The latest Ken Paxton news from The Texas Tribune.
Harris County's plan to send applications for mail-in ballots to all its voters was cleared by an intermediate appeals court, but it remains on hold until the Texas Supreme Court can rule. Full Story
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Disability rights activists say they’re worried the confusion may deter at-risk Texans from voting or cause them to needlessly put their health at risk to show up in person at the polls despite being eligible for mail-in voting. Full Story
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Cecile Richards, a Texas native, made the comment in an interview during The Texas Tribune Festival that aired Wednesday. Limits on abortion access earlier this year spurred legal battles. Full Story
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The Supreme Court granted the Texas attorney general’s request to temporarily halt the county’s mailing of applications while the case is appealed. A separate order blocking the effort was set to end this week. Full Story
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State district judge R.K. Sandill rejected the state's request for a temporary injunction to bar Harris County from pursuing its mailing plan. Full Story
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Nick Moutos threatened Black Lives Matter protesters and has regularly referred to the organizers as “terrorists.” He called Islam a “virus” and trans people an “abomination.” Full Story
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The Texas secretary of state had threatened the legal action last week, but Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins indicated he would not drop his effort to send out absentee ballot applications to more than 2 million registered voters. Full Story
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Paxton's team had asked that the judge, Jason Luong, be recused from the case because the Texas attorney general's office is representing him — along with about 20 other Houston-area judges — in an unrelated lawsuit. Full Story
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The nonbinding opinion comes as housing experts and advocates fear that the COVID-19 recession will prompt a surge in evictions across the state. Full Story
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Paxton was indicted for felony securities fraud in July 2015 but has yet to go to trial as attorneys duke out side battles over venue and prosecutor pay. Full Story
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Dependent on tuition money, private schools are eager to get children back into their classrooms. But they know inadequate safety measures could make them vulnerable to lawsuits. Full Story
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On this week's TribCast, Alexa talks to Ross, Aliyya and Emma about the state's bad relationship with data and the latest pingponging guidance on how and when schools can reopen during the coronavirus pandemic. Full Story
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After Paxton's guidance, the Texas Education Agency reversed course and announced that the state won't fund schools that remain closed under a local public health mandate. Full Story
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Paxton, a Republican, was indicted in 2015 on felony securities fraud charges, but the case has yet to go to trial as side battles persist over the venue where he will be tried and the amount the special prosecutors will be paid. Full Story
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Siding with the state, U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo found that Democrats lacked standing to overturn Texas Republicans’ decision to kill straight-ticket voting ahead of the November general election. Full Story
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As the nation reels from George Floyd's death at the hands of Minneapolis police, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton wants his office to have the authority to prosecute cases in which police kill. That currently falls to local authorities. Full Story
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Texas' top Republican officials call absentee voting a recipe for fraud and are fighting efforts to expand it during the coronavirus pandemic. But the governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general have all used the option. Full Story
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Although the court sided with state Attorney General Ken Paxton's interpretation of what constitutes a disability, it indicated that it is up to voters to assess their health and determine if they meet the state's definition, which could allow them to vote by mail. Full Story
Many Texas property owners are sweating potential increases in their taxes, which are based on property values that don't reflect a pandemic, an oil price collapse or a slumping economy. Full Story
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The appeals court ruled against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who argued that a lower court ruling expanding who can qualify for an absentee ballot during the coronavirus pandemic should have no effect while he appeals it. Full Story
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