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MRT (free): Bills to Give AG Paxton New Powers to Prosecute Election Crimes, Scrap STAAR Test Die // SB 30 Targeting Lawsuit Payouts Die // Trump Pulls NASA Nominee
Here's What You Need to Know in Texas Today.
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MustReadTexas.com – @MustReadTexas
BY: @MattMackowiak
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MONDAY || 6/2/2025
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TOP NEWS
“Texas attorney general won’t get new powers to prosecute election crimes after legislative deadlock,” Votebeat / Texas Tribune's Natalie Contreras – “Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton appears unlikely to gain new powers to prosecute election crimes after the House and Senate failed Saturday to reach a deadline to work out their differences on how much leeway to grant the state’s top legal office in such cases.
That development in the waning days of the regular 2025 legislative session ending Monday comes two years after the House voted to impeach Paxton on misconduct allegations that included bribery and abuse of office. The Senate later acquitted Paxton.
House Bill 5138 was filed by state Rep. Matt Shaheen, a Republican from North Texas. The Senate passed a version that would have given the attorney general’s office the power to unilaterally prosecute local election crimes when a county fails to do so. The House had previously agreed to grant Paxton’s office more powers to prosecute such cases, but only after local prosecutors considered the case.
Shaheen filed the bill after the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, the state’s highest criminal court, found Paxton’s office does not have authority to independently prosecute criminal election cases in trial courts without the request of a local prosecutor.
Paxton later targeted three of the Republican judges who reached that decision when they were up for reelection, leading a successful campaign to oust them during the 2024 GOP primary. The legislation would have explicitly granted Paxton the authority he sought in the court case.
Paxton is running for U.S. Senate against Republican incumbent John Cornyn, creating an opening for a new state attorney general to take office in 2027.
Under the Senate’s version, local law enforcement would be required to send a report to the attorney general’s office if it believes there is probable cause to suspect that an election crime has been committed. The attorney general’s office would then have the authority to prosecute. Local prosecutors and law enforcement would be required to turn over any information they have about election crime investigations to the attorney general’s office.
Under the House’s version of the bill, law enforcement agencies would be required to notify the attorney general’s office when reporting a potential election crime to local prosecutors. The attorney general could investigate only if the local prosecutor took no action on those reports for six months. And under the bill, local prosecutors could challenge the attorney general’s assertion of jurisdiction to investigate.
A conference committee failed to reach an agreement by midnight Saturday, effectively killing the bill. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott could call a special session on the issue if he chooses.
Paxton has made targeting election-related crimes a priority since he took office in 2015. He has pursued more than 300 investigations of suspected crimes by voters but has successfully convicted only a handful.
Republican lawmakers filed similar legislation in 2023 to give him the authority to step into local investigations, but those bills failed to pass. That was the same regular session in which the House impeached Paxton.
Some voting rights advocates have said giving the Texas attorney general more power over local law enforcement offices is unconstitutional. They warned that the bill seemed aimed at increasing election prosecutions, and potentially intimidating voters and local election officials." Texas Tribune
TOP NEWS
“Morton Meyerson stares down the end of his life, and the modern Dallas he helped build” DMN ($)
#TXLEGE
“Effort to curb personal injury lawsuit payouts dies in the Texas Legislature” Texas Tribune
“Bill to scrap STAAR test dies in the Texas Legislature” Texas Tribune
“Bill requiring that Texas sheriffs work with federal immigration authorities heads to governor’s desk” Texas Tribune
“Texas lawmakers to allow smaller homes on smaller lots” Texas Tribune
2025
“‘We couldn’t be at more polar ends’: Jones vs. Pablos race divides San Antonio into political camps” SA Report
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
“Trump is pulling his nomination of Jared Isaacman to lead NASA” Hou Chron ($)
NEWS FROM AROUND THE STATE
> SA REPORT: "I watched teen moms in my school struggle. Texas needs to do better." SA REPORT
> AAS: "Texas THC ban: The fight over hemp’s future and a multibillion-dollar industry at stake" AAS
> AAS: "Down to the wire: A $338B Texas budget, new rules for faculty senates at universities" AAS
> KXAN: "Medical cannabis expansion bill adds chronic pain patients, advances to Governor" KXAN
> AAS: "Bill to eliminate STAAR, reshape testing on path to legislative death" AAS
> AAS: "State bill restructuring the Texas lottery sent to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk" AAS
> AAS: "Dan Patrick's theatrics: How the lieutenant governor uses showmanship to drive his agenda" AAS
> KXAN: "Legislature OKs bill requiring sheriffs to partner with federal authorities to enforce immigration laws" KXAN
> SAEN: "As defense cuts loom, defending San Antonio's military future is the mission" SAEN
> EP TIMES: "Texas budget allocates over $180 million for El Paso health, education, and iconic tramway" EP TIMES
> EP TIMES: "Texas Supreme Court rules in AG's favor in Annunciation House lawsuit" EP TIMES
> KXAN: "Pflugerville police chief retires during ‘administrative investigation’" KXAN
> HOU CHRON: "Galveston’s Pelican Island Bridge replacement needs $206M. Who will pay?" HOU CHRON
> HOU CHRON: "How close is HISD to ending the state takeover? Here's what the data shows." HOU CHRON
> HOU CHRON: "Houston-based Gallivant ice cream brings a taste of India to national grocers" HOU CHRON
> HOU CHRON: "Hurricane season starts today for Houston. What can we expect?" HOU CHRON
> HOU CHRON: "The country that made smoking sexy is breaking up with cigarettes" HOU CHRON
> FWST: "7-year-old dies after being pulled from pond in Frisco, police say" FWST
> FWST: "Severe thunderstorm watch for Dallas and Tarrant counties Sunday night" FWST
> AAS: "A rare geomagnetic storm may bring northern lights to parts of Texas. See where" AAS
EXTRA POINTS
Last weekend's Texas sports scores:
Fri
> MLB: Houston 2, Tampa 1
> MLB: Texas 11, St. Louis 1
Sat
> MLB: St. Louis 2, Texas 0
> MLB: Tampa 16, Houston 3
> WNBA: Chicago 94, Dallas 83
> MLS: Philadelphia at Dallas
> MLS: Kansas City at Houston
> MLS: Austin at San Diego
Sun
> MLB: Texas 8, St. Louis 1
> MLB: Houston 1, Tampa 0
Tonight's Texas sports schedule:
> 7pm: WNBA: Dallas at Seattle (ESPN)
Tomorrow's Texas sports schedule:
> 5:40pm: MLB: Houston at Pittsburgh
> 6:35pm: MLB: Texas at Tampa
TEXAS / UTSA BASEBALL: “UTSA takes down No. 2 national seed Texas 7-4 for first trip to super regionals" AP
TEXAS BASEBALL: "Did Texas have successful season despite NCAA Tournament exit? What Jim Schlossnagle said" AAS ($)
TEXAS SOFTBALL: “Texas softball: What to know as Tennessee, Longhorns meet at Women's College World Series" AP
HOUSTON ASTROS: “Houston Astros look vulnerable in the AL West. Is anyone ready to dethrone them?” AP
HOUSTON ASTROS: “Hunter Brown first to 8 wins after allowing 1 hit in 6 innings as Astros beat Rays 1-0” AP
HOUSTON ROCKETS: “Contract status for every Houston Rockets player entering the 2025-26 offseason" Hou Chron ($)
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