Tag Archives: Texas

Texas Bill Makes Abortion Punishable By Death Penalty

The Texas Tribune reports: A Texas lawmaker has filed a bill that would abolish and criminalize abortions, leaving women and physicians who perform the procedure to face criminal charges that could carry the death penalty. The legislation, filed Tuesday by state Rep. Bryan Slaton, does not include exceptions for rape or incest. It does exempt ectopic pregnancies that seriously threaten …

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Twitter Sues TX AG Over Probe Into Banning Practices

Politico reports: Twitter on Monday filed a complaint in U.S. District Court against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, seeking to stop the state’s investigation into its content moderation practices. The social media giant said in its filing that the investigation requested by Paxton was an abuse of his power and a retaliatory action over Twitter’s decision to permanently suspend Donald …

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TX Gov Rejects Federal Aid To Test Migrants For COVID

The Texas Tribune reports: Gov. Greg Abbott appeared this week to rebuff help from the federal government to give coronavirus testing to migrants before they are released from federal custody, saying it’s a federal responsibility to screen immigrants coming into Texas. The announcement came after Abbott, a Republican, repeatedly accused the administration of Democratic President Joe Biden of “releasing immigrants …

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NOAA: Last Month Was Coldest February In 32 Years

NOAA reports: The average temperature across the contiguous U.S. last month was 30.6 degrees F, 3.2 degrees below the 20th-century average, making it the 19th-coldest February in the 127-year record. It was also the coldest February since 1989. Below-average temperatures dominated much of the nation from the Northwest to the Great Lakes and south to the Gulf of Mexico. For …

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Texas Won’t Undo $16B Overcharge By Grid Operator

The Texas Tribune reports: Texas’ utility regulator had an opportunity Friday to eliminate some of the $16 billion that the state’s grid operator erroneously overcharged power companies during last month’s deadly winter storm — but the board of the Public Utility Commission chose not to do so. Some Texas electricity customers could have benefited from a decision to readjust the …

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Texas Gov: Our Bill To Outlaw Bans By Social Media Will End “Silencing Of Conservative Ideas, Religious Beliefs”

The Texas Tribune reports: Decrying “a dangerous movement” to “silence conservative ideas [and] religious beliefs,” Gov. Greg Abbott touted a bill Friday that aims to crack down on the perceived censorship of conservative voices by social media companies. “They are controlling the flow of information — and sometimes denying the flow of information,” the Republican governor said at a press …

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TX Gov Backs Bill To Outlaw Bannings By Social Media

Dallas’s NBC News affiliate reports: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and State Sen. Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola) are set to discuss a bill that aims to “help prohibit social media companies from censoring Texans based on the viewpoints they express,” the governor’s office says. According to the Texas Legislature, Senate Bill 12 would give Texans a way to get back online if …

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Texas Power Operator Overcharged $16B During Storm

The Texas Tribune reports: The Electric Reliability Council of Texas made a $16 billion error in pricing during the week of the winter storm that caused power outages across the state, according to a filing by its market monitor. Potomac Economics, the independent market monitor for the Public Utility Commission of Texas, which oversees ERCOT, wrote in a letter to …

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TX Gov Blames Biden For New COVID Cases [VIDEO]

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 …

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TX Gov Didn’t Ask Experts About Lifting Mask Mandate

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 …

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Board Fires CEO Of TX Energy Grid Operator [VIDEO]

The Texas Tribune reports: The board overseeing the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the independent nonprofit entity that operates and manages the electricity grid that covers much of Texas, fired ERCOT CEO Bill Magness Wednesday night. The move by the board to vote in favor of a “60-day termination notice” came after they convened in a private executive session for …

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Houston Police Chief: You Are Still Subject To Arrest For Trespassing If You Don’t Comply With Stores’ Mask Rule

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 …

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WaPo Board Condemns TX Gov For “Reckless” Move

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 …

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Texas Gov Ends All COVID Restrictions Including Masks

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 …

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Chair Of TX Public Utility Commission Resigns [VIDEO]

The Texas Tribune reports: The chairwoman of the Public Utility Commission of Texas, the agency that regulates the state’s electric, telecommunication, and water and sewer utilities, resigned Monday, according to a resignation letter provided to the Texas Tribune. Lawmakers began to call on the commissioners to resign Thursday after hearing testimony from DeAnn Walker, who took little responsibility for the …

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Texas AG Sues Power Retailer For “Deceptive Practices”

Via press release from Texas AG Ken Paxton: Griddy passed skyrocketing energy costs to customers with little to no warning, resulting in consumers paying hundreds or even thousands of dollars each day for electricity. Griddy misled Texans and signed them up for services which, in a time of crisis, resulted in individual Texans each losing thousands of dollars. As Texans …

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Ex-Trump Spox Katrina Pierson To Run For US House

The Hill reports: A former top strategist for Donald Trump’s presidential campaigns is taking steps to run for a U.S. House seat left vacant by the late Rep. Ron Wright (R-Texas), who succumbed to the coronavirus earlier this year. Katrina Pierson, a Tea Party activist who served as a spokesperson for Trump’s 2016 campaign and as top adviser on his …

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Texas’s Largest Power Company Files For Bankruptcy

Reuters reports: Texas’s largest and oldest electric power cooperative on Monday filed for bankruptcy protection in federal court in Houston, citing a disputed $1.8 billion bill from the state’s grid operator. Brazos Electric Power Cooperative Inc is one of dozens of electricity providers facing enormous charges stemming from a severe cold snap last month. The fallout threatens utilities and power …

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Widow Of GOP Rep Who Died Of COVID Seeks Seat

The Hill reports: Susan Wright, the widow of the late Rep. Ron Wright (R), announced Wednesday she will run for her husband’s vacant seat in Texas’s 6th Congressional District. Ron Wright first won his seat in 2018 before winning reelection in 2020. He died on Feb. 7 after battling both the coronavirus and lung cancer. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) …

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WSJ: Texas Power Bills $28B Higher Under Deregulation

The Wall Street Journal reports: Nearly 20 years ago, Texas shifted from using full-service regulated utilities to generate power and deliver it to consumers. The state deregulated power generation, creating the system that failed last week. And it required nearly 60% of consumers to buy their electricity from one of many retail power companies, rather than a local utility. Those …

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