[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6080110,"mediaKeyId","2951778-319c98a7e3632def5f935d4db6aad2c0","parentId",2951778,"title","Bill would let courts disqualify prosecutors who refuse to pursue election offenses; opponents call it vague and dangerous to prosecutorial discretion","audioSeconds",545,"startMs",1682000,"endMs",2227000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2951778-319c98a7e3632def5f935d4db6aad2c0&start=1682&end=2227","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2951778-319c98a7e3632def5f935d4db6aad2c0/thumbnail_1682000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6080110/Texas/Bill-would-let-courts-disqualify-prosecutors-who-refuse-to-pursue-election-offenses-opponents-call-it-vague-and-dangerous-to-prosecutorial-discretion","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6080110-bde43b84ee42e06a092610a904797824/orig.mp4?Expires=1770762471&Signature=QaN8Yb06a1LcHbHvJP4caxOjK0g5MV72SZYoFpKXmz2ge30kLygz0u9iRDBGlb~qdwI0P4qF8pJ0rq-elwoz1ajgJT9l4yZqi9kBUOqTS3lh9fKRYal4bUITFmX8MO7CFrEDXgORlpGivWJzV2FONaIAxz5qwYhl9deWjSpLIx3d8nn8JjVZO5NBjYm1ZNVwJACALag63jdh2LtZovoGlOqJkohKCF5PO6~KcHYgr799GKQqKwcK2tiRXaxuz6cRz9A4xoNPYu1hB-rxRDv7tZEQWsEYe69ZT~Agm0XKwe9-cS-UgHT-94hjUzCbONv2VwjZZdvnc5qjp2QXvWJ1HQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Texas State Legislature","date","2025-04-10T00:00:00Z","article","Senator Hagen Boothe (author) presented the committee substitute to Senate Bill 2743, saying the bill would authorize a district court to disqualify local county and district attorneys who refuse to prosecute election offenses and direct that the Texas attorney general be appointed to prosecute those cases.

\"SB 2743 would authorize a district court to disqualify local county and district attorneys who refuse to prosecute election offenses and appoint the Texas attorney general to prosecute on behalf of the state,\" the author said as the committee substitute was described. The substitute would allow a judge in an adjacent county to rule on a petition for removal by a resident and require appointment of the attorney general to represent the state.

Veronica Worms of the Texas Civil Rights Project testified against the bill, saying it \"would allow any private person to challenge a local district attorney's ability to participate in an election offense case\" and calling the proposal \"an attack on prosecutorial discretion\" that is \"bad for democracy.\" Worms warned the bill's standard — \"consistently refuses or declines to prosecute\" — is ambiguous and could be abused because it does not define how many decisions or what conduct would trigger removal.

Ed Johnson of the Harris County ballot security department recounted his experience presenting voter-registration irregularities to county prosecutors and said many matters were not pursued, arguing for a mechanism to compel enforcement. Amber Platt, associate deputy attorney general for criminal justice at the Office of the Attorney General, attended as a resource witness. Public testimony closed and the committee left SB 2743 pending.

No committee vote was recorded at the hearing.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Committee on State Affairs (Part I) 04/10/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Senate Bill 2743 would allow district courts to disqualify local prosecutors who consistently refuse to prosecute election offenses and authorize the attorney general to prosecute; opponents, including the Texas Civil Rights Project, called the standard vague and a threat to prosecutorial discretion during committee testimony.","taxTitle","Committee on State Affairs, Senate, Legislative, Texas","taxId",16216,"location","Texas","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6080113,"Committee hears bill to create civil penalties for school districts that use public resources for electioneering",199,1482000,1681000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2951778-319c98a7e3632def5f935d4db6aad2c0&start=1482&end=1681","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2951778-319c98a7e3632def5f935d4db6aad2c0/thumbnail_1482000.jpg","/articles/6080113/Texas/Committee-hears-bill-to-create-civil-penalties-for-school-districts-that-use-public-resources-for-electioneering","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6080113-2ee8c53c074ce4015e3fe4f661c8b99d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770762471&Signature=aic8yO2GNLQaLFFTXpG8QKDHIdo9doE9JD1jtxmzJBN8oXnq7np~0v3DwXV-Z-F4X-5hJUmn0cn4XwPqZdD0qFeMoXD2iBpVtPm2pZmjZSUMkH31d9o-MjKioSgeIdiIaGZSGsYP2gOaTKAisVjDw7JAiM18afZd8ed45EG~bZUsCcUmR~3tLKlvQFpE5St6HL5sn3gmOtJ33IHmn15k3EAT4UtGikxdx7ZhwTvmnt-Iv4qG445h000FE5QvJETLbTukYufam-qiYw5dYRU1I2bGM-19t~sTeE3UJwtaJF2w9vvL1v9AcUr1L6b1~EQY~ktJS281c2QDbDWB1banGQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senator Hagenbu, the bill's author, told the Senate Committee on State Affairs that current law prohibits school officials from using public resources for political advocacy but provides no civil penalty, leaving courts and the attorney general with limited remedies.

\"Senate Bill 2742 would create a means to deter ISDs from electioneering by establishing a civil penalty for this behavior,\" Senator Hagenbu said, explaining the measure would create penalties for boards of trustees and responsible officers and waive immunity for school districts and their officials when they violate the statute. The bill would allow the attorney general to sue to collect penalties and recover attorneys fees.

Senator Hagenbu said the committee substitute did not change the bill's policy but converted the draft to committee form. Ernest Garcia, chief of the administrative law division at the Office of the Attorney General, attended as a resource witness; no registered witnesses offered live testimony for or against during the public-comment period and the bill was left pending.

Senator Hagenbu said the measure is intended to \"uphold the integrity of public institutions and ensure taxpayer resources are not misused for political purposes.\" Committee members took no recorded votes and the bill remains pending for further committee work.","Senate Bill 2742 would create civil penalties and waive certain immunities for school districts and officials who use public resources for electioneering; the bill was presented to the Committee on State Affairs and left pending after limited public testimony.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6080118,"Senate committee hears bill to bar contractors on public land from banning licensed handgun carry",1393,21000,1414000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2951778-319c98a7e3632def5f935d4db6aad2c0&start=21&end=1414","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2951778-319c98a7e3632def5f935d4db6aad2c0/thumbnail_21000.jpg","/articles/6080118/Texas/Senate-committee-hears-bill-to-bar-contractors-on-public-land-from-banning-licensed-handgun-carry","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6080118-22fd736464a00901064257d0137b68a8/orig.mp4?Expires=1770762471&Signature=UKcjspUZCElO47osz0jRjZxAWyL7RVCiGVFafCZZJ434rMdSyLVveeXF06hDc6Ou8wan0LqqsK4oacToqhEyYFOaaTTQJuLwA8miv16Ucjpk9ij1X3Y33t5Bqsx7i0Tg052M9~rEOAgsQkdqcBYEUm4qnDLX7LQjOAbO--Blbm5ms5AEg0aesHjfUowXX5-l3~lAnpVQoDQUEOA8MzL0Jmdel6Kq90kxlKmDyKNzZW3s3C1iavuc3bXQ-mDYy9JWmCzCG6xSm3WlSK7rCeG1FsPrifYcs09ItEIuEmIngh9nEbwq7bCRqixk3TZRC0enmIb0oFEZ1CGsvH9jg24ifw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senator Hall, the bill's author, told the Senate Committee on State Affairs that Senate Bill 1065 would require contracts for government-owned or -leased property to prohibit contractors from restricting licensed handgun holders from carrying firearms except where state law already prohibits carry.

The bill, Hall said, aims to close what he and supporters described as a loophole revealed when the State Fair of Texas barred firearms on its fairgrounds after a 2023 shooting. \"This bill simply requires that the contracts for the use of property owned or leased by government entities include provisions prohibiting contractors from renting or leasing government property with restricting licensed handgun holders from carrying firearms,\" Hall testified. He said the measure would allow licensed handgun holders to file complaints, give contractors three days to cure violations, and authorize the attorney general to investigate and seek penalties.

Supporters including John Poole, executive director of the Texas State Rifle Association, and Nick Tuccio, state director for the National Rifle Association, told the committee the bill restores rights for licensed carry holders. Poole said the State Fair's policy \"nullified\" rights and called the measure necessary to \"close a loophole.\" Tuccio described licensed carry holders as a \"fundamentally law abiding population\" and urged passage.

Opponents, including Sarah West of Moms Demand Action and Everytown for Gun Safety, said the bill would strip event organizers and contractors of the flexibility needed to set site-specific safety rules. West said the measure would impose a \"one-size-fits-all gun mandate on settings as varied as public streets, the Houston zoo and public universities\" and could raise liability or insurance concerns for contractors that run large public events.

Other witnesses included Gary Zimmerman, a multi-state licensed carry instructor who testified for the bill, and Chris McNutt, president of Texas Gun Rights, who said the measure complements other bills aimed at reducing so-called \"gun-free zones.\" Committee members asked witnesses about the 2023 Fair Park incident; witnesses and the bill author referred to reporting that an illegally smuggled firearm was involved and that the contractor's actions were a policy response.

Senator Hall and witnesses also noted a practical limitation: the bill's provisions would apply prospectively to contracts renewed, modified, or extended after the law's effective date, and the bill would not take effect for an existing contract unless the contract were amended. Public testimony closed with the bill left pending.

Votes at the hearing: none; the committee left SB 1065 pending for further consideration.","The Senate Committee on State Affairs heard testimony on Senate Bill 1065, which would require contracts for government-owned or -leased property to forbid contractors from restricting licensed handgun holders; public testimony was split and the bill was left pending.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Bill would let courts disqualify prosecutors who refuse to pursue election offenses; opponents call it vague and dangerous to prosecutorial discretion

Committee hears bill to create civil penalties for school districts that use public resources for electioneering

Senate committee hears bill to bar contractors on public land from banning licensed handgun carry