Attorneys General From 15 States Sue to Abolish National Firearms Act
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton made the announcement at the Gun Owners of America Gun Owners Advocacy and Leadership Summit in Knoxville, Tennessee, on Aug. 9.
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Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Beto's Big Scheme Busted: Paxton Slaps Expanded Ban On ‘Powered by People's' Cash
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has expanded a temporary restraining order against Beto O'Rourke's organization, blocking funds from leaving Texas. The order targets Powered by People's alleged financial scheme supporting Democratic legislators who fled the state. The expanded ruling prevents O'Rourke's group and partner institutions like ActBlue from transferring money out of Texas. It marks Paxton's latest legal victory against the former gubernatorial candidate. O'Rourke's organization allegedly operated an 'unlawful financial influence scheme' to help Democrats avoid arrest during their quorum break. The attorney general secured an initial restraining order last week. A Travis County court also denied O'Rourke's attempt to move the case to El Paso. The venue decision keeps the lawsuit in Austin's jurisdiction. 'In Texas, lawless actions have consequences, and Beto's finding that out the hard way,' Paxton said in a statement. 'His fraudulent attempt to pad the pockets of the rogue cowards abandoning Texas has been stopped, and now the court has rightly frozen his ability to continue to send money outside of Texas.' The modified order specifically names financial institutions and political fundraising platforms. It prohibits them from transferring Powered by People's funds outside Texas. Paxton called the Democratic legislators a 'cabal' engaged in collusion. 'The cabal of Democrats who have colluded together to scam Texans and derail our Legislature will face the full force of the law, starting with Robert Francis O'Rourke,' he said. The attorney general's office provided links to both court documents. Neither O'Rourke nor Powered by People immediately responded to the ruling. Solve the daily Crossword
16 hours ago
Appeals court overturns order that stripped some protections from pregnant Texas state workers
NEW YORK -- A federal appeals court has upheld a law strengthening the rights of pregnant workers, vacating a judge's earlier order that had stripped those protections from Texas state employees. The ruling was a victory for advocates of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, a law that passed with bipartisan support in 2022 but quickly became embroiled in controversy over whether it covers workers seeking abortions and fertility treatments. A federal judge last year blocked enforcement of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act for Texas state employees, ruling that its passage was unconstitutional because a majority of House members were not physically present to approve the law as part of spending package in December 2022. In a 2-1 decision, the Fifth Circuit appeals court disagreed, finding that the law was properly passed under a COVID-19 pandemic-era Congressional rule allowing members to vote by proxy to meet the quorum requirement. The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act strengthens the rights of women to receive workplace accommodation for needs related to pregnancy and childbirth, such as time off for medical appointments and exemptions from heavy lifting. Its passage came after a decades long campaign by women's advocacy groups highlighting the struggles of pregnant workers, especially those in low-wage roles, who were routinely forced off the job after requesting accommodations. The Texas case differed from other lawsuits that have narrowly focused on federal regulations stating that abortion, fertility treatments and birth control are medical issues requiring protection under the new law. The lawsuit, filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, instead took aim at the entirety of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, drawing opposition from Republican lawmakers including former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who defended the pandemic-era proxy voting rule. Under the Trump administration, the Department of Justice has continued to fight Paxton's lawsuit, which if successful, could help open the door to legal challenges of other pandemic-era laws passed by proxy. Paxton's office did not reply to emails seeking comment, and it was not clear whether he would appeal Friday's ruling. The Justice Department declined to comment. 'This is a big win for women's rights. We are really happy to see that the Fifth Circuit agreed with us that the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act was passed constitutionally and will continue to fight for the PWFA to stay legal,' said Inimai Chettiar, president of a Better Balance, an advocacy group that spearheaded the campaign for passage of the law. Texas state employees are not immediately protected, however, because the appeals court ruling doesn't become final for several weeks to give time for a possible appeal, Chettiar said. Conservative officials and religious groups, meanwhile, have been largely successfully in challenging the regulations passed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which established that workers seeking abortions are entitled accommodations. In May, a federal court struck down the abortion provisions of the EEOC regulations in response to lawsuits brought by states of Louisiana and Mississippi, and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Catholic University and two Catholic dioceses. The Trump administration is almost certain to comply with that ruling. President Donald Trump in January fired two of the EEOC's democratic commissioners, paving the way for him to quickly establish a Republican majority at the agency. EEOC Acting Chair Andrea Lucas, a Republican, has signaled her support for revising the regulations, arguing the agency exceeded its authority by including not only abortion but fertility treatments and birth control as medical needs covered by the law.
The Hill
19 hours ago
- The Hill
Democratic-aligned nonprofit, civil rights groups ready to sue over Texas congressional map
Several Democratic-aligned and civil rights groups are readying to sue over a proposed set of new congressional lines in Texas as lawmakers in the Lone Star State look to advance a GOP-friendly map ahead of 2026. Several groups including the National Redistricting Foundation, the National Democratic Redistricting Committee's nonprofit arm; Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) and League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) filed a motion on Monday asking a federal court in Texas to set aside time for a hearing once the groups file a preliminary injunction that looks to block the Texas House map from taking effect. The filing also asks the court to 'vacate, as to the state legislative challenges, its August 11, 2025, order suspending the deadline for submitting proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law.' 'The map is egregiously unconstitutional, and its implementation must be immediately enjoined,' the filing said. 'Plaintiffs intend to expeditiously supplement their complaints and move for a preliminary injunction on account of the new map's blatant constitutional violations.' The Hill has reached out to spokespeople for Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) for comment. Texas Republicans are looking to pass a new House map ahead of 2026 amid pressure from the White House, with a goal of picking up a handful of new seats next year. Texas Democrats fled the state during the first special session to deny Republicans the minimum number of lawmakers needed to conduct business. But they finally returned to the state this week during Republicans' second special session, paving the way for the GOP to pass a new gerrymandered map. In response, Democrats in California are moving forward to pass their own gerrymandered map; the new map is expected to go before voters for a vote this November. The map in California is looking to neutralize the gains Texas Republicans expect to make with their new map. Proposed congressional lines have so far only advanced in Texas House and Texas Senate committees, but the motion from the groups underscores opponents getting ready to quickly challenge proposed maps in court. 'Despite bipartisan opposition among Texans, the Texas Legislature is pushing forward a congressional map that includes even fewer minority opportunity districts than the current discriminatory map, which is already being challenged in court for violating Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act,' said Marina Jenkins, executive director of the National Redistricting Foundation, in a statement. 'Should Governor Abbott sign the new gerrymander into law, the NRF will quickly challenge that map in federal court, and the court must be prepared to act swiftly to intervene and protect the rights of Texans,' she added.
