Two fresh departures from the troubled Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, announced Thursday, bring to five the number of high-level officials calling it quits since The Texas Tribune began publishing a series of stories about lavish spending, mismanagement and regulatory overreach at TABC.
Jay Root
Jay Root is an award-winning journalist who reported for the Tribune from 2011 to 2020. He covered the dramatic collapse of Gov. Rick Perry’s 2012 presidential campaign and went on to write an ebook about it called “Oops! A Diary from the 2012 Campaign Trail.” Root also broke the story that put the Texas attorney general, Ken Paxton, on the path toward criminal indictment, co-wrote an exposé that brought an end to privately funded prosecutions in Travis County, and authored a series of watchdog articles that prompted a wave of firings and resignations at two major state agencies.
In 2017, Root co-directed “Beyond The Wall,” a film exploring border politics in the age of Trump, which won a national Edward R. Murrow award for best news documentary. Root’s latest film, “Border Hustle,” was released in early 2019 and reveals how desperate migrants have become cash cows on both sides of the border.
Previously, for a dozen years, Root was Austin bureau chief of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, where he chronicled the rise of then-Gov. George W. Bush, wrote about cartel violence in Mexico and covered Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita. During a three-year stint at the Associated Press, Root was twice named AP Staff Reporter of the Year for his watchdog reporting, including a story that sparked felony charges against a sitting state representative.
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State Government
Embattled Texas liquor agency announces third high-level departure
A shake-up continues at the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission with the resignation of TABC General Counsel Emily Helm, the third top official to leave the agency in recent months.
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State Government
Texas liquor agency rebuked after investigation of Spec’s
After a three-year probe, state liquor regulators asked an administrative court to cancel every permit held by Spec’s, the state’s largest liquor retailer, or fine it more than $700 million. Instead, the judges recommended nothing but a warning.
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State Government
Small beer makers say bill creates “extortion fee” as they seek Abbott’s veto
Craft brewers want Gov. Greg Abbott to veto a bill that would put limits on some regulatory relief that benefits them. But supporters, including some major distributors, say the bill is needed to stop big beer companies that gobble up independent craft brewers from taking advantage of relaxed regulations.
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Criminal Justice
Private insurer will no longer fund fraud prosecutions
Almost two years after The Texas Tribune and Austin American-Statesman revealed that a private Texas insurer had paid millions to government prosecutors to investigate certain fraud cases, the deal is being scrapped. In its place: a state-funded team.
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State Government
Ethics reform not swept under rug, but not sweeping either
Nearly four years after Gov. Greg Abbott called on the Legislature to pass meaningful ethics reform, he’s finally got some of it on his desk. But it’s not as sweeping as the watchdogs wanted.
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Politics
Legislature approves bill requiring disclosure of government contracts
Politicians who make money off government contracts will have to disclose the work under a bill that got final approval in the Legislature Sunday.
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Criminal Justice
Another top TABC honcho departing amid controversy
Steven Weinberg abruptly quit this week as commissioner of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, which has been roiled by reports of extravagant spending, mismanagement and heavy-handed regulation.
Posted inState Government
Major ethics reform remains viable in final days of session
With crucial deadlines looming, ethics proposals that include taking pensions from politicians-turned-felons, requiring more disclosure of lawmakers’ business dealings and forcing lobbyists to reveal who they’re wining and dining remain viable.
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Economy
Even in Texas, sometimes the billionaires lose
After billionaire Warren Buffett met with Gov. Greg Abbott and other top leaders, a bill to grant him a loophole from protectionist Texas auto laws seemed to be fast-tracked, until Tea Party activists found out about it.