Texas bans taxpayer-funded bail, including for arrested protesters
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott recently signed Senate Bill 40 into law, which bans the use of tax dollars to fund bail payments. More specifically, it prohibits cities and counties from giving public funds to nonprofits that post bail for anyone in jail.
While the law has drawn attention in the context of current protests, it does not specifically target protesters; it applies to anyone who is arrested, regardless of their charges.
DHS official says immigration raids will continue despite protests
Still, the law's timing has sparked controversy, especially in cities like Austin and Dallas, where immigration-related demonstrations have led to arrests. The legislation is being discussed in the broader context of national bail reform debates, though it isn't the central issue driving protests.
Abbott argues the law is about public safety and keeping tax dollars out of the bail system.
Critics, however, claim there is no evidence that Texas cities have used taxpayer funds to pay bail.
In Harris County, which includes Houston, the city auditor found such payments were simply reimbursements, not taxpayer-funded bail.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump Selects EJ Antoni To Lead The Bureau Of Labor Statistics
U.S. President Donald Trump tapped EJ Antoni, chief economist at the Heritage Foundation, to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics, saying on Truth Social that he wants numbers that are honest and accurate. The job requires Senate confirmation. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 6 Warning Signs with INTC. The move comes after Trump fired BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer on August 1 following a weak July jobs report and downward revisions to the prior two months. Antoni has been outspoken about BLS methods and revisions, so expect tough questions on data independence, seasonal adjustments and how he would handle future revisions if confirmed. Economists across the spectrum quickly defended McEntarfer and the BLS, calling the agency a gold standard for apolitical statistics. Critics warn that politicizing labor data could erode investor trust, complicate Federal Reserve communication and inject more volatility into payrolls days if market participants start doubting the goalposts. credible labor data anchors rate expectations, equity risk premia and Treasury pricing. Even minor doubts can move nomination puts BLS governance in the spotlight. Watch the Senate process and the next jobs reports for any sign of methodological shifts. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump's pick for BLS suggested suspending monthly jobs report
(Bloomberg) — EJ Antoni, President Donald Trump's pick to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics, has suggested suspending the agency's monthly jobs reports and publishing only quarterly numbers until issues with data collection are corrected. In an interview with Fox Business before Trump nominated him on Monday, Antoni said businesses can't plan and the Federal Reserve can't conduct monetary policy when the monthly report is unreliable and frequently overstated and thus misleading. 'Until it is corrected, the BLS should suspend issuing the monthly job reports but keep publishing the more accurate, though less timely, quarterly data,' he said, according to Fox Business. 'Major decision-makers from Wall Street to DC rely on these numbers, and a lack of confidence in the data has far-reaching consequences.' The jobs report is one of the so-called Principal Federal Economic Indicators, which Congress requires, by law, to be published according to a prescribed date on a calendar that statistical agencies submit to the White House a year in advance. William Beach, who was BLS chief during Trump's first term, said that those reports can be held up if there was evidence of malfeasance or criminal undermining, but a commissioner can't prevent its publication. 'The commissioner has very few powers to change the context of a report or suspend a report,' Beach said. 'The president could probably hold it up under his executive powers, but there's certainly nothing the commissioner could do.' Beach did note, however, that the commissioner can authorize the suspension of some parts of reports under certain circumstances. For example, in the early months of the pandemic when many businesses were closed, Beach had BLS drop publication of wholesale price data on industrial diamonds. If confirmed by the Senate, Antoni would succeed Erika McEntarfer, whom Trump abruptly fired Aug. 1 after a BLS report showed weak job growth in July and substantial downward revisions to the prior two months. Trump accused her, without evidence, of manipulating the numbers for political purposes, while noting that she was appointed by former President Joe Biden. Michael Horrigan, who spent over a decade at BLS overseeing its employment and inflation programs, said the implications of pausing the monthly jobs report would be 'very concerning,' and impact Wall Street and public trust in the agency. It would also have a ripple effect on other series within the jobs report, like data on state and local employment and wages, he said. 'A much simpler solution to eliminate the impact of revisions is to delay the publication of a given month until the full sample has been delivered and eliminate the noise of revisions,' Horrigan said. (Updates with comments from former BLS officials) ©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump Defends 15% Nvidia China Revenue Deal
Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) could regain limited China access after President Donald Trump said he may allow a downgraded Blackwell chip and defended a reported plan for the U.S. to take 15% of H20 sales in exchange for export licenses. Speaking to reporters, Trump said he would consider shipments of a Blackwell reduced by 30% to 50%. He fielded questions about reported licenses for Nvidia and AMD (NASDAQ:AMD), adding he first asked for 20% before agreeing to 15%. He stressed the arrangement applies only to H20, which he called obsolete and something China already has in a different form. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 6 Warning Signs with AMD. The idea drew warnings from analysts and China hawks who worry advanced U.S. chips could aid Beijing's ambitions. Trump said Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang will meet him again to discuss an unenhanced version of the big one. Any Blackwell move would still depend on clear performance limits and formal export rules. A license path could restore some China revenue, trim margins and keep geopolitics front and center for chipmakers and for formal license terms, possible 30% to 50% Blackwell caps and the outcome of the next meeting between Trump and Huang. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
