Harris County Green Lights Litigation Against Trump Administration
Officials in Harris County voted yesterday to give Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee broad authority to take legal action against the Trump administration at taxpayer expense. By a vote of 3-1, the Harris County Commissioners Court approved a motion authorizing Menefee “to initiate any legal action, intervene in existing litigation, file amicus briefing, and file public […]
“Building a Stronger Texas”: Abbott Announces Emergency Items at State of the State Address
Speaking behind a podium emblazoned with the words “Building a Stronger Texas,” Governor Greg Abbott delivered his State of the State address Sunday night. During his speech, Abbott announced seven emergency items: property tax relief, water infrastructure, teacher pay raises, expanding career training, school choice, bail reform, and the creation of the Texas Cyber Command. By designating these subjects as emergency items, […]
Former Trump Attorney Who Agreed to Cooperate with Fani Wills Received $20k From Dunn-Funded PAC
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to include comment from Ellis. Jenna Ellis, a former attorney for President Donald J. Trump who later repudiated Trump and agreed to cooperate with Fulton County, Georgia District Attorney Fani Willis in her prosecutions of Trump and his co-defendants, was paid $20,000 late last year by a political action committee […]
School Choice Bill Filed in Texas Senate
The Chairman of the Texas Senate’s Education Committee filed legislation dubbed the “Texas Education Freedom Act” on Friday to create an Education Savings Account (ESA) program in Texas. The bill, Senate Bill 2 by State Senator Brandon Creighton, is scheduled for a public hearing in the Senate Education Committee on January 28. “School choice is a […]
Texas House Bans Democrat Chairs
With the support of more than two-thirds of the Republican members of the Texas House of Representatives, the House passed a new rules package that includes a requirement that only members of the majority party can serve as committee chairmen. The vote on the new rules provided an opportunity for a supermajority of Republican lawmakers […]
Aide Who Pled Guilty to Felony Commercial Bribery Rejoins Sid Miller’s Payroll
An embattled Austin political consultant with longstanding ties to Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller rejoined Miller’s payroll just days after pleading guilty to a felony charge of commercial bribery. According to Miller’s most recent campaign finance report filed with the Texas Ethics Commission, Miller’s campaign paid Todd M. Smith $1,500 on November 1, 2024, and an additional […]
Burrows Elected Speaker of Texas House of Representatives
Lubbock Republican Dustin Burrows emerged the winner of the most contentious race for Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives in decades, defeating fellow Republican David Cook on a second ballot by a vote of 85-55, with 9 members registering as “Present, Not Voting.” Democrat State Representative Ana-Maria Rodriguez Ramos was eliminated after the first […]
Jackpot Justice: Politically Connected Lawyers Hired by AG Bill Taypayers for $136 Million in Fees
Outside law firms hired by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to work on the State of Texas’ recent litigation against tech giant Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, have submitted fee bills totaling $135,996,469 for their work on the case. Chicago-based Keller Postman has billed the State $93,361,556 in fees, while Dallas-based McKool Smith has submitted […]
Capriglione Files Bill to Ban Taxpayer-Funded Immigration Lawyers for Illegal Aliens
A Republican State Representative from Tarrant County has filed legislation that would put an end to programs created by some local governments across Texas that use tax dollars to provide legal services to illegal immigrants facing deportation from the United States. House Bill 1554, by State Representative Giovanni Capriglione, would prohibit a governmental entity in […]
Protecting Texas Land, State Investment Divestments Among Recommendations From House Committee
The House Select Committee on Securing Texas From Hostile Foreign Organizations, chaired by State Representative Cole Hefner, has released a report of the committee’s work that makes several policy recommendations for the upcoming legislative session. In a tweet regarding the committee’s report, Hefner said, “The interim report for the Select Committee on Securing Texas from Hostile Foreign […]