Free Republic

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is accused of impeachable offenses including bribery tied to helping a woman with whom he allegedly had an affair get a job through Austin real estate investor Nate Paul. His wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton, may soon decide whether he deserves to be removed from office for that and other alleged violations of law and the public trust, which were released Thursday night by a Texas House committee. The senator’s chief of staff did not respond to a request for comment about whether she would recuse herself. “The first option would be for her to...

School finance issue at root of Jones challenge BY ELLIOTT BLACKBURN AVALANCHE-JOURNAL Challengers are assailing one local incumbent for his support of several bills last legislative session, but it is one issue in particular that has the veteran legislator on the chopping block, according to political observers throughout the state. State Rep. Delwin Jones, R-Lubbock, broke ranks last year to vote against a tax bill changing the school finance structure. The bill was supported by the rest of the Lubbock legislative delegation and most Republicans. He voted in support of a Democratic alternative to the bill. That sealed it for...

Perry getting head start in appeal to 'values voters' ASSOCIATED PRESS DALLAS (AP) - Even for Texas, the scene was remarkable: The governor, flanked by an out-of-state televangelist and religious right leaders, signing legislation in a church school gymnasium amid shouts of "amen" from backers who just as well could have been attending a revival. It wasn't just the blatant blend of church and state that made the gathering in Fort Worth unusual. Advance publicity also attracted about 300 angry protesters - unheard of for the routine business of ceremonial bill signings. Now some wonder whether Rick Perry overplayed his...

Perry's approval rating lowest seen in 10 years AUSTIN (AP) — More than half of Texans surveyed in a new poll rate Republican Gov. Rick Perry's job performance as fair or poor, the lowest for a Texas governor in almost a decade. Only 6 percent of respondents in a Scripps Howard Texas Poll released Tuesday said the governor is doing an excellent job, and 31 percent said he is doing a good job. Another 32 percent listed Perry's performance as fair and 20 percent rated it as poor. Eleven percent did not know or didn't answer. By contrast, 50 percent...