Donald Trump’s legal team filed to intervene in the Texas lawsuit contesting the election results on Wednesday. The president reportedly asked U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz if he would argue the case before the U.S. Supreme Court, if it agrees to hear it.
Courts
Stay up to date on Texas courts with in-depth coverage of major rulings, judicial elections, criminal justice, and the judges shaping state law from The Texas Tribune.
Posted in
Texas 2020 Elections
In new lawsuit, Texas contests election results in Georgia, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to block the battleground states from casting “unlawful and constitutionally tainted votes” in the Electoral College. There is no evidence of widespread voter fraud, experts say.
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Immigration
Some undocumented immigrants should again be allowed to apply for DACA protections, federal judge rules
Immigrant rights groups cheered the ruling, which could reopen the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program to tens of thousands of undocumented immigrants in Texas.
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Texas 2020 Elections
Republicans kept their grip on Texas government in 2020. In 2021, they’ll be able to tighten it.
Because Republicans in the state House and Senate held onto their 20-year majority, they are positioned to further entrench their power until the next redistricting rolls around in 2031.
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Demographics
U.S. Supreme Court leery of Trump’s bid to exclude undocumented immigrants from congressional reapportionment
Outgoing President Donald Trump’s administration wants to exclude undocumented immigrants from the count that determines how many congressional seats each state gets. Texas could lose at least one congressional district under the plan, according to a study.
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Criminal Justice
Last whistleblower fired from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office days after suing for retaliation
Ryan Vassar, who had served as the deputy attorney general for legal counsel, was one of eight senior aides who told authorities they believed Paxton was breaking the law — a report that has sparked an FBI investigation.
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Courts
Texans still can’t buy liquor in Walmart, after U.S. Supreme Court rejects bid
Texas is the only state that does not let publicly traded companies, like Walmart, sell liquor.
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Health care
Texas can kick Planned Parenthood out of its Medicaid program, federal appeals court rules
The U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday sided with state officials. Planned Parenthood said it will continue to serve patients for now, since the order has not yet taken effect.
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Politics
FBI is investigating Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, AP report says
The bureau is probing allegations that Paxton broke the law by using the attorney general’s office to serve the interests of a political donor, two unnamed sources told the Associated Press.
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Demographics
Judge rules acting Homeland Security secretary appointment unlawful, which could have implications for DACA
U.S. District Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis said acting Homeland Security secretary Chad Wolf’s memo in July limiting the validity of the DACA permits from two years to one year “was not an exercise of legal authority.”
