Texas Bill to Give State Sweeping Oversight of Public University Curricula
Senate Bill 37, which advanced to the governor's desk on June 2, would establish a state-level committee tasked with recommending which courses should be required for graduation. It would also significantly empower each public university system's board of regents, whose members are appointed by the governor.
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CBS News
an hour ago
- CBS News
Texas legislative standoff stretches into fourth day as Democrats are told to return to the Capitol on Friday
The battle between Texas Democrats and the Texas House continues with one more day before lawmakers were told to meet and make quorum in Austin. After not making a quorum for a second day on Tuesday, Texas Democrats and Chicago Sen. Dick Durbin spoke Wednesday with members of the media in response to comments from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and President Donald Trump. The Texas House reconvened Tuesday afternoon in Austin after Democratic lawmakers fled the state in an effort to block a redistricting vote. Democratic lawmakers were not in attendance, making it the second day in a row the House hasn't met a quorum. The House is going to meet again on Friday in an attempt to make a quorum. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton shared a stern warning aimed at the House Democrats if they don't return to the Capitol by Friday: "The people of Texas elected lawmakers, not jet-setting runaways looking for headlines. If you don't show up to work, you get fired." Abbott on Monday ordered the civil arrest of Democratic lawmakers who fled the state. By Wednesday, Sen. John Cornyn said that FBI Director Kash Patel responded to his request to assist state and local law enforcement in "locating the runaway Texas House Democrats and investigate potential offenses." Texas Democrats were in Boston on Wednesday with Democratic state legislators from around the country at a rally on Beacon Hill to mark the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act. The Democrats who stayed in Chicago were evacuated from their hotel after a bomb threat, according to police and lawmakers. The Texas Attorney General announced Wednesday that he's launched an investigation into a political action committee founded by Beto O'Rourke, accusing the group of illegally financing out-of-state travel for Texas House Democrats who fled the state in an effort to block a redistricting vote. Powered by People is a political group focusing on organizing volunteers in Texas to register voters, mobilize Democratic-leaning voters and support Democratic candidates, according to its website. In a news release, Paxton alleged that "public reports" indicate Powered by People is among the leading organizations financially supporting the Texas Democrats who fled the state. O'Rourke's organization confirmed Tuesday with CBS Texas' Eye on Politics reporter Jack Fink that the PAC is raising funds for Democrats who left the state to deny the legislature a quorum. "The guy impeached for bribery is going after the folks trying to stop the theft of five Congressional seats," O'Rourke's campaign said in a statement to CBS News Texas.
CBS News
an hour ago
- CBS News
FBI will help track down Texas Democrats who left state, Sen. John Cornyn says
FBI Director Kash Patel has agreed to aid the search for the Texas Democratic lawmakers who left the state to protest new congressional maps, Sen. John Cornyn said Thursday. Texas Republicans have been trying to bring the Democrats back so there are enough lawmakers on the floor for a quorum, which would enable them to vote on new congressional maps likely to increase the GOP advantage in the state. Texas requires two-thirds of the House — or 100 of the 150 representatives — to be present for a quorum. It's unclear what the laws the legislators have broken that would involve the FBI. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has called for civil arrest and said he had ordered the Texas Department of Public Safety to force them to return. But Texas DPS does not have jurisdiction outside the state. Abbott and Cornyn have raised allegations of bribery, since the lawmakers' quorum break is being funded by donations from various groups, including former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke's PAC and other Democratic groups. "I thank President Trump and Director Patel for supporting and swiftly acting on my call for the federal government to hold these supposed lawmakers accountable for fleeing Texas," Cornyn said. "We cannot allow these rogue legislators to avoid their constitutional responsibilities."Alan He contributed to this report.
Black America Web
2 hours ago
- Black America Web
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Sues To Remove Democratic Rep In Redistricting Fight
Source: Brandon Bell / Getty Texas' redistricting saga has escalated once more, as Gov. Greg Abbott has filed an emergency petition with the state Supreme Court to remove Democratic Rep. Gene Wu from his seat in the state House. According to NBC News, Abbott's suit argues that Wu violated the state Constitution by fleeing the state and has effectively abandoned his seat. 'Representative Wu has openly renounced these constitutional mandates by fleeing the State of Texas to break quorum, obstruct legislative proceedings, and paralyze the Texas House of Representatives,' Abbott's lawsuit says. 'Absconding from the State during a constitutionally mandated session, not for lawful cause, but for the very purpose of subverting the Legislature's ability to function, constitutes a flagrant violation of Wu's oath and is an intentional abandonment of his constitutional duty,' it adds. We care about your data. See our privacy policy. If the mid-decade redistricting hasn't driven home the fact that Texas Republicans don't care about democracy, Gov. Greg Abbott's effort to remove an elected official from office because they won't disenfranchise voters makes it apparent. In addition to the lawsuit, Gov. Abbott has also ordered the civil arrest of the legislators who fled the state. State Attorney General Ken Paxton sent a letter to the state Supreme Court clerk asking them not to dismiss Abbott's lawsuit until after Friday. He acknowledged in the letter that only the attorney general, a state attorney, or a county attorney has the authority to file lawsuits similar to the one Gov. Greg Abbott filed. Paxton has given the Texas Democrats until Friday to return to the state, after which he will initiate legal proceedings to declare their seats vacant. Wu released a statement on Tuesday afternoon pushing back against Gov. Abbott's claims. 'Let me be unequivocal about my actions and my duty. When a governor conspires with a disgraced president to ram through a racist gerrymandered map, my constitutional duty is to not be a willing participant,' Wu said. 'Denying the governor a quorum was not an abandonment of my office; it was a fulfillment of my oath. Unable to defend his corrupt agenda on its merits, Greg Abbott now desperately seeks to silence my dissent by removing a duly-elected official from office.' Source: The Austin American-Statesman/Hearst Newspapers / Getty The Texas redistricting fight began last month after Gov. Greg Abbott declared a special legislative session under the guise of providing relief for Texans affected by the devastating floods over the Fourth of July weekend. Democratic officials in Texas and nationwide were shocked when redistricting was listed as a legislative priority for the session. Redistricting usually happens once every 10 years, with Texas having redrawn its map in 2021. The move to draft a new map was at the behest of President Trump, who is seeking to maintain the GOP's narrow majority in the House of Representatives in the 2026 midterms. Texas Republicans revealed their new map last week, which would create five new, Republican-leaning districts. Texas Democrats fled the state on Sunday to break quorum and stall the vote on the new map. The majority of the representatives fled to Illinois, with several others going to Albany, New York, and Boston. The rhetoric from Texas Republicans over the redistricting fight has only escalated tensions. A bomb threat was made Wednesday morning at an Illinois hotel where several Texas Democrats are currently staying. The hotel was quickly evacuated, and no one was injured. Texas state Rep. Ann Johnson released a statement addressing the bomb threat. 'Early this morning, a bomb threat forced us to evacuate our hotel. Thankfully, no one was harmed. But this is the kind of danger that comes from reckless rhetoric. When the Attorney General tells people to 'hunt us down,' it's not just politics — it's a threat to our safety,' Johnson's statement read. Beyond the cruelty of the bomb threat, what I find most frustrating about this development is the fact that average people are this gung-ho about disenfranchising voters. The very same people with very strong opinions about standing for the National Anthem, have 'We the people' bumper stickers, and talk about being a patriot, are the same ones actively celebrating efforts to undermine the constitutional rights of people they disagree with. I'm not surprised, considering who the American people elected as president. It's just baffling that a significant part of the population truly doesn't see how Texas's redistricting effort is setting a precedent that will be bad for all Americans, not just Democrats. SEE ALSO: Texas Creates 5 New House Seats In Areas Trump Won In 2024 Texas Dems Fight Redistricting Effort Through Filibusters Texas State Dems Break Quorum To Prevent Redistricting Vote Critics Call Texas Governor's New Congressional Map Gerrymandering Gov. Greg Abbott Orders Arrest Of Texas Democrats SEE ALSO Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Sues To Remove Democratic Rep In Redistricting Fight was originally published on
