Along party lines, a Senate committee Wednesday advanced a controversial “sanctuary cities” bill from Lubbock Sen. Charles Perry that would cut state funds to cities that don’t let their peace officers enforce immigration laws.
Criminal Justice
Get the latest Texas Tribune coverage on criminal justice, including crime, courts, law enforcement, and reforms shaping the state’s justice system.
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Criminal Justice
Don’t Fear the Reefer: House Mulls Lower Pot Penalties
Three bills up for House committee hearings Wednesday would lower the penalties for possessing small amounts of pot in Texas. A fourth would decriminalize pot entirely.
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Criminal Justice
Report: State Lawmaker Threatened Paxton’s DPS Detail
State Rep. Borris Miles threatened to “beat up” a plainclothes DPS trooper while the lawman was guarding Attorney General Ken Paxton during a meeting at an Austin steakhouse, according to a report obtained by the Tribune.
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Criminal Justice
House Panel Weighs Property, Gun Rights
UPDATED: Business groups are weighing in on gun legislation, trying to preserve a business owner’s rights to ban guns from private property. A House committee took up the question up Tuesday.
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Criminal Justice
GOP Takes First Step to End In-State Tuition for Undocumented
After a marathon hearing that stretched well into Tuesday morning, a Senate subcommittee approved Sen. Donna Campbell’s bill to repeal Texas law that allows some undocumented students to pay in-state tuition at colleges and universities.
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Criminal Justice
Senate Panel Advances Sanctuary Cities Bill
A bill banning so-called sanctuary cities in Texas – the common term for local entities that do not enforce immigration laws — advanced out of a Senate subcommittee on Monday.
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Criminal Justice
“Bathroom Bills” Pit Transgender Texans Against the GOP
A set of bills from conservative lawmakers would make it illegal for people to use the bathroom other than the one designated for their gender assigned at birth. Members of the transgender community say the legislation specifically targets them and even places a bounty on their heads.
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Criminal Justice
Perry Prosecutors Fight to Keep Invoices Secret
A public records request has added another twist to the Rick Perry legal saga, with special prosecutors now suing Attorney General Ken Paxton to keep confidential detailed invoices that would show who they interviewed while building their case.
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Criminal Justice
Ducking Child Support by Becoming a “Contractor”
Often seen as a workers’ rights issue, worker misclassification can have a direct impact on the state’s child support collections. Some workers want to be classified as contractors to dodge wage garnishment.
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Criminal Justice
Analysis: A Grand Jury With a Taste for Commentary
A grand jury in Travis County did a peculiar thing this week. It decided Wallace Hall had not broken the law, and then recommended removing him from the University of Texas System Board of Regents.
