Government News
Texas Attorney General Secures Settlement with Operator of Major Pornography Website to Ensure Compliance with State Law
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has successfully reached a settlement with Multi Media, LLC, the operator of the popular pornographic website "Chaturbate," to ensure compliance with Texas state laws regarding age verification. The agreement requires Multi Media to implement an age verification service on the Chaturbate website to uphold the state's regulations.In March, Attorney General Paxton took legal action against Multi Media for failing to adhere to HB 1181, a Texas law mandating that providers of explicit material establish effective age verification systems to...
Office of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton Will Assist Harris County District Attorney In Criminal Bid-Rigging Investigations
The Office of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has announced its assistance in criminal bid-rigging investigations involving the Harris County District Attorney's Office and the Texas Rangers. The investigations are related to a case where the Harris County Judge's Office allegedly manipulated the bidding process for a public outreach contract funded by COVID-19 relief funds.In 2021, the Harris County Commissioners Court awarded an $11 million contract to Elevate Strategies for COVID-19 vaccine community outreach. The organization was recommended by County Judge Lina...
Latest News
Attorney General Ken Paxton Successfully Defends Texas Election Integrity Law
By Austin Journal | Apr 24, 2024
The Supreme Court of the United States (“SCOTUS”) declined to hear a case brought by a political group challenging Texas’s age-based restrictions on mail-in voting. This decision marks the end of a lengthy legal battle that saw Attorney General Ken Paxton successfully defending the Texas law on mail-in voting, ensuring its continuity.Texas law mandates that most eligible voters must vote in person, with exceptions for individuals aged 65 and above, disabled persons, those out of the county during elections, individuals about to give birth, or those confined in jail. The...
Attorney General Ken Paxton Secures Stay From Texas Supreme Court Pausing Harris County’s Unlawful “Guaranteed Income” Program
By Austin Journal | Apr 23, 2024
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has successfully obtained a temporary administrative stay from the Supreme Court of Texas (“SCOTX”) to halt Harris County's distribution of public money through its controversial "guaranteed income" program. The program, which provided $500 cash payments for 18 months to selected residents with no citizenship requirements, was deemed to violate the Texas Constitution.Attorney General Paxton took legal action against Harris County, arguing that the program went against the state constitution's prohibition on granting public money to...
Attorney General Ken Paxton Takes Legal Action Against Harris County’s “Guaranteed Income” Program
By Austin Journal | Apr 23, 2024
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has taken legal action against Harris County's "guaranteed income" program, which he believes violates State law. Paxton filed for emergency relief with the Supreme Court of Texas to block the program, which had previously been the subject of a temporary injunction sought by the Office of the Attorney General.In a statement, Attorney General Paxton expressed his concerns about the program, stating, "Harris County’s guaranteed income scheme plainly violates the Texas Constitution." He emphasized that the program goes against the state's...
Medical Provider Agrees to Withdraw from Texas Instead of Complying with Investigation into “Gender Transition” Treatments for Minors
By Austin Journal | Apr 22, 2024
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has announced that Seattle Children’s Hospital will be withdrawing from conducting business in Texas following an agreement reached between the institution and the state. This decision comes after an investigation was initiated into the hospital's provision of "gender transition" treatments to Texas children at its Seattle, Washington facility.Attorney General Paxton expressed his concerns regarding the situation, stating, "Seattle Children’s Hospital appeared to break Texas law and initially tried to evade accountability when...
Attorney General Ken Paxton Highlights Legal Victories Supporting Defense of S.B.4 in Recent Notice to Fifth Circuit
By Austin Journal | Apr 17, 2024
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sent a notice of supplemental authority to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, detailing how recent legal victories support Texas's defense of S.B.4.In a recent victory at the U.S. Supreme Court in DeVillier v. Texas, the Supreme Court sided with Texas, directing plaintiffs to seek redress through existing state law rather than directly under the U.S. Constitution. The Court emphasized that constitutional rights do not typically come with a built-in cause of action, but are generally invoked defensively in the absence of...
Attorney General Ken Paxton Secures Unanimous SCOTUS Win on Texas Property Rights Case
By Austin Journal | Apr 16, 2024
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has achieved a significant victory at the U.S. Supreme Court with a unanimous 9-0 decision in a case concerning Texas's authority to handle property compensation disputes under State law. The case involved a group of citizens who sought compensation under the Takings Clause of the U.S. Constitution following flooding in the Houston area in 2017 and 2019.The plaintiffs claimed that a barrier on the highway acted as a dam, protecting a flood-evacuation route but leading to flooding on their properties. Despite Texas allowing such claims...
National Coalition of Attorneys General Files Amicus Brief Condemning Texas State Bar for Baseless Lawfare Weaponized Against Texas OAG Leadership
By Austin Journal | Apr 15, 2024
A national coalition of state attorneys general has filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court of Texas in a case involving the State Bar of Texas and the leadership of the Texas Office of the Attorney General (OAG). The case, which revolves around allegations of politically motivated lawfare, specifically targets Attorney General Ken Paxton's top deputy, First Assistant Attorney General Brent Webster.The State Bar of Texas's Commission for Lawyer Discipline initiated disciplinary action against Paxton and Webster for their involvement in the Texas v. Pennsylvania...
Attorney General Ken Paxton Urges Expedited Process In Concertina Wire Lawsuit
By Austin Journal | Apr 10, 2024
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has urged the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit to expedite the resolution of the ongoing concertina wire case in order to safeguard Texas's border security measures. In a letter filed with the court, Paxton highlighted new and crucial facts pertaining to the case.Paxton emphasized findings from the district court regarding events at the border. The court determined that the three drowning deaths near Shelby Park on January 12 occurred before the federal government reached out to the Texas National Guard or Department of Public...
Attorney General Ken Paxton Sues Harris County Over Illegal “Guaranteed Income” Welfare Scheme
By Austin Journal | Apr 9, 2024
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has taken legal action against Harris County for implementing what he deems an unlawful “guaranteed income” program. The initiative, introduced by Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo in 2023, involves distributing public funds in a manner that Attorney General Paxton argues violates the Texas Constitution.The program in question aimed to randomly select 1,928 eligible Harris County residents through a lottery system to receive $500 cash payments for 18 months with “no strings attached.” Funded by $20.5 million allocated to the county from...
Despite a population and resource boom, public transit in Austin is in decline
By Austin Journal | Apr 8, 2024
In 1985, voters in Austin established the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority, known locally as CapMetro, to provide public transportation service to the greater Austin area. The services provided today by CapMetro include bus services, paratransit services for persons with disabilities, and a commuter rail.
'Texas offers hardworking Texans the freedom to aspire': Abbott praises continuous economic growth
By Austin Journal | Apr 3, 2024
The Bureau of Economic Analysis recently released data indicating that the Texas economy continues to outpace the rest of the United States. This development, reported on April 2, was positively received by Gov. Greg Abbott, as per a press release from the Office of the Texas Governor.
Attorney General Ken Paxton Announces Education Partnership Between OAG Cold Case and Missing Persons Unit and Texas State University School of Criminal Justice and Criminology
By Austin Journal | Apr 2, 2024
Attorney General Ken Paxton has announced a partnership between the Office of the Attorney General (“OAG”) and Texas State University (“TXST”) to facilitate educational opportunities and bring more investigative power to solving cold cases. The TXST program, termed the Cold Case Team, is a one-year internship program enabling students in the Texas State University School of Criminal Justice and Criminology to work with the OAG Cold Case and Missing Persons Unit (CCMPU). Attorney General Paxton established the CCMPU in 2021 within the Criminal Investigations Division to...
Attorney General Ken Paxton Announces $6.6 Million Settlement With Intercontinental Terminals Company For Injuries to Natural Resources Resulting From 2019 Deer Park Fire
By Austin Journal | Apr 2, 2024
Attorney General Ken Paxton announced a settlement of over $6.6 million with Intercontinental Terminals Company, LLC (“ITC”) to address natural resource damages resulting from the 2019 fire at the Deer Park facility. Paxton expressed satisfaction with the settlement, stating, “I’m pleased we were able to secure this natural resource damages settlement after the serious destruction caused by the fire at Deer Park. This fire burned for three days, spewing hazardous chemicals into our air, water, and land.”The State of Texas and the United States filed a civil complaint and...
'Texas stands with survivors of sexual assault': Abbott proclaims April as Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month
By Austin Journal | Apr 1, 2024
On April 1, Gov. Greg Abbott acknowledged the commencement of Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month in Texas. A press release from the Office of the Texas Governor confirmed that Abbott, a Republican, has pledged the Lone Star State's support for survivors of sexual assault.
Attorney General Ken Paxton Sues Two More Pornography Companies for Violating Texas Age Verification Law
By Austin Journal | Mar 21, 2024
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued Multi Media, LLC, and Hammy Media, major pornography companies that operate sites such as “Chaturbate” and “xHamster,” for violating HB 1181, a Texas law that requires reasonable age verification measures to protect minors from being exposed to harmful obscene material.According to the Attorney General, these companies failed to implement the necessary age verification systems, leading to minors accessing pornographic content without proper screening. Paxton is now seeking an injunction against the companies to enforce...
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton Sues Biden Over Unlawful Ban on LNG Exports
By Austin Journal | Mar 21, 2024
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has taken legal action against the Biden Administration, filing a lawsuit aimed at halting what he deems an unlawful and indefinite ban on approving applications to export liquefied natural gas (LNG). Paxton's move comes in response to the Department of Energy's acknowledgment that the ban has "no factual or legal basis."Joined by Louisiana and fourteen other states, Texas is leading the charge to challenge the constitutionality of the LNG export ban. The lawsuit argues that the ban goes against the Natural Gas Act's presumption in favor...
Attorney General Ken Paxton Sues Colony Ridge for Fraudulent Practices That Enabled Major Problematic Real Estate Development to Flourish
By Austin Journal | Mar 19, 2024
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued the Colony Ridge development in Liberty County for deceptive trade practices, fraud in real estate transactions, and other violations of Texas and federal law.Colony Ridge is a sprawling real estate development northeast of Houston that has expanded quickly in recent years. In an October 2023 letter to Members of the United States Congress and fellow Texas leadership, Attorney General Paxton noted that the development’s rapid growth has presented major problems. He expressed concerns, stating, "The development appears to be...
Attorney General Ken Paxton Prevails at SCOTUS Allowing Texas Immigration Law to Take Effect
By Austin Journal | Mar 19, 2024
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has achieved a significant legal victory as the Supreme Court of the United States rejected emergency motions filed by the Biden Administration and other groups attempting to halt the implementation of Texas’s recent immigration law, SB 4.The Supreme Court's decision to deny the emergency motions has cleared the way for Texas to enforce SB 4 immediately, following the vacation of an administrative stay previously granted. This development allows Texas to proceed with the law's enforcement while the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth...