 mail ballot drop-off site, DISSOLVES temporary restraining order that blocked Abbott's Oct. 1 order that closed extra sites.
Wild email report from Austin Police:
1. Officers were investigating possible DWI crash on MoPac.
2. Squad car hit by 2nd driver, who's arrested for DWI.
3. Ambulance comes out. It's hit by THIRD driver, who's arrested for DWI.
1:11 a.m. on MoPac… Beware.