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RNZ News
4 days ago
- Sport
- RNZ News
All Blacks victorious in Argentina: what we learned
Analysis: The more things change, the more they stay the same - at least for the Pumas and their attempts to beat the All Blacks on home soil. This morning's test, won 41-24 by Scott Robertson's side, followed a now well-established script for those played between the two sides in Argentina and ticked off every box along the way. The All Blacks shot out to a big halftime lead, then fell asleep at the start of the second half, just long enough for the Pumas to get themselves back in the match. A second-half All Blacks yellow card even gave the hosts a sniff of victory, with Billy Proctor now joining the South American sin-bin inmate club started by Joe Moody and Liam Squire in 2016, then subsequently adding Matt Todd, Kieran Read and Sonny Bill Williams. Anton Lienert-Brown punched his ticket too, just for good measure, but his yellow for a head clash with moments to play was meaningless in the wash-up. Not meaningless was the importance of this result. Yes, the All Blacks established that lead, but the way they finished was more impressive, given how clinical and crowd-killing Samisoni Taukei'aho's powerful efforts were. The All Blacks seemed to flick a switch, something we'd become perhaps too accustomed to during the 2010's, and one of some pretty notable good points. . Samisoni Taukei'aho scores against the Pumas. Photo: ActionPress Halfback Cortez Ratima was under the microscope and stepped up very well, the scrum again earned plenty of key field position and Robertson's stripped back Plan B proved to be very effective. The All Blacks leaned on their forward dominance and Beauden Barrett's boot when they needed to, and it worked, with Ardie Savea's decision-making at the end empowered to go for tries, rather than shots at goal. Importantly, this time last year, the All Blacks' biggest issue was their inability to score at the backend of games, something now in the rearview mirror through this season's first four tests. Not that they probably knew it at the time, but it also sent a serious and ironic message out in regard to what had transpired a few hours earlier in Johannesburg. South Africa had racked up a 22-0 lead after only 20 minutes against a sorry-looking Wallabies side, who somehow got hold of Asterix's magic potion and piled on 38 unanswered points for a famous victory . The Springboks seemed to forget who they were, trying to run it from everywhere, without setting a platform. Cortez Ratima stepped up at halfback against Argentina. Photo: ActionPress For a while there, the All Blacks seemed likely to do the same thing, especially after Tomas Albernoz stepped past some very confused defence close to the All Black line to draw the Pumas within a converted try. Where the Springboks faltered, uncharacteristically letting the occasion get to them and losing their heads, the All Blacks screwed theirs back on. All it took was one penalty, one chance in the 22 and, suddenly, Taukei'aho's first try solidly gut-punched the resurgent Pumas. His second was the left hook follow-up that knocked the hosts out, pushing the score to a far more comfortable and familiar looking one. While the cold-as-ice ending should rightfully be lauded, plenty of things remain to work on, before the sides meet again next weekend in Buenos Aires. At times, the backline looked like they'd just met each other before kickoff, heading backwards with possession and bringing back horrific memories of the turning point in last year's loss to the Pumas in Wellington. The aforementioned lack of discipline was concerning, especially since Proctor's yellow came after a frenetically unhinged period of defence, and Ratima's early subbing was a headscratcher, but the impact of Taukei'aho and especially Patrick Tuipulotu off the bench was extremely heartening. Tuipulotu's shift was about enough to gain a man-of-the-match award, with a couple of huge tackles and vital lineout intelligence at the right time. Most of all, coach Robertson will be pleased with the fact that he brought on the right amount of experience to manufacture that clinical finish. Along with the Wallabies win, the result sends the All Blacks back to the No.1 ranking in the world - for whatever that's worth. There were patches in Cordoba where they certainly played like a team befitting that title, but with plenty more to work on, if they want to hang onto it and eventually win back the Rugby Championship. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
CBS News
27-07-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Texas special session week 1: THC, redistricting, flood response
The first week of the Texas Legislature's special session is in the books. Lawmakers held hearings in Austin on some of the highest-profile items on the agenda, including flood response, redistricting and regulating THC. On Wednesday, select committees of the House and Senate assigned to scrutinized the state's emergency response convened for the first time in a joint hearing. Republican Sen. Charles perry, the chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Disaster Preparedness and Flooding, said they do not seek to assign blame for more than 100 deaths that occurred over the July 4th weekend in Hill Country. "Our select committee will not armchair quarterback," Perry said, adding it sought to draw lessons on flood prevention and preparedness. Nim Kidd, the head of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, testified at the hearing, offering lawmakers suggestions to mitigate a similar catastrophe, including ways to strengthen emergency communications. But some Democrats cast doubt on the agency's response and whether it was doing enough to boost flood infrastructure in rural towns. "We can mitigate or eliminate the possibility this could happen in the future," Democratic state Rep. Joe Moody said. "And that's not a blame game, that's accountability." Local officials have faced scrutiny over why more warnings weren't sent to residents in harm's way along the hard-hit Guadalupe River. Gov. Greg Abbott has said assigning blame for the disaster is "the word choice of losers." Lawmakers have filed bills to improve early warning systems and emergency communications and to provide relief funding. Legislators are scheduled to visit Kerrville on July 31 to hear from residents. Texas Democrats on Thursday laid into Republicans for racing to create more winnable U.S. House seats before the 2026 elections in the first public hearing by lawmakers as they undertake a rare summer redrawing of the congressional maps at the urging of President Donald Trump. No proposals of what Texas' new congressional districts might look like were unveiled at the state Capitol, where three Democratic members of Congress joined more than 100 members of the public in rallying outside the building before waiting hours to testify before a special legislative committee. "You all are being used," Democratic U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro told the panel, saying it would confuse voters and motivate other states to rush to redraw their own maps. He and other Democrats blasted the justification for the unusually timed redrawing, which typically happens only once every 10 years to coincide with demographic shifts from the U.S. census. No Republicans on the 21-member panel made remarks before testimony began other than the committee chairman, Rep. Cody Vasut, who said he had not been in talks with the White House about the redrawing. "Whether or not I think there needs to be mid-cycle redistricting is a matter of opinion," said Vasut, when asked whether he believed it was appropriate to redraw maps in the middle of the decade. Other public hearings are planned around Texas in the coming days as the GOP has only a few weeks to vote through new maps in the 30-day special legislative session. Just weeks after Gov. Abbott vetoed a bill banning products containing THC, state senators revived it in the special session, filing nearly identical legislation and passing it unanimously out of committee with a 10-0 vote on Tuesday. Abbott explicitly asked lawmakers to regulate, not ban, hemp products. Senators argued on Tuesday that it's not going to work. "We'll regulate it," said Sen. Bob Hall, R-Edgewood. "We'll regulate it by banning it. Because we already tried regulating it." Allen police chief Steve Dye, who has led raids of hemp stores and warehouses, testified at the hearing and argued regulation would be too difficult and costly to be effective. "Regulation would likely be seen by the industry as carte blanche legalization," Dye said. Advocates argue a ban would close hundreds of businesses, costing Texans tens of thousands of jobs. They also argue it hurt Texans who use the products, like veterans who use them as alternative to alcohol and opioids. Abbott was quoted by Impact News on Tuesday, saying he does want to ban intoxicating consumable THC products, which he views as those with more than 3 milligrams of THC. That's still more than what the Senate seems to want to allow, but it may be a sign he's willing to compromise. Senate Bill 5 now heads to the full Senate.
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
After deadly floods, state and federal leaders look for answers
AUSTIN (KXAN) — In the aftermath of the Kerr County flooding, there are growing questions about how the response was handled as leaders at all levels continue looking for answers. 'I think there's certainly a lot of questions that need to be answered, you know, the how and the why are always something that we're going to look at in the wake of a tragedy,' said State Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso. 'And that's something we owe to the people of Texas, to those families who have suffered immensely, we owe that to them.' Federal leaders spar on NWS flood warning response, pose safety review after Texas disaster Moody wants to see long-term and immediate changes that could include funding for outdoor warning sirens. 'When we're talking about short-term solutions, like these flood warning systems,' Moody said. 'Those are things we can do right now.' On Tuesday, State Rep. Drew Darby, R-San Angelo, shared a letter he sent Gov. Greg Abbott on social media. Darby wants to see a failed bill co-authored by Moody, House Bill 13, resurface. KXAN first reported on the bill over the weekend. If passed, it would have developed a statewide strategic plan that included 'the use of outdoor warning sirens.' A newly formed council would have been asked to 'develop and implement, as advisable, emergency alert systems and incorporate as necessary communication technologies into the emergency communications network of this state.' 'While we cannot change the past, we must act now to better prepare our communities for future natural disasters and ensure our neighbors have the resources to rebuild,' Darby wrote on X. 'This includes, among other things, investing in a more robust and comprehensive alert system, as well as ensuring a coordinated, long-term recovery effort that leaves no community behind.' His letter asked the governor to urgently consider adding 'strengthening the ability of our state and local communities to prepare for, respond to, and recover from natural disasters' to the July 21 special session. On Tuesday, Abbott said 'at the top' of the agenda will be helping communities impacted. 'We're going to start a special session two Mondays from now. A special session that will have at the top of its agenda helping communities like in Kerr County, Kendall County, as well as in Central Texas and the Big Country — all areas affected by the floods of the past week — those issues are going to be on the agenda for the state to address, from top to bottom,' Abbott said. 'We want to make sure that when we end that session, we end it making sure these communities are better, more resilient and have the resources that they need for the next chapter of their lives.' 'You're going to see a bipartisan group of legislators lock arms and work on solutions to these problems,' Moody said. Following Texas floods, warning sirens get renewed attention READ: Congressman Doggett's letter to NOAA sent July 8Download On the federal level, elected leaders are looking for lessons. 'Most people at 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. are asleep,' said U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. 'And, so, I think we will have a reasonable conversation about A, are there any ways to have earlier detection?' On Monday, Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz told NBC News that flood sirens, and resources for smaller counties to respond and prepare for disasters, will likely be discussed at the federal level. 'Look, I think that's certainly a discussion that will flow in the weeks and months ahead,' Cruz said. 'I think we need to look at what happened, what transpired and how we could have moved more quickly to get people who are vulnerable out of harm's way in particular those kids in the cabins by the river.' 'How we make that happen, I think, is a very reasonable discussion,' he added. 'It should be a bipartisan discussion. And, I expect it to happen at the local level, the state level and the federal level.' A day after KXAN highlighted cities, like San Marcos, that have outdoor warning sirens, Congressman Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, said he is 'certainly in favor' of discussing the issue on a federal level. 'It's amazing that a county [Kerr County] that encourages people from all over the state and the country to come there for camping did not have sirens of the type we have in San Marcos,' Doggett said. In a letter sent Tuesday, first obtained by KXAN, Doggett asked the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to answer 14 questions. He is asking for details about any communication between the National Weather Service Austin/San Antonio office and Kerr County or camp leaders before the flooding began. Doggett also wants to know how staffing cuts have impacted operations. KXAN previously found six vacancies in the NWS Austin/San Antonio office, according to its online staff roster and the NWS Employees Organization. Those include three meteorologists, two technology staff members and a science officer. The office has 26 employees when fully staffed. 'I think we need that information,' Doggett said. 'We need to know the impact of these cutbacks and hiring freezes not just to find out the results of the disaster but to prevent other disasters from occurring.' The White House said the NWS 'did its job' and, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, joined Cruz in pushing back against the criticism. 'Based on the briefing I've received, all of these sort of political finger pointing and blame game is totally out of line,' Cornyn said. 'There was not shortage of resources available. Unfortunately, this was a 100-year flood in a very vulnerable area, with a very vulnerable population.' Cornyn said Congress will do 'everything we can to prevent tragedies like this from occurring in the future.' 'We would try to learn from this and say, 'What can we do to maybe prevent or mitigate something like this from happening?,'' he said. Over the weekend, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem visited the area along the Guadalupe River, calling the amount of rain in the flooding event 'unprecedented,' broadly referencing the administration's goal to 'fix' aging technology within NOAA – the parent agency to the NWS. 'I do carry your concerns back to the federal government and back to President Trump,' Noem said, acknowledging the need to upgrade 'ancient' technology so 'families have as much warning as possible.' On Tuesday, officials said the NWS 'fulfilled its public safety mission' by issuing more than 60 warnings before the flooding occurred. 'The simple fact is most government systems are antiquated and running on legacy technology — that's been the norm across nearly every agency, under both Republican and Democrat administrations, for decades,' a DHS spokesperson said. 'It's simply not realistic to overhaul every outdated system at once. That's why this administration is taking a hard look at these longstanding issues as part of our broader push to protect taxpayer dollars, strengthen accountability, and modernize where it makes the most sense.' Amid the state and national recoil, President Donald Trump plans to visit Texas Friday to see the damage firsthand. 'This is a 100-year catastrophe,' Trump said. 'And it's just so horrible to watch.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
NZ Herald
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
Crusaders vs Chiefs: Cowbell ban adds spice to Super Rugby final
An explanation... The fact it's been ho-hum reminded me of when ex-Crusaders prop Joe Moody said the quiet part out loud in 2020 and admitted there was some genuine hatred between his side and the Chiefs. Maybe it was the lockdown talking, but it was the most honest a player has been and added some genuine spice to the fixture. Unfortunately, the art of tribalism has largely been lost in Super Rugby. All Blacks and Crusaders prop Joe Moody. Photo / Photosport A suggestion... Not winning a final can hang over you. Long after the initial disappointment dissipates, you can be tagged as not having what it takes to win the big games. The top two inches. Just ask Ian Foster, who admits in his new book that there was a lot made of the fact he never won a title with the Chiefs. If Clayton McMillan oversees a fourth final loss in five years tomorrow night, that tag could follow him long after he's left New Zealand - and back again if he returns to try for the All Blacks job down the track. It's a bit much to say McMillan's coaching future could be decided tonight but, should he win the decider, suddenly those three defeats become less important in the overarching narrative. A prediction... The final will be a coin flip, and the referee will probably decide it. There's a somewhat bizarre symmetry between this year and 2023, when these sides last met in the final. The Chiefs won twice that season and then ... couldn't get over the Crusaders in the final. If that happens, I can recommend to Chiefs fans a great documentary, the Four Falls of Buffalo (screening on Disney+), about the Buffalo Bills' four straight Super Bowl defeats in the 1990s. It won't necessarily be cathartic, but you may find solidarity. A question... Is it better to have Ardie once or never to have had Ardie at all? That's what Moana Pasifika fans must be asking themselves after having their recently acquired 'toy' loaned out to Kobe for another season, with the promise he'll come back in 2027. Just as Moana Pasifika began to get a foothold in Super Rugby, they must appoint a new captain and start somewhat from scratch again. Is there any other sport in the world where a player would trade a stronger competition for a lesser one for a few months? It's only rugby's skewed financials that allow such moves. And would it be better or worse for Super Rugby not to have Savea at all over the current contract period, rather than the 'is he or isn't he here' question with two sabbaticals? Do you gain more by having Savea for one year on, one year off than you do allowing him to head to Japan for four years – clearing any confusion – and still allowing him to be eligible for the All Blacks? Elliott Smith is a Rugby Commentator and Deputy Sports News Editor for Newstalk ZB. He is the host of the Rugby Direct podcast. For live commentary of this weekend's Super Rugby Pacific final between the Crusaders and the Chiefs, go to GOLD SPORT or iHeartRadio.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
State of Texas: THC ban approved amid push to expand medical cannabis program
AUSTIN (Nexstar) – Texas lawmakers moved closer to ban hemp-derived products that can make a consumer feel high, closing a loophole on unregulated intoxicants but also creating concerns it will negatively impact Texans who rely on the products to treat their chronic pain. The Texas House passed a bill to ban all consumable hemp products containing THC. Most of the debate happened on the House floor Wednesday night, but State Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso, offered an amendment to address the criminal penalty related to this bill before members officially passed the ban out of the lower chamber on Thursday. Before Moody's amendment, anyone convicted of possession of a consumable hemp product containing any other cannabinoid besides CBD or CBG would be issued a Class A misdemeanor, the most serious type of misdemeanor which carries jail time and a fine. Moody offered an amendment that lowered the penalty for the first two offenses to a Class C misdemeanor, which could be deferred with community service. Any offense after that would be a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up 180 days in jail and a fine between $250 and $2,000. 'The enforcement of this needs to be stair-stepped. Arresting someone right out for something they bought at the corner store just a few months ago before this went into effect is really not the right way to stair-step in,' Moody said while laying out his amendment. A person convicted of possession of intoxicating hemp would also have their driver's license suspended 30 days on the first offense, 60 days on the second offense, and 180 days on the third offense. The amendment passed 107-30. Both sides of the aisle agreed the current state of unregulated THC products, the intoxicating compound in marijuana, needed to be fixed to protect children and users. However, both sides seemed to differ on how to do that. A majority of Democrats supported regulation while a majority of Republicans supported prohibition. State Rep. Tom Oliverson, R-Cypress, who is a physician, argued that the THC products can be dangerous. 'They are psychosis-inducing, overdose prone chemicals masquerading as relief. These products being sold are not tested, not dosed consistently and not supervised by a medical professional.' Democrats pushed for better regulations, rather than a ban. Before the vote, they warned about the potential economic harm of the legislation. 'Texas businesses do not want a ban on THC,' State Rep. Ana-María Rodríguez Ramos, D-Richardson, said shortly before the vote. 'This is a ban on 50,000 jobs held by working families across the state. It's a ban on 8 billion in annual tax revenue.' A lot of the debate centered around the state's medical marijuana program, called the Texas Compassionate Use Program (TCUP). State Rep. Penny Morales Shaw, a Democrat from Houston, raised concerns for the veteran community. 'You're taking away potentially their freedom to choose this product that in their own words saved their lives,' Morales Shaw said from the back microphone. State Rep. Tom Oliverson, R-Cypress, who wrote the amendment that changed the bill from a regulation on THC to a complete ban, sympathized with those concerns but argued the proper help for veterans would need to come from the state's regulated TCUP. 'I don't ever want somebody to be denied access to a medication that may be a benefit,' Oliverson said. There is a push at the Texas Capitol to expand the TCUP. The program launched in 2015 for epileptic children and has since slowly grown to include more people, including those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. It provides low-THC cannabis to patients with a proper prescription from a physician. There are currently three licensed dispensing organizations that cultivate and deliver the products to patients. Nico Richardson is the CEO of Texas Original Compassionate Cultivation, one of the dispensing organizations based in south Austin. Richardson says one of the main issues for the TCUP is accessibility. He says when a patient makes an order they will either have to drive to the main facility of the organization, meet the organization at a pick-up location, or have the product delivered to their house. The size of Texas creates a long waiting period for the patients, Richardson explained. But even more of a problem lies in the pickup locations. 'The problem with that is with the pickup locations, we're not actually able to keep any of our medicine there. It all has to stay in Austin. So that means someone has to order from us the night before, online or via telephone, and then we have to drive the medicine to that pickup location,' Richardson explained. 'We have to drive the medicine there that morning and wait for the patient to come and pick it up. If the patient doesn't show up, we have to drive it back to Austin, put it back into our vault in our main facility.' During the debate on the THC ban on Wednesday night, the head of the Senate, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, posted on social media that he supports expanding the TCUP to allow for more licenses and locations. 'We will expand licenses and have satellite locations for the first time for prescribed products from doctors for our veterans and those in need,' the social media post read. A bill that has already passed the House, House Bill 46, called for increasing the number of licenses available for dispensing organizations from three to 15. It will also allow organizations to store products at satellite locations to avoid the logistical nightmare, with an emphasis on making sure the locations are spread equitably throughout the state. The bill would also expand the amount of products. Currently, patients can receive their medicine in the form of an edible or a tincture. HB 46 would allow low-THC to be administered by pulmonary inhalation which would allow for a quicker reaction for the consumer. The House bill called for allowing anyone with a condition that causes chronic pain that a physician would otherwise prescribe opioids to now be eligible in TCUP. But the Senate Committee on State Affairs made significant changes to the bill. In a brief hearing on Friday night, committee members approved a committee substitute for HB 46 that does not include chronic pain as a condition eligible in TCUP. The committee substitute is the version of the bill that will be voted on by the full Senate. The updated legislation adds one additional condition, terminal illness or a condition for which a person is in hospice care, to TCUP eligibility. The committee substitute would set the number of licenses for dispensing organizations to nine, down from the 15 in the original version of HB 46. The bill will now go to the full Senate for a vote. May 28 is the last day the Senate can consider any bill. Three months after announcing an investigation into the company Superior HealthPlan, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's office said it closed its cases, according to a news release. The investigation began after the Texas House Committee on the Delivery of Government Efficiency (DOGE) called for sanctions and legislation against the company, as KXAN previously reported. A day after that committee held a hearing, Paxton launched his investigation. Texas DOGE considers bill to prohibit 'surveillance' by state contractors 'The allegations concerning Superior's actions, such as actions that were characterized as potentially blackmailing lawmakers to secure state contracts and surveilling private citizens to avoid paying legitimate claims, are deeply troubling,' said Paxton in a March 27 press release. 'I will get to the bottom of this, uncover any illegal activity, and hold bad actors responsible. Justice will be served.' KXAN previously reported that the company hired a private investigator to research state lawmakers and journalists. The OAG Consumer Protection Division and Health Programs Enforcement Division both conducted investigations into the insurance company following the March announcement. However, both found that the company followed state law. 'Superior's activities involved researching and consolidating publicly available documents into internal reports, which does not violate Texas law,' the OAG said. 'There was no evidence of any surveillance or violation of privacy discovered or indicated within the investigation, nor was any privately held or confidential information, such as protected health information, included in the reports.' Superior HealthPlan responded to the office ending its investigation in a Tuesday afternoon press release, where it said it 'appreciate[s] the swift work' of Paxton and his team. 'We are pleased the numerous false accusations resulting from the March 26th DOGE committee hearing have been rebutted by the Attorney General's review. Superior remains committed to transparency and accountability, and we will continue to ensure that all partners and practices reflect the integrity we expect of ourselves. For 25 years, Superior HealthPlan has partnered with the State of Texas to provide high quality care to Medicaid members and other vulnerable populations. We look forward to returning our focus to serving our 2 million members, providers and community partners.' One day after March hearing that led to the investigation, Centene, the parent company to Superior HealthPlan, announced that CEO Mark Sanders was no longer with the company. Emails revealed at that hearing indicated the company hired private investigators to get information on lawmakers and customers. Centene issued a statement after the March 26th hearing, emphasizing that the information gathered came only through 'publicly or commercially available resources.' However, the company also issued an apology. 'The research in question included irrelevant and unnecessary personal information. That was inappropriate and never should have happened,' Centene's statement said. 'This occurred prior to 2019 and does not reflect the values or standards of our current leadership. For that, we offer our sincere and unequivocal apology.' Texas has a new law aimed at rooting out 'bad actors' from educational settings, with another in the works. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill from Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, on Monday. Senate Bill 1437 allows the Texas Juvenile Justice Department to designate former employees or volunteers permanently ineligible for certification if they engage in conduct that threatens juvenile safety. It takes effect Sept. 1. The bill comes after a KXAN investigation found records showing the Texas Juvenile Justice Department allowed former Juvenile Corrections Officer Isaiah Smith, who was being investigated for sexual misconduct at the Giddings facility, to resign and remain eligible for hire weeks after firing him. Records show that as part of a settlement agreement with Smith, TJJD agreed to change his termination, which rendered him ineligible for rehire, to show that he resigned 'for personal reasons.' The agency also reclassified Smith as eligible for hire in its database, which is accessible to other county juvenile facilities. Records show TJJD did not reverse its decision until more than a year after the settlement, in December 2023, after Smith was arrested and charged with indecency with a minor at an Austin Independent School District high school. Sen. Bettencourt filed another bill, Senate Bill 571, as a direct result of KXAN's investigation into Smith. The House Public Education committee reported the bill favorably on Friday, and it is expected to go before the full House for a vote. KXAN uncovered that Smith got a tutoring job at the Austin ISD high school through nonprofit Austin Partners in Education, despite the TJJD Office of Inspector General already determining he had an inappropriate relationship with a juvenile. Records show that during his time tutoring on an Austin ISD campus, he was arrested on allegations that he inappropriately touched a student. The non-profit that hired Smith did not have immediate access to TJJD's database, which typically contains information about suspected misconduct. The non-profit also told KXAN that Smith did not disclose that he had previously worked at the state agency during the hiring process. Even now, the Texas Education Agency's publicly available Do Not Hire list does not list Smith because Commissioner Morath says his agency has no statutory authority to investigate or place third-party contractors on its misconduct registry. Austin tutor's arrest reveals 'cracks' in how Texas vets school employees Sen. Bettencourt initially said he filed SB 571 to close those loopholes. The bill allowed third-party non-profits to access the state's database, the Interagency Reportable Conduct Search Engine, which will eventually house multiple agencies' state misconduct records. More than two years after lawmakers greenlit the project, the database is still not operational. SB 571 also authorized TEA to investigate third-party contractors for misconduct and place them on its Do Not Hire registry. The legislation has since been expanded to a 72-page bill that, in his own words, attempts to 'close all the loopholes at one time.' A bill analysis from the Senate Research Center explains that school employees, including third-party service providers, can be placed on TEA's Do Not Hire registry for inappropriate communications with students, failing to maintain appropriate boundaries with students, or physically mistreating or threatening violence to students. SB 571 also expands the list of convictions that would result in a mandatory termination and loss of certification to include felony offenses of public indecency or an improper relationship between an educator and a student. The bill has received criticism over a newer provision making reports and other records related to the TEA or the State Board of Education Certification's review or investigation of a misconduct allegation confidential and not subject to disclosure under the Texas Public Information Act. The bill summary says the confidentiality provision was added because 'current law requires seeking an [Attorney General] opinion' each time on whether the records are releasable. 'When Texas is in crisis with the growing number of educator misconduct events, we should not be hiding any record related to educator misconduct from the public,' Amy Ratleff from Plano wrote in public comments to the Texas House on the bill. Continuing Coverage Man accused of molesting child while tutoring at Austin ISD Austin tutor's arrest reveals 'cracks' in how Texas vets school employees Juvenile officers' do-not-hire status initially reversed amid sexual misconduct investigation Texas man's job history before sex abuse conviction highlights background check gaps Former Austin ISD tutor and juvenile corrections officer faces more charges of indecency with children Texas Senate bill seeks to expand access to state misconduct records after KXAN investigation Texas senators consider $10,000 fine for superintendents who don't report suspected sexual misconduct The bill, headed for a floor vote in the House, includes the confidentiality provision. Lawmakers in the Texas House gave final approval Wednesday to two bills that aim to cut property taxes for homeowners in the state. The bills aim to increase the state's homestead exemption, which is the amount of a home's value that is not subject to property taxes. Texas voters will decide this November whether to amend the state constitution to allow the tax cuts to be implemented. House members voted 143-0 on Wednesday to approve Senate Bill 4, which calls for raising the homestead exemption for all homeowners from $100,000 to $140,000. Supporters of SB 4 said the increase could save the average Texas homeowner nearly $500 annually in taxes. Senate approves $140K homestead exemption to increase property tax relief The House also passed Senate Bill 23, which would provide an additional raise to the homestead exemption for those 65 and older. It would raise the additional homestead exemption for elderly and disabled homeowners from $10,000 to $60,000. That's on top of the current $100,000 exemption for Texas homeowners. Both SB 4 and SB 23 require amendments to the Texas Constitution to take effect. The House also approved corresponding resolutions that would put the issues before Texas voters in November. If voters approve amendments to enact SB 23 in tandem with SB 4, the total homestead exemption for elderly and disabled homeowners would rise to $200,000. Bill author Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston estimates that the increased exemption will save the average over-65 or disabled homeowner more than $950 annually in property taxes. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
