Attorney General Ken Paxton on Monday accused Austin ISD of using materials to teach critical race theory. His office plans to depose the superintendent and school board as part of an investigation. The AG’s office alleges the district is using curricula related to the “The 1619 Project,” which recenters U.S. history around the impact of […]
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton
Posted inCourts
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sues nonprofit that serves homeless in South Austin
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued an Austin nonprofit that serves people experiencing homelessness. The lawsuit accuses Sunrise Homeless Navigation Center of fostering drug use, violence and other activities that endanger nearby residents. Sunrise Homeless Navigation Center has operated out of Sunrise Community Church in South Austin since 2015. Its primary hub at the church provides care for […]
Posted inTransit
Project Connect trial to resume after Paxton appeal rejected
Editor’s note: The original version of this story contained an error conflating two of AG Ken Paxton’s opinions. The story has now been corrected. A little over a year ago, a group of prominent Austin citizens filed suit against the Austin Transit Partnership over Project Connect, the 2020 transit expansion that was originally designed to […]
Posted inCourts
Ken Paxton sues Travis County for approving security funds for DA José Garza behind closed doors
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed another lawsuit against the Travis County Commissioners Court on Monday – this time over a $115,000 payment the court made to District Attorney José Garza’s office behind closed doors. The payment was approved during a closed session in March to provide home security to Garza after his address was posted […]
Posted inCourts
Travis County sues Paxton over voter registration efforts
Travis County is fighting back. That’s the message that County Judge Andy Brown, County Attorney Delia Garza, County Tax Assessor-Collector and Voter Registrar Bruce Elfant and County Commissioner Jeff Travillion delivered at a press conference on Tuesday. They denounced Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for attempting to prevent Travis County from hiring a firm to […]
Posted inElections
Paxton sues Travis County over voter registration attempt
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit on Friday in an attempt to prevent Travis County from hiring an outside firm to find people eligible to vote who are not registered. The Travis County Commissioners Court voted unanimously last month to hire Civic Government Solutions to provide the names and addresses of eligible resident […]
Posted inCourts
Travis County judge dismisses Paxton’s lawsuit over Austin ordinance decriminalizing pot
A Travis County judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed against Austin over its 2022 voter-approved ordinance decriminalizing marijuana possession. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed the suit in January, alleging Austin was violating state law and promoting “the use of illicit drugs that harm our communities.” He filed similar suits against San Marcos, Killeen, Denton […]
Posted inTransit
Project Connect lawsuit likely headed to appeal before trial
The Project Connect lawsuit expected to go to trial Monday appears destined for appeal instead. Assistant Attorney General Alyssa Bixby-Lawson, whose office opposes efforts by the city of Austin and the Austin Transit Partnership to validate voter-approved bonds for constructing Project Connect, has indicated that the attorney general’s office will not move forward with the […]
Posted inTransit
Project Connect lawsuit finally headed to court Monday
Although the matter has been postponed in the past, it seems likely that Monday will be the trial date for the Austin Transit Partnership and the city of Austin lawsuit to validate voter-approved bonds for Project Connect, combined with the Dirty Martin’s lawsuit to prevent issuance of those bonds. The other important player on this […]
Posted inCity Council
Texas attorney general threatens Austin over City Council’s effort to protect health care for transgender people
Shortly after City Council acted Thursday to protect transgender people from discriminatory health care laws, Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a threatening statement, vowing to “consider every possible response to ensure compliance” with state law prohibiting gender-affirming care for minors. Against this backdrop of escalating anti-trans rhetoric within the Republican Party, Council passed a resolution […]
Posted inTransit
Paxton opinion notes likely missteps, possible way forward for Project Connect
Many questions remain about the path forward for Austin’s Project Connect transit plan following an advisory opinion from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton that noted some likely legal hurdles related to the funding model created to pay for the system. Paxton issued his opinion on Saturday at the request of state Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, […]
Posted inCourts
Paxton sues to overturn vote on U.S. budget
Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed suit against the federal government alleging that the final vote to approve the U.S. budget by the House of Representatives last December was illegal because not enough members were physically present. The suit, filed in federal court in Lubbock, attacks not only the manner in which the vote was […]