Tag Archives: Greg Abbott

Forbes reports: One day after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) eliminated most of his state’s coronavirus restrictions, the governor claimed immigrants released into his state by federal authorities are helping to spread the virus. Abbott tweeted Wednesday that President Joe Biden’s administration is allowing “hundreds” of undocumented immigrants who tested positive for the coronavirus to enter his state, a claim …

The Daily Beast reports: This won’t come as a shock — but Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott’s announcement that he’s ditching his state’s mask mandate did not come with the blessing of his team of medical advisers. In fact, according to the Texas Tribune, most of them didn’t know anything about it. Three of the four experts told the newspaper that …

Click2Houston reports: Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo released a sturdy message for those who do not comply with private businesses’ policies on wearing masks after Gov. Greg Abbott rescinded the statewide mask order. In the video, Acevedo wanted to remind residents that private entities and private businesses have a legal right to require customers to wear a mask. He said …

Axios reports: States that are relaxing coronavirus restrictions are making “a big mistake,” President Biden told reporters on Wednesday, adding: “The last thing we need is Neanderthal thinking.” Driving the news: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said Wednesday he will end all coronavirus restrictions via executive order, although some businesses are continuing to ask patrons to wear face masks. Mississippi …

From the editorial board of the Washington Post: While everyone is eager for a break from restrictions, Mr. Abbott’s decision is premature and reckless. The governor’s decision may cheer those feeling rebellious, fatigued and impatient with the year-long pandemic restrictions. But the result of opening too soon will be viral spread, and more suffering. Only 12.9 percent of the Texas …

Houston’s ABC News affiliate reports: “It is now time to open Texas 100%,” said Gov. Greg Abbott this afternoon, signaling the ease of COVID-19 restrictions. Effective next Wednesday, all businesses of any type are allowed to open 100 percent and the mask mandate will be lifted, the governor stated as part of his executive order to rescind previous orders. While …

Houston’s ABC News affiliate reports: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called an emergency meeting late Saturday to address the spike in electricity bills due to the impact of the winter storm. In a statement, Abbott said, “It is unacceptable for Texans who suffered through days in the freezing cold without electricity or heat to now be hit with skyrocketing energy costs.” …

The Texas Tribune reports: Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday blasted the nonprofit operator of Texas’ energy grid for its handling of this week’s winter storm and called on the Legislature to consider updates to the state’s power plants to avoid future widespread power outages. “What happened is absolutely unacceptable and can never be replicated again,” Abbott said at a news …

The Texas Tribune reports: As millions of Texans continue to struggle with power outages during a massive winter storm, Gov. Greg Abbott is scheduled to provide an update on the state’s response at 3:30 p.m. Central time Wednesday. There were 2.7 million Texas households still without power as of Wednesday morning, though the state’s electricity grid manager said utilities returned …

The Hill reports: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) called on the state legislature to investigate the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) after winter weather has left millions of Texans without power. The Texas governor released a statement requesting that reform to the grid operator be prioritized as an emergency item during the legislative session to “ensure Texans never again …

CBS News reports: At least eight deaths have been linked to a dangerous winter storm system that’s breaking records across the country. Some four million homes and business in Texas were without power as of 5:15 Tuesday morning local time as the electric system struggled to meet demand, according to poweroutage.us. Among the dead were a woman and girl who …

Dallas’s CBS News affiliate reports: Gov. Greg Abbott is not happy the Department of Defense and FBI are vetting the more than 1,000 Texas National Guard members sent to Washington, DC to help secure the presidential inauguration of Joe Biden on Wednesday, Jan. 20. Gov. Abbott called the guard members, “disrespected,” and said he may never send them to DC …

CNBC reports: As Texas’s coronavirus outbreaks continue to worsen by nearly every available measure, Gov. Greg Abbott (R) is standing by his aversion to shutting down the state again. He put it simply Monday in an interview with CNBC’s “Squawk Box”: “No more lockdowns in Texas.” Abbott pointed to automatic restrictions put in place when a region’s hospitalization numbers cross …

CBS News reports: Texas became the first state to surpass 1 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The grim milestone comes as the U.S. is facing a surge in coronavirus cases across the country. Texas, the second-most populous U.S. state, now has more coronavirus cases than all of Italy, which was previously …

The Texas Tribune reports: After backlash from lawmakers and advocates, a state board voted Tuesday to undo a rule change that would have allowed social workers to turn away clients who are LGBTQ or have a disability. The Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council voted unanimously to restore protections for LGBTQ and disabled clients to Texas social workers’ code of conduct …

The San Antonio Express-News reports: The Texas Army National Guard said Monday it had been ordered to dispatch 1,000 troops to five major cities around the state in conjunction with the Nov. 3 election, including San Antonio. The guard in recent weeks had told the San Antonio Express-News that its commander, Maj. Gen. Tracy Norris, had been asked to draft …

The Texas Tribune reports: Texas social workers are criticizing a state regulatory board’s decision this week to remove protections for LGBTQ clients and clients with disabilities who seek social work services. The Texas State Board of Social Work Examiners voted unanimously Monday to change a section of its code of conduct that establishes when a social worker may refuse to …

The Texas Tribune reports: Texas counties may collect mail-in ballots at only one location, a federal appeals court ruled late Monday, once again upholding an order from Gov. Greg Abbott that restricts voting options. Abbott in July acted to lengthen the early voting period and allow voters to deliver completed absentee ballots in person for longer than the normal period. …

Reuters reports: A U.S. federal judge blocked on Friday an order from Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott limiting the number of drop-off sites allowed for absentee ballots statewide to just one per county, a constraint Democrats denounced as blatant voter suppression. Abbott’s Oct. 1 absentee voter proclamation, which he said was aimed at preventing election fraud, required the closure of …

The Wall Street Journal reports: Civil-rights and voter-advocacy groups have filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block an order by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott that dramatically reduced the number of drop-off locations for mail ballots. The lawsuit filed late Thursday could be the first of many legal challenges against Mr. Abbott’s order that assigns just one drop-off location in each …