Van Taylor

Texas Senate Passes Emergency Ethics Reform Bill

The Texas State Senate unanimously passed one of the emergency items declared by Governor Greg Abbott for the 85th Texas legislative session. Ethics reform has passed its first major hurdle and now is headed to the Texas House.

Texas Capitol - BP

County Flip-Flops Over Paying Legal Fees in Prosecuting Texas AG

It seems that some county officials in Collin County, Texas, knowingly, or inadvertently, have taken inconsistent positions over the power of the judiciary to interfere with their governing powers. They took one position in May in a brief to the Texas Supreme Court, but some of them are now taking the opposite position when making a decision about paying what could end up being over a million dollars for prosecuting the Texas Attorney General.

collin-county commissioners - watchdog photo

Texas Senate Investigates Planned Parenthood over Sales of Aborted Baby Body Parts

The Texas Senate Health and Human Services committee began their investigation on aborted baby body part sales and questioned witnesses at the state Capitol for over four hours on Wednesday. The committee met to examine the business practices and regulatory structure of Planned Parenthood affiliates in Texas, and to investigate whether state or federal laws were broken with regard to the donation and/or sale of fetal tissue.

Sen Charles Schwertner

Villalba Abandons ‘Religious Liberty’ Fight, Krause Picks Up His Slack

Texas State House Representative Matt Krause (R-Fort Worth) is going forward with a Religious Freedoms measure apparently abandoned by Rep. Jason Villalba (R-Dallas). Krause’s bill proposes a constitutional amendment which would bar counties, cities, and homeowners associations from interfering “in any way a person’s free exercise of religion.” The amendment is intended to address ordinances passed in Houston, San Antonio, and Plano that target business owners who exercise their religious beliefs about sexual orientation.

Tx Rep Matt Krause