Tag Archives: TDCAA

House General Investigations Committee votes to impeach Paxton

Once again, I say Wow. In an unprecedented move, a Texas House committee voted Thursday to recommend that Attorney General Ken Paxton be impeached and removed from office, citing a yearslong pattern of alleged misconduct and lawbreaking that investigators detailed … Continue reading

Posted in Scandalized!, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

A brief but dismal legislative update

Just a few recent news stories, to give you an idea of what’s happening in the Legislative session, and why I have been avoiding it. Item 1: Republican Texas senators on Monday reversed themselves and voted against allowing transgender kids currently being treated with puberty … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

There’s still a lot of confusion about how Texas’ abortion ban will be enforced

There will be chaos, in addition to the fear and danger to pregnant people that already exists. Abortions are already effectively outlawed in Texas, where clinics closed after the U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe vs. Wade. But a new … Continue reading

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on There’s still a lot of confusion about how Texas’ abortion ban will be enforced

Let’s have us a book burning!

That’s where we’re headed. Gov. Greg Abbott told the Texas Education Agency on Wednesday to investigate criminal activity related to “the availability of pornography” in public schools, saying that the agency should refer such instances “for prosecution to the fullest … Continue reading

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

It’s even harder to prosecute pot cases now

Such a shame. What if lawmakers writing one of the most consequential laws to come out of last year’s legislative session, legalizing hemp in Texas, forgot to include a small, but crucial detail that could get your marijuana possession charges … Continue reading

Posted in Crime and Punishment, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on It’s even harder to prosecute pot cases now

Marijuana arrests stay down

We really should view this as the new normal, and not a problem to be “fixed”. It’s been more than six months since Texas lawmakers legalized hemp and unintentionally disrupted marijuana prosecution across the state. Since then, the number of … Continue reading

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Did the Lege sort of decriminalize marijuana?

Well, sort of. Because of a new state law, prosecutors across Texas have dropped hundreds of low-level marijuana charges and have indicated they won’t pursue new ones without further testing. But the law didn’t decriminalize small amounts of marijuana for … Continue reading

Posted in Crime and Punishment, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Did the Lege sort of decriminalize marijuana?

Some things are worth paying more for

How much would you pay for fewer faulty convictions? Prosecutors say the state’s new Michael Morton Act, a measure designed to prevent wrongful convictions by forcing district attorneys to be more transparent in criminal cases, is driving up evidence costs. … Continue reading

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Some things are worth paying more for

Counties are skirting the state on gambling, too

When eight-liners are outlawed, cities and counties will tend to look the other way rather than try to deal with enforcing the laws against them. Some of the money has arrived at the Duval County building in five-figure money orders … Continue reading

Posted in Jackpot! | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Report: Most elected officials refuse to contribute to their own prosecution

That’s what the headline to this story should read. Public records examined by the Austin American-Statesman show that most elected officials who have been stopped on suspicion of driving while intoxicated in recent years have declined to consent to a … Continue reading

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Report: Most elected officials refuse to contribute to their own prosecution