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The Brief: Ken Paxton heads back to court today

Attorney General Ken Paxton is back in court Thursday for a pretrial hearing, where prosecutors are expected to argue for a change in court venue.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, with his wife Angela Paxton, makes brief remarks to reporters after a hearing in his SEC case on Sept. 2, 2016, in Sherman.

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What you need to know

Attorney General Ken Paxton is back in court Thursday for a pretrial hearing, where prosecutors are expected to argue for a change in court venue. Follow Texas Tribune reporter Patrick Svitek for updates today.

Now, your take

According to an Oct. 2016 University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll, 31 percent of Texans said they had heard nothing at all about Attorney General Ken Paxton's legal problems.

Other stories we're watching today:

  • After listening to hours of testimony Monday, the Senate of State Affairs Committee is expected to vote out a bill aimed at ending automatic paycheck deductions for state employee unions. Follow Texas Tribune reporter Cassi Pollock for updates.
  • The Senate State Affairs Committee is taking up one of Gov. Greg Abbott's four emergency items: passing a resolution showing Texas backs a constitutional convention. 

News from home

Help us report on sex trafficking in Texas: Over the past five months, The Texas Tribune has investigated the hidden world of sex trafficking. Now, we want to hear about your experiences.

Ask Texas Tribune journalists Neena Satija, Morgan Smith and Edgar Walters about our investigation into sex trafficking in Texas by joining us for a Feb. 21 Reddit "Ask Me Anything" chat with a former child welfare investigator. 

What we're reading

(Links below lead to outside websites; paywall content noted with $) 

The great Texas high school football stadium boom, The Atlantic

Immigrant workers, families to protest by staying home, The Associated Press

A white supremacist group aims to recruit on college campuses, Texas Monthly

Audit: fired detective mishandled dozens of child abuse cases, The Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Protesters question circumstances of jail inmate's death, The Houston Chronicle ($)

A pastor in the Bible Belt opened his church to refugees. Here's what happenedThe Los Angeles Times ($)

Abbott's hiring freeze could violate agreement on disabilities overhaul, feds say, The Dallas Morning News ($)

The talk: Lessons from a unique perspective, Austin American-Statesman ($)

Border bishops reaffirm commitment to immigrants, offer legal and spiritual assistanceSan Antonio Express-News ($)

Photo of the day

Yvette, 24, was convicted of trafficking a 16-year-old girl in 2015. She is serving a 23-year sentence at a prison in Gatesville, Texas. Photo by Gabriel Cristóver Pérez for The Texas Tribune. See more photos on our Instagram account

Quote to note

"SB 6 is an unenforceable, unnecessary, and prejudicial law that will protect no one. "

— Jace Valcore, assistant professor of criminal justice at the University of Houston, about the bathroom bill via TribTalk

The Brief is written and compiled by your morning news baristas, Bobby Blanchard and Sanya Mansoor. If you have feedback or questions, please email thebrief@texastribune.org. We're a nonprofit newsroom, and count on readers like you to help power newsletters like this. Did you like what you read today? Show your appreciation by becoming a member or making a donation today.

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