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Republicans Join With Democrats in Texas to Impeach AG Ken Paxton

May 27, 2023 by Bonchie Leave a Comment

In breaking news on this Saturday evening, Attorney General Ken Paxton was impeached by the Texas House for alleged criminal corruption.

Republicans overwhelmingly joined with the Democrats in the chamber to pass the resolution by a 121-23 margin. Paxton will now be tried in the Texas Senate (Fox News).

The Texas House of Representatives voted Saturday to impeach Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton over charges of bribery, disregard of official duties and abuse of public trust after hours of debate in an afternoon session — sending the case to the state Senate.

The House voted 121-23 to impeach him, meaning he will step down temporarily as he faces trial in the upper chamber. A simple majority was required to impeach him.

The House’s Committee on General Investigating had initiated an inquiry in March after Paxton and his office asked the legislature for $3.3 million to settle a wrongful termination lawsuit filed by whistleblowers in the office. The former employees had called in 2020 for an investigation into Paxton’s actions regarding an Austin real estate investor who had his home searched by the FBI. They accused Paxton of using his office to protect him by authorizing an investigation into the FBI.

Given the vote total, it seems exceptionally possible that Paxton could be convicted by the Senate. As to the details, both sides of the issue have settled. Without having a full reading of the evidence, I simply can’t speak to how valid the case is.

Speaking personally, though, I do think highly of the actual things Paxton has done as AG, and I think it would be a blow to lose him in that position.

This is a developing story. RedState will provide updates as they come.

Filed Under: <![CDATA[ag]]>, <![CDATA[impeachment]]>, <![CDATA[Ken Paxton]]>, <![CDATA[Texas]]>, News, Red State

Texas’ 92% false rate of child abuse accusations highlights the danger of red flag laws

May 27, 2023 by Ranjit Singh Leave a Comment

One of the greatest powers We the People have given the government is to take away children from their parents when there’s evidence of abuse. Like most powers, this can be dangerous and weaponized by people both in and out of government.

It turns out that this has been happening in Texas because of their anonymous reporting system. Emma Camp at Reason Magazine reports the following:

Texas Tries To Rein in False Accusations of Child Abuse

The state legislature passed a law to limit anonymous reports to its child abuse hotline.

A bill designed to limit false accusations of child abuse is now heading to Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk—one of several attempts to reform the state’s Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS).

The bill was introduced last November by Texas state Rep. Valoree Swanson (R–Spring). The bill—which has largely gained support along partisan lines—will ban anonymous reports to the state’s child abuse hotline—instead requiring all callers to provide their name, phone number, and address. The bill also requires reporters of abuse to include “the facts that caused the individual to believe the child has been abused or neglected and the source of the information.”

While anonymous reports of abuse and neglect to the state’s hotline are prohibited under the legislation, the identity of those reporting abuse will remain confidential, except to DFPS and law enforcement officials. These measures, according to the bill’s supporters, are specifically designed to limit false accusations of child abuse. 

This looks like a reasonably written bill. Anonymous complaints can be wielded as a weapon. I know this from personal experience; one of my friends is a divorced mom who is very attentive and caring of her children. One fine day, she was investigated by a state agency because of an anonymous complaint that she was exploitative and paying the nanny less than the state-mandated living wage. My friend was put through the investigative wringer and came out clean in the end. The State won’t tell her who filed the complaint, although it’s obvious to everyone who had the motivation to subject her to this sort of harassment.

“As Texans, we need to ensure the safety of our children in any situation. HB 63 will allow for more accountability and protections for those involved in potential CPS and DFPS investigations relating to neglect and abuse,” state Rep. Kevin Sparks (R–Midland) told The Texan.”Without this necessary reform, both agencies will struggle to verify reports and can complicate the issue with hours of wasted time on false accusations.”

Not only do false accusations result in an unpleasant investigation of a parent, but it’s also a big waste of taxpayer resources that ought to be directed to the actual organizational mission.

Opponents have argued that the bill would deter reports of actual child abuse. Kate Murphy, director of child protection policy with the nonpartisan nonprofit Texans Care for Children, told the Texas Tribune that, in 2022, about 1,000 reports of the 12,473 total anonymous calls were found to be substantiated. 

Only 1,000 anonymous reports out of 12,473 were substantiated. That’s a shockingly low rate of 8%. That means that a whole 92% of anonymous reports were not substantiated. That’s a colossal mess.

“Unfortunately, if this bill were to pass, those 1,000 children would be left to continue experiencing abuse and neglect or worse,” said Murphy.

Ms. Kate Murphy’s thinking is totally warped. Yes, we understand that she cares about child abuse, and so does everyone else. But when 92% of reports are unsubstantiated, something is seriously wrong. And the 8% of reports substantiated under the previous anonymous reporting regime will likely continue to be substantiated under the new regime that requires capturing the identity of the complainant but keeps it confidential.

HB 63 is one of several recent efforts to reform the way Texas investigates reports of child abuse and neglect. HB 730—which is also headed to Abbot’s desk and would require DFPS workers to notify parents of their rights, including the right to refuse searches, drug tests, or interviews with children—will strengthen the rights of parents subject to a DFPS investigation. If officials want to conduct a search anyway, they’d have to show probable cause to obtain a court order. 

“Unfortunately, the DFPS and Child Protective Services can often be used as a weapon. A lot of times we see this in divorce cases,” Sparks told the Tribune. “We probably all know of a circumstance where a family was needlessly traumatized because of an anonymous tip that was ultimately found to be false.”

The same abuse that Texas is addressing with its new laws exist in the case of red flag laws. Red Flag laws make a travesty of due process; the Second Amendment is implicated because the removal of firearms is the outcome. The investigatory process itself is a punishment, especially if you’re poor and can be easily nudged into accepting “deals” to make the problem go away. We don’t know what Tennessee is going to do in its upcoming special session, but these child abuse reporting laws in Texas should show them the dangers on the path.

Filed Under: <![CDATA[child abuse]]>, <![CDATA[false accusations]]>, <![CDATA[Gun Rights]]>, <![CDATA[red flag law]]>, <![CDATA[Second Amendment]]>, <![CDATA[Tennessee]]>, <![CDATA[Texas]]>, <![CDATA[Video]]>, Bearing Arms, News

Texas House Committee Issues Articles of Impeachment Against Attorney General Ken Paxton

May 26, 2023 by streiff Leave a Comment

The House General Investigating Committee of the Texas House of Representatives voted unanimously on Thursday to file a 20-article bill of impeachment against Attorney General Ken Paxton, alleging misuse of his office, bribery, retaliating against whistleblowers, and obstruction of justice.

The next step is for the bill to be voted on by the Texas House. If it passes, then Paxton is suspended from office pending the outcome of a trial in the Texas Senate. Removal from office requires a two-thirds vote of the Senate.

Paxton’s defense is two-fold. First, corrupt politicians are trying to get rid of him.

“It is a sad day in Texas as we witness the corrupt political establishment unite in an illegitimate attempt to overthrow the will of the people and disenfranchise the voters of our state,” he said.

The second defense, articulated by Chris Hilton, chief of litigation in the attorney general’s office, is that this is “old stuff.” According to Hilton, impeachment can only cover misconduct that has taken place since the last election. Paxton was just reelected in 2022 (53.42 percent of the vote). I’m not an authority on the Texas Constitution and will defer to Mr. Hilton’s interpretation.

Paxton is no stranger to controversy or political hardball. In 2014, Paxton was indicted by a Travis County grand jury on three felony counts related to securities fraud. This is not necessarily dispositive of wrongdoing, as any Republican holding statewide office in Texas will eventually be indicted in Travis County for something. However, that case has not yet come to trial. In 2016, the Security and Exchange Commission filed a civil enforcement action against Paxton based on the same alleged misconduct, and a federal judge dismissed the action.

In 2020, seven staffers in the Attorney General’s office alleged that Paxton had illegally intervened in cases to help a major campaign donor. None of them work there anymore. Eventually, $3.3 million was paid to four of the “whistleblowers” who alleged illegal retaliation.

After the 2020 election, an ethics complaint was filed with the Texas State Bar Association because Paxton had criticized the election results.

I don’t have any particular knowledge of this case, but I do have an opinion.

First, Paxton is a warrior for freedom. See Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton Takes on the ATF Over Their Bizarre Pistol Brace Rule, Texas AG Ken Paxton Comes Down on GoFundMe Over ‘Deceitful’ Termination of Ottawa Trucker Fundraiser, Dallas County Judge Tries to Limit Church Service Attendees but Texas AG Ken Paxton Isn’t Having It, Greg Abbott and Texas AG Ken Paxton: “Release Ms. Luther Immediately,” and Boom Lowered: TX AG Ken Paxton Files Lawsuit Against San Antonio for Requested Documents on Chick-fil-A Ban. I don’t know anything about Paxton’s personal life or how he runs his office, but his public life has been admirable, and his refusal to surrender or kowtow to the left is something we should require of all Republican officeholders.

Second, integrity is non-negotiable. Tuesday, Paxton called for the resignation of Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan after he appeared on the House floor acting a “little under the weather” (TX AG Ken Paxton Calls for Resignation of Speaker Dade Phelan After Intoxication Allegations in Legislature). That was the right thing to do. If Paxton has committed criminal acts, and, for the record, I don’t consider firing “whistleblowers” to be one, he needs to do the right thing and step down. Texas can’t afford to have an attorney general at war with his own party. The Texas GOP can’t afford to go into the 2024 election with seriously wounded Ken Paxton on the ballot.

Bill of Indictment

88(R) HR 2377 – Impeachment… by streiff at redstate

Filed Under: <![CDATA[2024 Elections]]>, <![CDATA[impeachment]]>, <![CDATA[Ken Paxton]]>, <![CDATA[Texas]]>, News, Red State

Texas looking to harden schools despite gun control push

May 24, 2023 by Tom Knighton Leave a Comment

The one-year anniversary of Uvalde is fast approaching. It’s an anniversary no one wants to “celebrate,” to say the least, but it’s going to be marked with things like protests and op-eds pushing gun control in Texas.

However, lawmakers there are doing something different.

Instead of bowing to the pressure–pressure that only grew after the shooting at an outlet mall in Allen, TX–they’re focusing on protecting our children rather than curtailing gun rights.

They’re hardening schools.

One year after the Uvalde mass shooting, Texas lawmakers are poised to pass measures that they say will make schools safer, even as they have not seriously entertained any gun control bills.

Driving the news: The measures would provide incentives to school employees to arm themselves on campus, require school safety inspections, and mandate mental health training for teachers.

The big picture: As they did after the 2018 Santa Fe High School shooting, GOP lawmakers who control the Capitol have opted to further fortify schools rather than restrict the purchase of guns and ammunition.

Once again, it seems this is a problem for anti-gun folks, and I cannot fathom why.

The same people who claim their children don’t feel safe going to school continue to object to efforts that make schools tougher targets in the first place, efforts that might alleviate those fears in kids.

Texas is doing it right, in my opinion.

Sure, I get that some people think gun control will work better. I disagree, but I get it.

What I don’t get is why anyone would object to this kind of thing. Everyone acknowledges that bad guys can still get guns, even if we disagree on how or why they get them. If that’s the case, why not “fortify” our schools to mitigate any threat posed to students by those bad guys?

Why is this controversial?

Is it because they’re convinced that this will prevent the passage of gun control? If that’s the case, I’m curious as to why that is. After all, if the gun control argument is so sound, these efforts shouldn’t have much of an impact long term.

Or is it that they suspect they might actually work?

If that’s the case, and they’re objecting to them, what does that say about the gun control “for the children” argument?

Texas is doing the right thing. All 50 states should do the same thing, even if they favor gun control. Our kids matter and we can and should take all the steps we can to protect them, particularly while at school, and particularly without stepping on the rights of people.

Hardening our schools should have happened years ago. We should have a set of best practices in place right here and now that every state, not just Texas, could implement and make happen.

You can never get all the guns, so why not do something that actually can happen?

Filed Under: <![CDATA[Gun Control]]>, <![CDATA[Gun Rights]]>, <![CDATA[Guns]]>, <![CDATA[hardening schools]]>, <![CDATA[Texas]]>, <![CDATA[Video]]>, Bearing Arms, News

TX AG Ken Paxton Calls for Resignation of Speaker Dade Phelan After Intoxication Allegations in Legislature

May 23, 2023 by Brittany Sheehan Leave a Comment

Near the end of a 14-hour legislative session on Friday, Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan (R) appeared to be intoxicated, slurring his words as he presided over the hearing. The controversy arose as the video circulated on social media with speculation as to whether the Speaker was drunk or could be having a stroke or another medical issue, while some chalked it up to exhaustion. Phelan’s office has not made a comment on the allegations. 

This is video from last night in the Texas House of Representatives where it appears that TX House Speaker Dade Phelan is either really drunk or having a stroke. pic.twitter.com/dbSG7AO30r

— Greg Price (@greg_price11) May 20, 2023

Tuesday, much of the speculation resolved as Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) called for Speaker Phelan to resign due to this incident, calling his state “apparent debilitating intoxication.” AG Paxton requested the resignation to follow the conclusion of the legislative session, writing that the situation has caused a credibility crisis for Republicans.  

Paxton wrote:

Texans were dismayed to witness his performance presiding over the Texas House in a state of apparent debilitating intoxication. Texans were relying on the House to pass critical conservative priorities including protecting the integrity of our elections and preventing Chinese spies from controlling Texas land. His failures as Speaker have created a credibility crisis for all Republican candidates and for our entire Party. While I hope Speaker Phelan will get the help he needs, he has proven himself unworthy of Texans’ trust and incapable of leading the Texas House.

Speaker Dade Phelan should resign. pic.twitter.com/ZD920VOt1X

— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) May 23, 2023

Additionally, AG Paxton wrote a letter to the House General Investigating and Ethics Committee requesting an investigation into Speaker Phelan’s conduct, applicable House rules, and state law. 

Today, I referred this to the House General Investigating and Ethics Committee. https://t.co/znDm9Dty65

— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) May 23, 2023

Tensions have been on the rise between the AG and the Speaker, as Paxton recently reached a $3.3 million settlement with whistleblowers who accused him of bribery and abuse of office. Phelan disagreed with taxpayers having to pay the costs of the settlement and the Texas Legislature is anticipated to block the payment, while previously saying that it would not be included in the chamber’s budget.

In February Phelan said:

Mr. Paxton is going to have to come to the Texas House, he’s going to have to appear before the appropriations committee and make a case to that committee as to why that is a proper use of taxpayer dollars, and then he’s going to have to sell it to 76 members of the Texas House. That is his job, not mine.

Currently, the DOJ is investigating the whistleblowers’ corruption claims.

Paxton, a Republican who secured a third consecutive four-year term in November, is considered a liability by many members of the Texas GOP due to his numerous legal issues. For the past seven years, he has faced an indictment on charges of felony securities fraud. In addition, he has been sued by the State Bar of Texas for alleged professional misconduct.

Over the weekend, an anonymous text message campaign circulated asking for constituents to contact their state representatives to demand Phelan’s resignation. 

An anonymous text message campaign has started circulating stating Dade Phelan was drunk and asking citizens to contact their State Representative asking for his resignation. #txlege pic.twitter.com/n9LskWKKVV

— Current Revolt (@CurrentRevolt) May 22, 2023

Phelan is in his second session as House Speaker. The Texas legislative session ends on Monday.

Filed Under: <![CDATA[Dade Phelan]]>, <![CDATA[Ken Paxton]]>, <![CDATA[Texas Legislature]]>, <![CDATA[Texas]]>, News, Red State

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