Amid a controversy over travel to fancy resorts and other spending controversies, the head of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, Sherry Cook, announced she was stepping down from her job effective May 23.
state agencies
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Outlook uncertain for bill to raise age of criminal responsibility
Democratic state Sen. John Whitmire of Houston says a bill that would raise the age of adult criminal responsibility in Texas from 17 to 18 years old fails to address his chief concerns: cost and safety.
Posted in
State Government
TABC on hot seat over trips and spending controversies
For more than three hours, top TABC officials were grilled by House members for misusing state resources, taking trips to Hawaii on the taxpayers’ dime, mixing vacation with state duties, misreporting who has been assigned which state-owned vehicles, and cozying up to the very industry they’re supposed to be regulating.
Posted in
State Government
Texas Insurance Commissioner David Mattax dies after fight with cancer
Texas Insurance Commissioner David Mattax died Thursday morning following a battle with cancer.
Posted in
Energy
Texas Public Utility Commission Chairman Nelson to retire
Chairman Donna Nelson announced Thursday that she will retire from the Public Utility Commission of Texas, ending a nine-year tenure.
Posted in
State Government
Top liquor regulator got “hazardous duty” pay on Hawaii junket
The state’s top alcohol administrator received “hazardous duty” pay while in Hawaii. And the TABC brass has gotten trained as police officers, which allows them to get take-home cars, free gas and an array of weaponry, according to records and interviews.
Posted in
State Government
House delivers rebuke to TABC, cuts travel budget
The Texas House on Thursday voted unanimously to cut the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission’s travel budget and restrict its use of money from outside groups.
Posted in
State Government
Liquor regulators partying on taxpayers’ tab
Texas alcohol regulators know how to party: records show they’ve spent tens of thousands of dollars to travel to swanky resorts where liquor flows and industry lobbyists abound.
Posted in
State Government
Lawmaker blasts Abbott appointee, health agency over contracting; agency fires back
State Rep. Giovanni Capriglione is demanding to know why dozens of large Texas Health and Human Services Commission contracts don’t appear in the state’s budget watchdog’s database. The agency says it isn’t responsible for the problem.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Texas Senate to vote only on law enforcement-related bills Monday
Only bills related to law enforcement will be considered in the Senate on Monday, the first day of the legislative session when the House and Senate are allowed to pass non-emergency legislation.
