Good morning, 

Here is the Texas Minute for Thursday, June 1, 2023. 

– Brandon Waltens 

Local Republican Party Condemns Attorney General Paxton’s Impeachment

• The Williamson County GOP has condemned the handling of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s impeachment, which was rushed through the Texas House mere days before the end of the 88th Legislative Session. Sydnie Henry has the details. 
   
• “Williamson County Republican Party finds the process of seeking impeachment rushed, not transparent, fail[s] to meet the standard of due diligence, due process, and ignor[es] precedence in past impeachment procedure,” reads the resolution approved by two-thirds of the Williamson County GOP executive committee.
   
• The final impeachment vote was 121-23—with 61 Democrats and 60 Republicans voting to impeach—but many grassroots organizations and activists are criticizing the House’s vote as more information comes to light on the process by which the House chose to impeach Paxton.
   

• They requested “thorough, lawful, due diligence and process be conducted in full view of the Senate and House with at least 15% of the House members [who did] NOT vot[e] YES included in the questioning of all relevant witnesses.”

• In the meantime, they asked that the Senate reject the articles of impeachment until “full due process has been accomplished.”

Abbott Names Interim Attorney General

• Following the impeachment of Attorney General Ken Paxton, Gov. Greg Abbott has announced that Fort Worth attorney John Scott will take Paxton’s place until the trial concludes in the Senate.
   
• Scott has previously served as the secretary of state and worked in the attorney general’s office when Abbott held the position.
   

• Scott’s placement comes as a surprise, however, as First Assistant Attorney General Brent Webster informed staff on Saturday that he would be heading up the office in Paxton’s absence. Prior to joining the AG’s office, Webster served as a criminal prosecutor in Texas for 10 years, as well as serving as the first assistant district attorney in Williamson County.
   

• In the wake of Paxton’s impeachment, six members of the Texas Attorney General’s Office have taken a leave of absence to defend Paxton in his upcoming trial, which must be held before August 28.

Head of Dallas Gender Mutilation Youth Clinic Heads to California

• In the wake of the soon-to-be-signed legislation banning child gender mutilation, the head of the Children’s Medical Center Dallas’ Gender Education and Care, Interdisciplinary Support (GENECIS) clinic has announced her plans to move to California.
   
• As Soli Rice reports, Dr. Ximena Lopez partnered with the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center to open GENECIS in 2014 and has since gained a large patient intake. The clinic provides physicians, pediatricians, psychologists, and endocrinologists to gender-confused children.
   
• The Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 14 by State Sen. Donna Campbell (R–New Braunfels) earlier this month. Once signed by Gov. Greg Abbott, this legislation will effectively ban procedures causing damage or mutilation to children’s bodies as part of the “transgender care” practice.
   

• Children will be legally protected from being chemically castrated by puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones and from receiving mutilative surgeries to “transition” them.

• In response to the inevitable signing of this legislation into law, Lopez announced she will be moving from Dallas to California to continue her mutilative practices on children where it’s still legal.

Lawmaker Promises to Refile COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate Ban

• After Texas Gov. Greg Abbott hinted that he would call several special legislative sessions this year, one Republican lawmaker promised to continue promoting vaccine choice. Katy Marshall has the details. 
   

• State Rep. Brian Harrison (R–Midlothian) said he would reintroduce the Texas COVID Vaccine Freedom Act during every special session Abbott calls.
   

• At the close of the 88th regular legislative session, Abbott called a special session to focus on border security and property tax relief. During special sessions, lawmakers can only focus on issues the governor deems a priority.
   

• However, Harrison said lawmakers should prioritize vaccine choice, adding that he promises to continue advancing the issue.
   

• During the regular legislative session, Harrison filed legislation that would have required anyone administering a COVID-19 vaccine to obtain the recipient’s informed consent beforehand. It would have also authorized the attorney general to enforce this restriction, and violators would have been required to pay damages of at least $5,000.
   

• Harrison’s bill died in committee.

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