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September 17, 2023
NEWS DIGEST
by Brandon Waltens
Good morning,
After beginning deliberation on Friday, the Texas Senate voted on Saturday to acquit Attorney General Ken Paxton on all impeachment charges.
While 21 votes, or two-thirds, were required to convict and remove Paxton from office on any single charge, none received a majority vote.
The only Republicans to join Democrats in voting for most of the impeachment charges were State Sen. Kelly Hancock (North Richland Hills) and Robert Nichols (Jacksonville).
The vote was a stark difference to the House’s impeachment vote in May, which passed 121-23, on 20 charges of misapplication of public resources, bribery, obstruction of justice, abuse of public trust, and disregard of official duties.
State Reps. Andrew Murr (R–Junction), Charlie Geren (R–Fort Worth), Jeff Leach (R–Plano), Morgan Meyer (R–Dallas), Briscoe Cain (R–Deer Park), Cody Vasut (R–Angleton), and David Spiller (R–Jacksboro) were the Republicans on the House Board of Managers who pushed for impeachment in the Senate.
Paxton had been temporarily suspended from office since the House’s impeachment vote in May.
"Today, the truth prevailed. The truth could not be buried by mudslinging politicians or their powerful benefactors. I’ve said many times: Seek the truth! And that is what was accomplished," said Paxton.
Gov. Greg Abbott, who had been silent on the impeachment, said Paxton had done an "outstanding job representing Texas."
"I look forward to continuing to work with him to secure the border and protect Texas from federal overreach," he added.
Featured
After the Texas Senate voted to acquit Attorney General Ken Paxton on all charges of impeachment, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick had strong words for the House who brought the charges forward.
Patrick, who presided over the proceedings, had been silent on the merits of the case until after the decision. Once it was final, Patrick offered comments that blasted the House’s process in an effort to ensure it didn’t happen again.
State
Texas Leads the Nation in Challenging Explicit Books
Parents across the state raised concerns about more than 2,300 potentially explicit or inappropriate books.
Donald Trump Condemns ‘Shameful’ Impeachment of Ken Paxton
Trump has said he will fight any Republican who votes for impeachment.
Texas Education Agency Delays Release of School Accountability Ratings
School districts are suing TEA over changes to the A-F ratings.
Local
Fredericksburg Residents Plead for Property Tax Relief
Overtaxed homeowners spoke against the city’s proposed tax increase during a public hearing ahead of next week’s final vote.
Bridgeport ISD Coach Resigns After Using School Credit Card at Strip Club
Soccer coach and special education teacher J.D. Bales spent $5,455 at The Men’s Club in Houston.
Odessa Becomes First Texas City to Ban Mask, Vaccine Mandates
The resolution prohibits the city from enforcing mandates implemented by the federal or state government.
Investigation: Predators in Government Schools
Texas Scorecard's latest investigative series looks into the dangers in Texas' government schools.
Part One: Danger and Corruption exposed long-running patterns in government schools across the state of predators employed by these schools preying on minors while school districts ignored red flags.
Part Two: Students Under Siege examined multiple papers warning about the increasing problem of predators in schools.
Part Three: Familes Waiting for a Hero interviewed multiple attorneys on the accountability gap between government and private schools, with the former enjoying more protections than the latter.
Part Four: Grooming in Plain Sight exposed the connection between sexual material in government schools and the problem of predators.
Nominations are Open
The annual Texas Conservative Leader Awards highlight the men and women of the grassroots who work to make the Lone Star State shine brighter than ever.
If you know someone deserving of recognition, nominate them today.
Quoting...
“I shall never surrender nor retreat.”
- William B. Travis
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The Texas Scorecard Journalism Fellowship is a comprehensive program designed for conservative Texans under the age of 25 with an interest in public policy, effective civic engagement, political accountability, and Texas history.
