State 945
Texas Files SCOTUS Brief in Pornographic Website Age Verification Lawsuit
Texas filed a brief with the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) on November 26 requesting that it uphold a state law requiring pornography websites to use age verification measures to prevent the exposure of sexual material to minors. SCOTUS will hear arguments from Texas on January 15 of next year. × This page
Texas Appeals Court Denies Rehearing Motion in 2021 Blackouts Case Against Generators
Financial and regulatory fallout from the 2021 blackouts across the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) power region sparked a slew of lawsuits, another of which has now been resolved after a denial of motion to reconsider the case. The First Court of Appeals in Texas denied a motion for rehearing en banc — meaning
Texas Lawmakers Propose New Election Integrity Laws After Mishaps in Harris, Bexar Counties
As state lawmakers gear up for the 2024 legislation session, Republicans are eyeing election law reforms that would enhance consequences for violations, crack down on controversial innovations, and offer more remedies for problematic elections. Calling a slew of election-related proposals the “Integrity 7,” Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R-Houston) told The Texan the changes are necessary. ×
Texas Accuses BlackRock, Other Financial Firms of Conspiring to Close Coal Power Plants
Texas and 10 other states have sued three of the world’s largest financial companies, alleging the trio violated antitrust laws to push coal power plants out of commission. Attorney General Ken Paxton announced he and 10 other attorneys general sued BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street in federal district court in Tyler, Texas. × This page
Freeman Martin Sworn In as New Texas Department of Public Safety Director
Lt. Colonel Freeman Martin will be the new director of the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), becoming the first Texas Ranger to lead the agency in its history. “With a wealth of experience in law enforcement and a strong commitment to uphold the rule of law, Freeman Martin is the right choice to lead
Consolidated Data, Law Enforcement Coordination Needed to Combat Organized Retail Theft in Texas
Organized Retail Theft (ORT) is neither tracked sufficiently nor effectively prosecuted in Texas, reads a new report from the Comptroller of Public Accounts. At the Texas Legislature’s direction, Comptroller Glenn Hegar convened the Texas Organized Retail Theft Task Force to evaluate the problem of retail theft in the state — a committee that included retail
Abbott Warns of Funding Loss After Texas Doctor Advises Non-Compliance With Citizenship Questions
A Texas doctor has gone viral on social media after advising patients that they may ignore Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order (EO) requiring healthcare providers to ask patients for their citizenship status, which Abbott warned could threaten his employer’s Medicaid funding. In a TikTok video that has now amassed over 1.2 million views, Dr. Tony
Public Utility Commission to Require Registration of Virtual Currency Miners in ERCOT
The State of Texas and its main power grid are coping with a drastic increase in electricity demand brought in by computer-heavy operations such as virtual currency miners. Texas’ utility regulator will now require these facilities to register with the state. An April report from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) raised the bar
Texas Supreme Court Sends Lawsuit Against Pro-Life Organization Back to Court of Appeals
The Supreme Court of Texas (SCOTX) ruled against a lower court’s dismissal of Texas Right to Life’s appeal against Planned Parenthood. The Court of Appeals must first establish whether the multiple abortion organizations suing Texas Right to Life, for allegedly orchestrating lawsuits against violators of the state’s abortion laws, have a legal standing before the
Texas State Board of Education Votes to Adopt New State-Owned Instructional Material
The Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) has given final approval to adopt a new state-created curriculum that faced criticism for its inclusion of religious references in lessons for elementary schoolers. In a vote of 8 to 7, three Republican members of the board joined the four Democrats in voting against the adoption. × This
Texas Supreme Court Halts Trial Court’s Depositions of Ken Paxton, Aides in Whistleblower Suit
The depositions of Attorney General Ken Paxton and three of his top aides have been halted by the Texas Supreme Court, which sided with the agency’s argument that its January concession of the case concluded the dispute. In 2020, four employees of the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) alleged they were fired for bringing
University of Texas System Expands Low-Income ‘Tuition-Free Education’ Program
The University of Texas (UT) System Board of Regents has given preliminary approval to take the “next significant step” in expanding the school’s “Promise Plus” program, which provides “tuition-free education” to low-income students. The approval would create an “immediate infusion of $35 million” as part of the Promise Plus endowment. In addition to the increased
