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MustReadTexas.com – @MustReadTexas
BY: @MattMackowiak
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THURSDAY || 4/3/2025
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TOP NEWS
“Justice Department declined to prosecute Texas AG Paxton in final weeks of Biden’s term: AP sources,” AP's Alanna Durkin Richer and Eric Tucker — “The Justice Department quietly decided in the final weeks of the Biden administration not to prosecute Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, effectively ending the corruption investigation that cast a long shadow over the political career of a close ally of President Donald Trump, The Associated Press has learned.
The decision not to bring charges — which has never been publicly reported — resolved the high-stakes federal probe before Trump’s new Justice Department leadership could even take action on an investigation sparked by allegations from Paxton’s inner circle that the Texas Republican abused his office to aid a political donor.
The move came almost two years after the Justice Department’s public integrity section in Washington took over the investigation, removing the case from the hands of federal investigators in Texas who had believed there was sufficient evidence for an indictment.
Two people familiar with the matter, who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, confirmed the department’s decision to decline to prosecute. Though the date of the decision was not immediately clear, it was made in the final weeks of the President Joe Biden’s presidency, one of the people said.
Politically appointed Justice Department leadership was not involved in the decision, which was recommended by a senior career official who had concerns about prosecutors’ ability to secure a conviction, according to another person briefed on the matter. Political appointees are not typically involved in public integrity section matters to avoid the appearance of political interference.
One of Paxton’s lawyers, Dan Cogdell, told the AP on Wednesday night that he had not been informed by the Justice Department of any decision in the investigation but noted: “I never thought they had a case they could make.”
In a social media post on X responding to the news Thursday, Paxton characterized the investigation as a “bogus witch hunt,” mimicking Trump’s descriptions of his own past legal troubles.
The Department of Justice declined to comment.
Paxton is weighing a run for the U.S. Senate next year, setting up a potential primary against Republican Sen. John Cornyn, ambitions that reflect his political durability despite spending years under clouds that also included felony securities fraud charges and an investigation by the Texas state bar over his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, which Trump lost to Biden.
The federal investigation had been the most serious inquiry still facing Paxton, who settled the securities fraud case and was acquitted of corruption charges in the Texas Senate in 2023 following a historic impeachment. Paxton agreed last year to pay nearly $300,000 in restitution under a deal to end criminal securities fraud charges over accusations that he duped investors in a tech startup near Dallas.
The allegations against Paxton were stunning in part because of who made them.
Eight of his closest aides reported him to the FBI in 2020, accusing him of bribery and abusing his office to help one of his friends and campaign contributors, Nate Paul, who also employed a woman with whom Paxton acknowledged having had an extramarital affair. The same allegations led to Paxton’s impeachment on articles of bribery and abuse of public trust, but he was acquitted by the Republican-led Texas Senate, where his wife is a senator but did not cast a vote during the trial.
Paul pleaded guilty in January to a federal charge after he was accused of making false statements to banks to obtain more than $170 million in loans.
“After the November election, the DOJ accepted a guilty plea from Nate Paul and is apparently letting Ken Paxton escape justice,” TJ Turner and Tom Nesbitt, attorneys for two of the whistleblowers, said in a statement to the AP. “DOJ clearly let political cowardice impact its decision. The whistleblowers — all strong conservatives — did the right thing and continue to stand by their allegations of Paxton’s criminal conduct.”
The Justice Department’s public integrity section, which oversees public corruption cases, took over the Paxton investigation in 2023. The Justice Department has never publicly explained its decision to recuse the federal prosecutors in west Texas who had been leading the investigation. The move was pushed for by Paxton’s attorneys.
Paxton said last year that he would not contest whistleblowers’ claims in a lawsuit that they were improperly fired for reporting Paxton to the FBI. His push to end the whistleblowers’ lawsuit came as he faced the likelihood of having to sit for a deposition and answer questions under oath.
Paxton has become one Trump’s most loyal supporters and defenders in recent years, and his name had been floated as a contender to lead the Justice Department under Trump’s second term." AP
“Texas measles outbreak grows to 422 cases; two counties near central Texas report cases,” Dallas Morning News' Eric Tucker — “The Texas public health department is now reporting a total of 422 measles cases in the ongoing outbreak that began in Gaines County. The outbreak has spread to two additional counties, both in the center of the state.
The Texas Department of State Health Services reported on Tuesday morning that Brown County and Erath County have one measles case each, connected to the outbreak that began in West Texas.
There are now three counties outside of West Texas and the Panhandle that have reported connected cases. Lamar County, in northeast Texas, has a total of 10 connected measles cases.
The new update shows the state’s measles cases grew again over the past few days, from 400 cases reported on Friday. Since the outbreak began, 42 people in Texas have been hospitalized.
Texas’ count doesn’t include additional, connected cases reported in New Mexico and Oklahoma.
The state of New Mexico reported a total of 48 cases on Tuesday, and the state of Oklahoma reported a total of 10 cases on Tuesday.
The three-state outbreak has also seen two deaths.
In late February, an unvaccinated child in Texas died after being hospitalized with measles complications; That was the first measles death reported in the U.S. in a decade. Then, in New Mexico, an adult who had died also tested positive for measles.
Already, about three months into the year, the state of Texas has reported more measles cases in 2025 than in any other full year since 1992. The 2025 case count is still a ways from that year’s total. In 1992, the state reported more than 1,000 measles cases.
Measles is a highly contagious virus that can live on surfaces and in the air for hours after an infected person has left. The virus spreads mostly among unvaccinated people, as the two-dose measles vaccine is 97% effective at preventing measles infection.
Public health experts have repeatedly said that measles vaccination is the best line of defense against an outbreak.
The vaccine is typically recommended for children beginning at about 12 months of age. The vaccine is advised for nearly everyone, including older children, and adults can also get vaccinated. The vaccine is not recommended for people who are pregnant or immunocompromised.
People can contact their local health authorities, their doctor or their pharmacy to ask about vaccination." DMN ($)
“Texas’ Big Bend National Park eyes expansion,” Dallas Morning News' Sarah Bahari — “Big Bend National Park in Texas could soon expand by thousands of acres.
Three lawmakers — U.S. Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Ben Ray Luján D-New Mexico, and U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio — introduced a bill in Congress last month to acquire roughly 6,100 acres along the park’s western boundary.
Gonzales said in a news release the expansion would help the National Park Service preserve and protect critical habitats, history and geology at Big Bend.
“Big Bend National Park is a natural treasure unlike any other,” Gonzales said. “This is an important step forward to conserve one of the most beautiful sites in our country for generations to come.”
Encompassing the rugged Chisos Mountains and Chihuahuan Desert in southwest Texas, Big Bend is one of the nation’s largest and most remote national parks. The park spans more than 800,000 acres, making it larger than the state of Rhode Island.
Visitation has soared over the past decade, from 314,000 in 2014 to 561,000 in 2024.
Under the bill, the National Park Service would acquire the land adjacent to Terlingua Creek through donation or exchange. Eminent domain or condemnation would not be permitted.
The Big Bend Conservancy, a nonprofit that supports the park, is purchasing the properties and plans to donate the land to the park service. Executive director Loren Riemer told The Dallas Morning News the land is home to portions of Terlingua Creek, ruins of heritage homesteads, fossil beds and an abundance of nesting birds.
This is not the first time lawmakers have pushed to expand the park. Cornyn introduced a bill in 2023 that was rolled into a larger public lands package, according to the Big Bend Sentinel. The Senate’s Energy and Natural Resources Committee passed the package unanimously, but it stalled in the House.
The proposed expansion comes as Big Bend is navigating numerous changes. The U.S. is deploying 500 U.S. troops to patrol the park and region as part of a crackdown on illegal immigration by President Donald Trump, the first large-scale military presence in the park in decades.
In February, at least five Big Bend employees were among the 1,000 parks employees across the country fired under a plan to slash federal spending. Two federal judges have since ordered Trump to rehire the employees." DMN ($)
“Remembering John Thornton, founder of The Texas Tribune,” Texas Tribune's Matthew Choi and Natalie Choate — “Texas and the American journalism community have lost a luminary. John Thornton, a founder of The Texas Tribune and one of the most vital and influential leaders in nonprofit journalism, died on Saturday. He was 59.
His passing is an immeasurable loss for our staff, our board, our many supporters and readers past and present. Without John, the Tribune and the ecosystem of nonprofit news that it helped build would not exist. The Tribune was born in 2008 from his search for a sustainable model for news. He was a leading venture capitalist in Austin at the time, having served as managing partner of Austin Ventures. He and his partners had been studying the decline in the media business. Newspapers and television stations were slashing their staffs. Coverage of state capitols — the places where billions of the public’s dollars are spent to support our schools, roads and health care — was disappearing the fastest. John concluded that public service journalism was a public good — and that the commercial businesses that had traditionally supported it were unlikely to sustain it moving forward.
So he conceived of the concept of a reliable, honest, and fair nonprofit news outlet devoted to engaging Texans and empowering them to be active participants in their democracy. He then recruited Evan Smith, then the editor and president of Texas Monthly, to be CEO. And he provided the initial seed donation and fundraising support that allowed Evan and Ross Ramsey, our third co-founder, to hire a staff.
“Without John Thornton, there would be no Texas Tribune,” said Ross Ramsey, co-founder of the Tribune. “He was the principal author of the business plan that made us successful, and that has become a model for news startups around the country. He was smart, funny, intense, and dedicated to the idea that news is a public good that is critical to a functioning democracy. All of us continue to benefit from his work. I'm grateful to count him as a friend.
The Tribune, of course, was a smashing success. Now our journalists span the state — they're in Austin, Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio, El Paso, Waco, Brownsville, Odessa, Lufkin and Washington, D.C.. We’re launching local news sites in Waco and Austin and possibly beyond— an initiative that John enthusiastically supported. Our work holds public officials accountable and lifts up the needs and experiences of Texans across the state. The impact has been recognized by numerous awards, including the Peabody Awards, the Edward R. Murrow Awards, the National Online News Association Awards, the Society of Professional Journalists and the Texas Managing Editors. Last year, we were finalists for the Pulitzer Prize. John's original vision not only came to life — it exceeded everyone's, including his own, expectations.
“It’s not an exaggeration to say John Thornton changed American journalism — and saved it,” said Evan Smith, co-founder and former CEO of the Tribune. “No one made him do this. He believed in standing up and supporting, with his time and money, the right kind of news organizations around the country because he knew the consequences of the vast need going unmet. For nearly 20 years, he put in the work. He was a pioneer and a visionary, and he catalyzed a movement. Every community is better, smarter and healthier because of him. He gave people who never met him and never knew his name the means to be more thoughtful and productive citizens — to be the best civic versions of themselves. That’s especially true in Texas. In all 254 counties, there’s a place to turn for reliable, credible, independent local news because of The Texas Tribune, and there is a Texas Tribune only because of John. This was his baby. It was his thing. We walked in his footsteps. All 31 million of us in this state are in his debt.”
But he didn’t stop at the Tribune.
Our model has served as an inspiration for scores of nonprofit news sites across the country. Indispensable outlets like CalMatters, Mississippi Today and the Nevada Independent have directly cited the Tribune as inspiration. Cities and states across the country now have their own versions of the Tribune. And John has played a major role in their growth. In 2018, he took his nonprofit news vision national by co-founding the American Journalism Project. Working with co-founder Elizabeth Green, founder of the nonprofit education publication Chalkbeat, he recruited funders across the country to invest in local news nonprofits. The AJP provides much-needed funds, but it also provides vital business and strategic support to ensure that the outlets it’s backing can achieve sustainability. So far, the AJP has raised more than $225 million for 50 nonprofit newsrooms operating in 36 states, including supporting the Tribune’s investment in local news.
“John Thornton didn’t just imagine a future for nonprofit news in Texas — he built it,” said Sonal Shah, CEO of the Tribune. “His vision has shaped the national movement to revitalize journalism and his belief in the power of public service journalism laid the foundation for stronger, healthier communities. This movement to support local news wouldn’t be possible without his leadership and relentless advocacy. We are all better for it..
Anyone who met John immediately saw his passion and his energy. He was brilliant, funny, generous and supportive. He was a mentor to many.
“No one was more passionate about The Texas Tribune and rallying people to the cause of public service journalism than John Thornton,” said Trei Brundrett, chair of the Tribune’s board of directors. “We will miss our fellow board member, who we could always count on to be more ambitious in service of our mission. We will do our best to match his enthusiasm and make sure the Tribune is an incurring institution and reflection of his legacy.”
“John was a nonprofit journalism mastermind, a visionary and true believer who changed the trajectory of my career not once but twice,” said Emily Ramshaw, former editor-in-chief of the Tribune and co-founder of The 19th. “He vibrated with ambition and start-up energy. His enthusiasm was infectious. (His love of cargo shorts, not so much.) John loved deeply; no matter how full his plate was, he always made sure you knew how proud of you he was. My heart is broken, but his legacy lives on, in the hundreds of nonprofit newsrooms that followed his lead.
He’s survived by his wife, Erin Thornton, and two stepsons, Wyatt Driscoll and Wade Driscoll. Plans for a memorial will be announced soon.
The mission that John Thorton forged for The Texas Tribune, and the values he fought for, live on. We miss him already." Texas Tribune
#TXLEGE
"Private school voucher bill clears first test in Texas House,” Texas Tribune's Jaden Edison — "The Texas House Public Education Committee on Thursday voted in favor of a $1 billion spending cap for the first two years of a potential school voucher program and increasing by $395 the base amount of money public school districts receive for each student.
The changes to House Bill 2, the public school funding bill, and Senate Bill 2, the voucher proposal, will now go to the full House for further consideration. All Democrats on the committee voted against the voucher legislation.
Lawmakers revealed updated versions of both bills Monday, after days of public testimony last month. The committee was slated to discuss them Tuesday, but the panel rescheduled the meeting to Thursday, hours after the release of the new versions. Rep. Brad Buckley, the Republican chair of the committee, said he postponed it to give members additional time to review how the proposed school funding changes would affect their local districts.
While several TV stations broadcast the meeting, the committee did not stream it, drawing criticism from House Democrats. House rules this session require the streaming of public hearings but not formal meetings, which generally do not include public testimony.
Democrats argued that because of the significant interest in and potential impact of both bills, the public deserved the option to view Thursday’s meeting online if they could not make it in person. Hundreds of Texans showed up at the Capitol last month to testify on the voucher legislation, with the hearing going almost 24 hours. Most speakers at that hearing said they opposed the program.
The House’s proposed changes to the voucher plan went into Senate Bill 2, which passed the Senate in February. The House’s decision to propose the changes in the Senate’s bill and not its own proposal could potentially speed up communication between the chambers and bring about a final vote more quickly. If the revised bill passes the House — and the Senate agrees with the changes — the measure would go to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk for his signature.
The House and Senate’s voucher proposals differ when it comes to how much money students would receive, which applicants should take priority and how the program should accommodate students with disabilities — though lawmakers in both chambers have expressed support for one another’s efforts. Abbott on Thursday thanked both for their “tireless work” and said he looked forward to signing SB 2 into law.
The proposal to include the temporary $1 billion spending cap comes after critics raised concerns that lawmakers are downplaying the amount of money the state could spend on vouchers during the initial rollout. A budget analysis shows costs reaching nearly $5 billion by 2030.
Lawmakers on the committee also approved a change to the bill that would allow only U.S. citizens or people lawfully in the country to receive vouchers, a decision that could draw scrutiny as the proposal makes its way through the rest of the Legislature. Every student in the U.S. is entitled to a public education regardless of their immigration status — and the potential voucher program would rely on public dollars.
An earlier version of House Bill 2, the school funding measure, previously proposed increasing the money districts receive to educate each student by $220. The updated version approved Thursday would increase that amount, referred to as the basic allotment, by $395. The bill would also automatically increase the allotment every two years by tying it to property value growth, according to the committee’s summary of the potential changes.
Current state budget proposals only set aside $1 billion for vouchers, which would allow parents to use taxpayer dollars to fund their children’s private school tuition. But if final legislation creating vouchers includes the $1 billion cap, the state by law could not spend more money on the program even if more is available.
The new proposal would also limit funding for students without disabilities or from wealthier households — a family of four making about $156,000 or greater — to only 20% of the program’s total budget until after the 2026-27 school year. It would also prioritize students who exit public schools over those who are already enrolled in private schools.
Those changes, however, still would not require private schools to accept certain students, which has raised concerns among public education advocates. In other states, voucher programs like the one Texas is proposing primarily benefit wealthier families who had already enrolled their children in private schools.
Meanwhile, HB 2’s potential changes could increase the state’s basic allotment to $6,555 for each student, with 40% directed to salaries for school staff. Higher salary increases would go to teachers with more than a decade of classroom experience. The base funding per student has been at $6,160 since 2019.
School districts say raising that amount offers them flexibility to address the unique needs of their campuses, as opposed to money they can only use for specific purposes. The bulk of it flows toward salaries for educators and support staff. Districts also use the money to pay for essential services and goods, like electricity, insurance and water. Leftover money may fund other necessities like school supplies and building maintenance." Texas Tribune
"Texas Senate panel approves $500 million infusion for film incentives,” Texas Tribune's Pooja Salhotra — “Legislation that would more than double the amount of money the state spends to lure film and television production to Texas was passed unanimously Monday by a bipartisan group of Texas senators.
Senate Bill 22, filed by Houston Republican Sen. Joan Huffman, would direct the comptroller to deposit $500 million into a new Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Fund every two years until 2035. That figure is more than state lawmakers have ever allocated for media production since they first started funding a film incentive grant in 2007.
The bill would make Texas more attractive to producers who have opted to film their projects in other states, such as New Mexico and Georgia, that have historically offered larger and more stable incentives, Huffman said during a star-studded Senate Finance Committee hearing attended by Texas-born actors Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson.
The committee voted 11-0 to pass the bill, a representative for Huffman's office said. It now goes to the full Senate for consideration.
“Producers who want to film in Texas often have difficulty convincing the capital management side of film production companies to allow filming here when presented with more robust and consistent incentives being offered in other states,” Huffman said.
Since 2007, lawmakers have funded the film incentive program at varying levels, with $50 million during one legislative session followed by $45 million the next. A then-historic $200 million came during the most recent session.
The variability has left producers tentative to film in Texas for fear that the money might vanish at lawmakers whim.
The program has boosted economic activity in Texas, producing a 469% return on investment, according to the Texas Film Commission, though economists and some House lawmakers have criticized that metric and denounced film incentives as wasteful spending.
Fueled by endorsements from famous names in Hollywood, SB 22 appears to have widespread support. Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers praised the film commission for what they said is a rigorous program that audits film production’s spending and only offers rebates on money spent within Texas. Eligible expenses include Texas workers’ wages, meals purchased from local restaurants, and airfare on Texas-based airlines.
Flanked by Harrelson, McConaughey told lawmakers that increased funding would allow them and other actors to tell Texas stories in Texas. Seated behind the duo was Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who has declared SB 22 one of his top pieces of legislation.
By committing to 10 years of sizable funding, McConaughey said, Texas could grow into a media hub with facilities dedicated to post-production editing, along with a pipeline of film crew, including makeup artists, hair stylists, lighting experts and set designers.
“There’s going to be a point where we are not going to need financial incentives from the state because the infrastructure will be in place, and that will be a major game changer,” McConaughey said." Texas Tribune
STATE GOVERNMENT
"TEA can release 2023 A-F school accountability ratings after legal battle, appeals court rules,” Houston Chronicle's Claire Partain and Megan Menchaca — “A judge ruled Thursday that the Texas Education Agency can release its 2023 A-F school accountability ratings for the state's public school districts, overturning a previous injunction issued in response to a lawsuit from more than 120 districts.
The TEA typically assigns annual A-F ratings to each public school district and campus based on students’ standardized test performance, although it has not done so for all schools and districts in the state since 2019 due to COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing lawsuits.
The TEA updated the formula to calculate ratings starting in 2023, which included raising the bar that schools need to reach to qualify for higher letter grades. However, a judge initially blocked the TEA from officially assigning ratings after around 10% of the state's roughly 1,200 districts argued that the agency did not provide enough advance notice about the changes.
Texas' 15th Court of Appeals — a conservative-majority court created by lawmakers in 2023 to oversee appeals involving the state — reversed the lower court's decision, arguing that the trial court could not block the ratings' release and that TEA commissioner Mike Morath did not overstep his bounds in releasing accountability data past certain deadlines.
“This ruling is an important victory and restores a transparent lens into 2023 district and campus performance. Yet, there is still a second lawsuit that denies parents and the public access to 2024 accountability ratings," a TEA spokesperson said in a statement. "TEA remains hopeful that the best interests of students, families and communities will prevail in this second suit and will share additional information on the issuance of 2023 A-F ratings soon.”
A lawyer for the school districts did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the decision.
Because the formula was not released during the 2022-2023 school year, districts alleged that they were not able to adequately prepare their students.
The districts, which included Fort Worth and El Paso ISDs, also alleged that the 2022-2023 school ratings were not released by their Aug. 15 deadline and that the newly-redesigned STAAR tests factored into the ratings were not determined to be valid and reliable by an “independent” entity.
The Texas Education Code requires a commissioner to release A-F ratings for the prior school year by Aug. 15. The TEA did not release ratings by that deadline and had not done so when a judge issued a temporary injunction in October 2023.
However, no consequences were outlined for not making that deadline. The appeals court ruled that, since the TEA commissioner can eliminate A-F ratings in times of disaster, such as COVID-19, it is within his power to postpone them.
“Generally, a late decision on the merits is better than never,” the court wrote in an opinion by Chief Justice Scott Brister. “The clear legislative intent in Chapter 39 is to publish school ratings, not suppress them.”" Houston Chronicle ($)
"AG Ken Paxton gets unprecedented access to urban-area prosecutors’ files with new rules,” Dallas Morning News' Maggie Prosser — “Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton will have access to files kept by district attorneys in urban counties under newly adopted rules, including correspondence with federal authorities and other internal information, his office announced Monday.
The expansive reporting requirements give Paxton unprecedented insight into district attorneys’ prosecutorial decisions — like indictments against police officers and poll workers and cases where criminal charges were not pursued — and office policies. The rules also impose penalties like lawsuits, misconduct allegations and removal from office if so-called “rogue” DAs do not comply.
In a news release, Paxton’s office said the new requirements will help determine if local officials are “inadequately prosecuting certain categories of crime, releasing dangerous criminals back into the community, engaging in selective prosecution, or otherwise failing to uphold their obligations.”
District attorneys who represent counties of more than 400,000 residents — including Dallas, Collin, Denton and Tarrant counties — must now submit reports to the AG and turn over select case files to state officials regularly.
Paxton has repeatedly criticized Democratic district attorneys for enacting policies of non-prosecution for certain crimes.
Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot — who has been targeted by Paxton for not taking first-time, low level marijuana cases and refusing to prosecute misdemeanor thefts of essential items — declined to comment for this article, but previously called the rules an “overbroad” burden on his office.
Creuzot and four other urban district attorneys issued a statement in 2022 saying they would not prosecute families whose children receive gender-affirming medical care, bucking rules promoted by Paxton and Gov. Greg Abbott. The same five DAs signed a pledge with prosecutors nationwide to not prosecute people who “seek, provide, or support abortions.”
Creuzot since rescinded the misdemeanor theft policy, and in 2023, on the heels of a law that created a path for removing DAs, Creuzot’s office issued a memo stating staff would individually review each case filed and use “prosecutorial discretion in charging and in the final disposition of the case.”
Denton County First Assistant District Attorney Jamie Beck said in a statement the office has “already begun the process of collecting the requested information” for the attorney general’s office. Denton County’s top prosecutor, Paul Johnson, is a Republican.
A spokeswoman for the office of Tarrant County District Attorney Phil Sorrells, a Republican, did not respond to an email seeking comment. Tarrant County offices were closed Monday in observance of Cesar Chavez Day.
Collin County First Assistant District Attorney Bill Wirskye did not immediately respond to an email. Greg Willis, Collin’s elected district attorney, is a Republican.
“In many major counties, the people responsible for safeguarding millions of Texans have instead endangered lives by refusing to prosecute criminals and allowing violent offenders to terrorize law-abiding Texans,” Paxton said in the news release. “This rule will enable citizens to hold rogue DA’s accountable.”" DMN ($)
"Gov. Abbott calls for construction to stop at EPIC City. Developer says it hasn’t begun,” Dallas Morning News' Nick Wooten and Adrian Ashford — “Texas Gov. Greg Abbott threatened the East Plano Islamic Center and affiliated entities with “the full weight of the law” if they begin or refuse to stop construction on the planned EPIC City development — even though developers have submitted no project plans and the dirt remains unmoved.
Abbott said the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality found that the mosque and Community Capital Partners LP have filed no applications or documents with the state agency. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is tasked with the regulatory oversight of environmental impacts from residential and commercial developments.
Construction may not begin until proper authorizations and permits have been granted, Abbott said.
“They must confirm within seven days that they are immediately ceasing any construction of their illegal project or face the full weight of the law. The State of Texas will enforce its laws and protect our communities from unlawful actions or threats posed by EPIC or its affiliates,” he said.
Community Capital Partners, formed by some members of the East Plano Islamic Center, hopes to build more than 1,000 homes, a K-12 faith-based school, a mosque, elderly and assisted living, apartments, clinics, retail shops, a community college and sports fields on 402 acres in Collin and Hunt counties.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality said it sent the letter Tuesday to provide regulations that must be followed ahead of any construction or land development.
Not following the legal requirements a violation of state and federal laws under the agency’ jurisdiction that could lead to “potential enforcement,” said Ryan Vise, the commission’s director of external relations.
The state agency wrote in its letter that EPIC and Community Capital Partners must confirm within seven days that the groups “have not and will not engage in any construction or pre-construction activities in violation of state law.”
“As EPIC appears to have acknowledged, EPIC City is required to obtain multiple authorizations and permits from TCEQ prior to any development or construction,” the agency wrote in a letter sent to the president of CCP and the president of EPIC’s board.
“Despite these extensive permitting obligations, TCEQ has not received any applications or documents supporting the creation of this large-scale, standalone ‘city’ in the location identified by EPIC and CCP,” the TCEQ wrote. “This letter, therefore, serves as notice that any construction or development in furtherance of EPIC City without requisite TCEQ approval is in violation of state law and should be halted immediately.”
Representatives for the East Plano Islamic Center did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A representative for Abbott’s office did not share additional information.
Representatives for the EPIC City project said Tuesday that the project is still in the planning phase.
“No permit applications or paperwork have been filed and no construction has started,” said Erin Ragsdale, a spokesperson for the development. “As we said back in February, CCP extends an open invitation to Gov. Abbott. We would appreciate the opportunity to give him an overview of the project, show him the site and answer his questions. We believe an open dialogue could save taxpayer resources, and foster a relationship of transparency and collaboration.”" DMN ($)
"Ken Paxton wants Dallas school officials under oath on transgender athlete policy,” Texas Tribune's Ayden Runnels — “Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton wants to question Dallas Independent School District officials under oath as part of his investigation into the district’s policy on transgender athletes.
Paxton on Monday announced his office has filed a legal petition to do so. Earlier this year, Paxton’s office launched an investigation of the district’s “unwritten policy” that allegedly encouraged parents of transgender students to alter their childs’ birth certificates in other states.
Paxton initially requested several records regarding the district’s compliance with a 2021 state law that bans transgender students from competing in sports matching their identifying gender. The request came after the district’s LGBT Youth Program Coordinator, Mahoganie Gaston, suggested in a video published by Accuracy in Media, a Washington-based nonprofit that students could play in sports matching updated birth certificates.
In a statement, Dallas ISD said it was following state law and is cooperating with Paxton's information requests.
"We are cooperating with the Attorney General’s office to provide information that confirms Dallas ISD’s ongoing compliance with federal and state laws," the district said. "The district is committed to continue following both the spirit and intent of the law.”
Changes to a person’s gender on birth certificates is illegal in Texas, but can still be done in other states. In the January video, Gaston suggests changing a child’s certificate in another state is a “loophole” to the Texas law. Paxton’s petition requests several Dallas ISD officials to appear for depositions, including Gaston, district superintendent Stephanie Elizalde and members of the school board.
“ISD officials who have participated in this madness will be held accountable,” Paxton said in a news release Monday. “The systematic effort by Dallas ISD officials to circumvent Texas law will be exposed and stopped.”
Dallas ISD is not the only school district affected by the undercover videos and subsequent inquiries from the attorney general. Paxton also sent a letter in February to Irving Independent School District after Accuracy in Media filmed a separate video similarly sending an undercover representative to ask about the district’s policy on student athletes.
Gov. Greg Abbott posted about the video on X, calling for Irving ISD to be investigated, and the district administrator featured in the video resigned shortly after." Texas Tribune
2026
“Cornyn wins over Texas GOP leadership after being censured and booed for his gun safety bill,” Texas Tribune's Matthew Choi — "In 2022, Abraham George was coming after John Cornyn.
Texas’ senior senator had just played a central role in passing the first gun safety bill in a generation — a move that the party’s right wing denounced as capitulating to Democrats. Members of the state party viciously booed him during their summer meeting that year. George, then leading the Collin County Republican Party in a censure motion against Cornyn, said the senator had crossed over with the Democrats too much and needed to be ousted from office.
"The censure calls for his immediate resignation, and also calls for the state party to take actions on it," George said of Cornyn at the time, echoing a sentiment across the right wing within the party that George represented.
When George was elected to lead the state party last year on a hard-right platform, he had the support of some of the most vocal Cornyn nay-sayers in the state, including Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
But as chair of the Republican Party of Texas and an influential spokesperson for the ultra-conservative faction of the party loyal to Donald Trump and skeptical of any wavering, George is not joining the anti-Cornyn chorus. Quite the opposite.
“Ever since I was elected, Senator Cornyn has been an ally to the party,” George said in a statement for this story, in which he praised the senator for showing up before the State Republican Executive Committee. Cornyn “promised to support President Trump's agenda and confirm his nominees. He has followed through on that promise. We will continue to work with all Republicans to advance a conservative agenda for our state and nation.”
The pair met in Cornyn’s Capitol Hill office last September to discuss election strategy — a meeting where George lauded Cornyn for “all your efforts in what is such a pivotal election in our nation’s history.” Cornyn hosted the Republican Party’s December Christmas party, where in a stark contrast to the boos of the 2022 state party meeting, he got a standing ovation. They met again when Cornyn invited George to be his guest to President Donald Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress and discussed ways to get the federal government to reimburse Texas for its border security efforts.
That could neutralize a potential threat as Cornyn faces a challenging primary terrain. The right wing of the party has continued to blast him for his role in the gun safety bill, his doubts about Trump’s electability in last year’s elections and his support for the Ukrainian effort in its war against Russia. Paxton is openly considering a run against Cornyn, and George continues to organize and collaborate with the attorney general, including a statewide tour campaigning for state Rep. David Cook to be House speaker.
Officially, the party is staying neutral in the primary. But its leadership has previously weighed in and gone after Republicans they did not perceive as sufficiently conservative. The party censured U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales in 2022 and then-state House Speaker Dade Phelan in 2024. Gonzales was censured for his votes for the same gun safety bill that sparked the backlash against Cornyn, and Phelan was censured for the impeachment of Attorney General Paxton and the appointment of Democratic committee chairs.
Even before the censure against Phelan, the state party launched radio ads blasting him for continuing the tradition of allowing Democrats to serve as committee chairs. The move prompted criticism against then-party Chair Matt Rinaldi from other Republicans who did not think it productive to go after one of their own. Rinaldi did not seek reelection for the position during the state party convention last year.
George has also expressed a willingness to call out members of his party in the past. He said at a news conference last November that there would be a “bloody” Republican primary in 2026 if state House members continue to support Democratic committee chairs in the lower chamber.
If they support a speaker who appoints Democrats to committee chairs, “it’s time for them to go,” George said at the time. “We will definitely try our best to work with them, but we have primaries coming in a few months after this, after the session, and I can promise you, if I’m the chair, the party will be involved in those.”
Cornyn and George both declined requests for interviews. They both declined to comment when asked about how their relationship has evolved from the 2022 censure motion to now.
Rinaldi said George appeared to be taking the position he had taken as party chair — support Cornyn as part of the party’s team, even if there are some policy disagreements along the way.
“Our goal in the Republican Party of Texas is to have a team that's striving to enact conservative policy, and Sen. Cornyn, as our senior senator right now, is a member of that team,” Rinaldi said. “We had a relationship when I was chair, and Abraham George is continuing that relationship. There will be agreements and disagreements over policy but we have an open channel of communication.”
Rinaldi didn’t say whom he would support in next year’s Senate primary, saying when he sees who will run, he will support “the most conservative candidate that I think will serve Texas and the country best.” He has cast doubt that Cornyn would win in a primary, writing on social media last November that “Cornyn needs to go.”
Cornyn leads a formidable organizing and fundraising operation that benefits Texas Republicans down ballot. During the 2020 cycle when Cornyn was at the top of the ticket, he and the Republican Party of Texas worked together to send 40 million letters, texts and other messages to voters and register almost 320,000 new Republican voters. Voter contacts that year were important for the party as it was the first election after the state removed straight-ticket voting. He also raised $3.8 million for the Republican Party of Texas that year.
“Democrats should be running scared with my friend Abraham George at the helm of the Republican Party of Texas,” Cornyn said in a statement for this story. “I’ve worked hand-in-glove with RPT every time I’ve been on the ballot, and raised money for RPT when I’m not on the ballot, to provide record-setting support for conservatives and turn out millions of Republican voters across Texas, and I’m looking forward to reprising our successful partnership this cycle.”" Texas Tribune
BUSINESS NEWS
“Tesla sales tumble 13% as Musk backlash, competition and aging lineup turn off buyers,” AP's Bernard Condon — "Tesla sales fell 13% in the first three months of the year, another sign that Elon Musk’s once high-flying car company is struggling to attract buyers.
The leading electric vehicle maker has faced a growing backlash from Musk’s embrace of right-wing politics and his role in the Trump administration. Opponents have staged protests at Tesla showrooms in the U.S. and in Europe, where the sales declines have been steeper.
Tesla’s line-up is aging, and some consumers may have held off from buying its bestselling Model Y while waiting for an updated version. The Austin, Texas, company also faces fierce competition from other EV makers offering vastly improved models, including those of China’s BYD.
Tesla reported deliveries of 336,681 globally in the January to March quarter. The figure was down from sales of 387,000 in the same period a year ago. The decline came despite deep discounts, zero financing and other incentives and could be a warning that the company’s first-quarter earnings report later this month could disappoint investors.
Dan Ives of Wedbush said Wall Street financial analysts knew the first quarter was likely bad, but turned out even worse than expected. He called the sales results a “disaster on every metric.”
“The brand crisis issues are clearly having a negative impact on Tesla...there is no debate,” he said.
Musk has been President Donald Trump’s point man in his effort to cut government spending. As criticism of Musk mounted and Tesla’s sales and stock price slumped, Trump last month held an extraordinary press conference outside the White House in which he praised Tesla, blasted boycotts against the company and bought a Tesla himself while TV cameras rolled.
Tesla investors have complained Musk’s work at the Department of Government Efficiency has diverted his focus from running Tesla. On Tuesday, New York City’s comptroller overseeing pension funds holding Tesla stock called for a lawsuit accusing a distracted Musk of “driving Tesla off a financial cliff.”
After falling as much as 6% in early Wednesday, Tesla stock shot up more than 5% on indications that Musk may soon return his attention to Tesla. Politico, citing anonymous sources, reported Trump has told Cabinet members that Musk will step back from his role at DOGE in coming weeks.
Tesla’s stock has plunged by roughly half since hitting a mid-December record as expectations of a lighter regulatory touch and big profits with Trump as president were replaced by fear that the boycott of Musk’s cars and other problems could hit the company hard. Analysts are still not sure exactly how much the fall in sales is due to the protests or other factors.
Still, even bullish financial analysts who earlier downplayed the backlash to Musk’s polarizing political stances are saying it is hurting the company, something that Musk also recently acknowledged.
“This is a very expensive job,” Musk said at a Wisconsin rally on Sunday, referring to his DOGE role. “My Tesla stock and the stock of everyone who holds Tesla has gone roughly in half.”" AP
NEWS FROM AROUND THE STATE
> THE TEXAN: "Carroll ISD Resolution Supports House Bill Increasing Public School Funding Transparency" THE TEXAN
> AAS: "How do I register to vote in Texas? Deadline is Thursday for May 3 elections" AAS
> THE TEXAN: "Over 100 Texas Lawmakers Back Affordable Housing Reform Bill, Competing Legislation Moves Forward" THE TEXAN
> COMMUNITY IMPACT: "Texas Senate panel considers investments in early learning, teacher preparation programs" COMMUNITY IMPACT
> MY RGV: "San Benito wins appeal in election case; court finds judge interfered" MY RGV
> MY RGV: "Community stands up for Brownsville ISD superintendent" MY RGV
> TPR: "Texas Senate passes bill requiring local law enforcement to help with deportations" TPR
> TPR: "HHS layoffs hit Meals on Wheels and other services for seniors and disabled" TPR
> THE TEXAN: "Texas House Approves Business Tax Exemption Increase Ahead of Budget Night" THE TEXAN
> COMMUNITY IMPACT: "Live Oak City Council receives recommendations for city facilities" COMMUNITY IMPACT
> MRT: "Texas House bill 1708 proposes honoring fallen DPS trooper" MRT
> KXAN: "US House Minority leader says it’s ‘very likely’ they sue Abbott over Turner replacement" KXAN
> TPR: "Trump unveils 10% tariff on all imports and 'reciprocal' tariffs on dozens of nations" TPR
> THE TEXAN: "Tarrant County Contracts with Legal Foundation for Commissioners Court Redistricting Advice" THE TEXAN
> KXAN: "What’s going on with the hotels Austin bought to house the homeless?" KXAN
> KXAN: "Senate budget blueprint empowers GOP chair to decide if Trump tax cuts add to deficit" KXAN
> TX TRIB: "Texas’ Rio Grande Valley didn’t see last week’s historic storms coming" TX TRIB
> SA REPORT: "Preservationists sue to halt razing of Institute of Texan Cultures before ‘it’s too late’" SA REPORT
> SAEN: "Texas to endure multiple rounds of severe storms. Here's when." SAEN
> MY RGV: "Roma man charged in deadly Edcouch smuggling incident during flooding" MY RGV
> DMN: "What we know about the fatal Frisco track meet stabbing" DMN
> COMMUNITY IMPACT: "Keller ISD looks to potential school consolidation for 2025-26 school year" COMMUNITY IMPACT
> HOU CHRON: "Texas brewpubs face growing uncertainty with Trump's new round of tariffs" HOU CHRON
> DMN: "Texas lawmaker wants to send state’s migrant inmates to El Salvador" DMN
> THE TEXAN: "Texas Bill Mandating Safety Cameras on School Buses Draws Controversy in Committee" THE TEXAN
> DMN: "Federal health cuts lead to 50 immunization events canceled in Dallas County" DMN
> AAS: "'Anonymous' co-founder charged for 2021 Texas GOP data theft" AAS
> AAS: "Texas Lottery fines its top vendor $180K for political donations. How IGT is fighting back" AAS
> THE TEXAN: "‘Go File It’: House Member Attempts Motion to Remove Speaker Burrows" THE TEXAN
> SAEN: "Ceding control of Texas’ public beaches to SpaceX not in public’s interest" SAEN
> THE TEXAN: "School Choice, Education Funding Bills Hearing Rescheduled in Texas House Committee" THE TEXAN
> DMN: "Gov. Abbott calls for construction to stop on planned Muslim-centric development" DMN
> FWST: "Major crash kills one, shuts down all lanes of northbound I-35W in Denton County" FWST
> SA REPORT: "Inside the expensive, 27-candidate race for San Antonio mayor" SA REPORT
> SA REPORT: "Former education secretary in San Antonio: Despite challenges, it’s a ‘great time to be a leader’" SA REPORT
> HOU CHRON: "18-year-old victim identified in deadly Webster movie theater shooting" HOU CHRON
> FWST: "Border agent helped cartel smuggle drugs, migrants into US, feds say. He’s sentenced" FWST
> FWST: "Dad runs over, kills son who was thrown from truck bed at off-road park, Texas cops say" FWST
> FWST: "Woman attacked, killed outside Arlington apartment; suspect in custody: police" FWST
> HOU CHRON: "Storms could unleash deadly floods, strong tornadoes in large part of US in coming days" HOU CHRON
> FWST: "7-Eleven worker pulls gun and fatally shoots customer during argument, Florida cops say" FWST
> FWST: "1 man killed, 1 injured in rollover crash on SW Loop 820: Benbrook police" FWST
> DMN: "UT Southwestern, Texas Health Resources no longer in-network for Blue Cross Blue Shield" DMN
> FWST: "Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas drops coverage at two dozen major North Texas hospitals" FWST
> DMN: "Hot List: 17 great restaurants and bars to visit in Dallas-Fort Worth in April 2025" DMN
> HOU CHRON: "Houston’s ‘Be Someone’ mural painted over with graffiti promoting cryptocurrency Mog Coin" HOU CHRON
> HOU CHRON: "16 Houston billionaires make Forbes list of world's wealthiest people in 2025" HOU CHRON
> MRT: "Texas measles outbreak statistics: More cases in more counties" MRT
EXTRA POINTS
Recent Texas sports scores:
> MLB: Texas 1, Cincinnati 0
> MLB: San Francisco 6, Houston 3
> NBA: Utah at Houston 143, 105
> NBA: Dallas 120, Atlanta 118
> NBA: San Antonio 113, Denver 106
Tonight's Texas sports schedule:
> 3:10pm: MLB: San Francisco at Houston
> 7pm: NHL: Nashville at Dallas
DALLAS COWBOYS: "Who is Joe Milton? 10 things to know about the newest Dallas Cowboys quarterback" DMN ($)
TEXAS WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: "Texas and South Carolina are familiar foes and bring stingy defenses into Final Four meeting" AP
TEXAS MEN'S BASKETBALL: "Texas basketball: Sean Miller strengthens ties to state by hiring assistant Ulric Maligi" AAS ($)
SAN ANTONIO SPURS: "Spurs top Nuggets 113-106; Barnes leads with 20 points, six Spurs in double figures" WOAI
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