The Office of the Attorney General (“OAG”) filed a Notice of Accelerated Interlocutory Appeal directly to the Texas Supreme Court in Loe, et al. v. State of Texas, et al, under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 6.001(b) and Texas Rule of Appellate Procedure 29.1(b). While a district judge’s ruling attempted to block the state’s enforcement of a Texas law protecting children from “gender transition” interventions, this filing stays the ruling pending a decision by […]
AG Ken Paxton
Federal Court Issues Opinion Allowing Texas Law That Prevents Voter Fraud to Stand and Take Effect
Attorney General Paxton has secured another major victory for election integrity after the New Orleans-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued an opinion in favor of Paxton and a Texas law aimed at securing our elections. The law in question, S.B. 1111, was duly enacted in the 2021 regular session, but liberal groups sued the state of Texas to prevent the law from taking effect. The law bolsters election security by ensuring that no citizen manipulates residency […]
Paxton Expresses Serious Concerns With the EPA’s Proposed Revival of Obama-Era “Environmental Justice” Rule
Attorney General Paxton joined an Oklahoma-led comment letter sent to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan that lays out numerous problems with a new and onerous proposed rule. EPA’s proposed rule is an attempt to revive an Obama-era “environmental justice” regulation that would increase energy costs and make our country less safe. If adopted, EPA’s “Risk Management Program” would far exceed its statutory authority by forcing a broad range of large chemical facilities and industries—which includes petroleum refineries, chemical manufacturers, water and wastewater treatment systems, chemical and petroleum wholesalers and terminals, food manufacturers, packing plants, cold […]
Paxton Challenges Corporate America’s Newest Tactic to Target American Citizens’ 2nd Amendment Rights
Attorney General Paxton joined a multistate letter led by Tennessee and Montana that is being sent to the CEOs of American Express, Mastercard, and Visa due to their problematic targeting of 2nd Amendment rights. Backed by gun-control advocates and the International Organization for Standardization, these companies’ new policy takes direct aim at lawful gun owners by creating a merchant category code to track purchases at firearms stores. The structuring of the code and its vague nature suggest that the policy has nothing to […]
Attorney General Paxton’s Law Enforcement Round Up
CHILD EXPLOITATION UNIT In Bastrop County, David Michael Vocal was arrested on August 24 for one count of possession of child pornography. Child Exploitation Unit investigators executed a search warrant at Vocal’s residence, where he was located and arrested. Investigators seized multiple digital media devices to be examined by the Digital Forensics Unit. Vocal admitted ownership of the accounts and the existence of contraband material on his tablet and cell phone when being interviewed by investigators. […]
Paxton Seeks to Decrease Americans’ Energy Reliance on Communist China by Challenging EPA’s Regulatory Power
Attorney General Paxton joined an Alaska-led multistate letter to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) pushing back against its arbitrary and unprecedented abuse of authority under section 404(c) of the Clean Water Act. Alaska sought a permit under section 404 from EPA to conduct mining operations in a confined region of the state. EPA vetoed the mine, and any future efforts to develop similar operations in an area almost 24 times the size of the proposed mine — in an overbroad action based on subjective criteria. EPA’s action not only throws the immediate project into a logistical and economic tailspin, it also jeopardizes future investment in the region and similar projects around the […]
Paxton’s Law Enforcement Defense Division Wins Major Trial in Case that Went Up to U.S. Supreme Court
A jury sided with a law enforcement officer represented by Attorney General Paxton’s Law Enforcement Defense Division in a case that went all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court. McCoy v. Alamu resulted from an inmate throwing an object at the officer, prompting the officer to respond using chemical spray to regain control of the situation. The inmate alleged excessive use of force. The New Orleans-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit initially […]
AG Paxton Sends Letter to Google Urging Fair Access to Crisis Pregnancy Centers
Attorney General Paxton sent a Virginia-led multistate letter to the CEO of Alphabet Inc.—the multinational Big Tech conglomerate of which Google is a part—urging the company not to discriminate against crisis pregnancy centers in search results and online advertising. Democratic politicians have recently asked Google to limit the appearance of pro-life clinics in Google search results, advertisements, and Google Maps entries, and Google appears to have caved to those demands. The letter asks Google to […]
AG Paxton Leads Coalition Challenging Court’s Decision Eroding Constitutional Separation of Powers, Federalism Concerns
AUSTIN – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton led an 18-state coalition amicus brief in support of Utah’s challenge in the Denver-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, opposing a court order requiring Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes to sit for an hours-long oral deposition about an employment dispute. The legal issue implicates significant separation-of-powers and federalism concerns. “The lower court is attempting to force the deposition “even though the court acknowledged that General […]
AG Paxton Asks Court to Rehear Decision Giving One State Power to Regulate Other States’ Climate Policies
AUSTIN –Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton joined an Indiana-led multistate amicus brief urging an en banc rehearing of a decision by the Boston-based U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals that threatens to allow one state—Rhode Island—to effectively set other states’ climate policies. “Permitting 50 different state judiciaries to set global emissions standards would lead to utter chaos,” the brief reads. “The [Clean Air Act] does not authorize a single state’s courts to set national emissions standards. It merely transfers […]