Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Education in the spotlight, as Governor Greg Abbott promises special session after special session - and threatens primary challenges for Republican resistors - in his quest for school vouchers: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/2023/09/19/texas-gov-abbott-threatens-special-sessions-even-primary-battles-to-pass-school-choice/

...While school districts across the state are already struggling to survive: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/09/19/texas-san-antonio-plano-school-districts-closures/

...Fort Worth and Plano ISD's join a growing number of districts joining a lawsuit over rating metrics against TEA: https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/education/growing-number-texas-school-districts-suing-tea-heres-why/287-db7a905d-cd88-4b5f-a6a9-2cc274a4d877

...A federal judge issues a formal written order undermining the new "Reader Act" law: https://www.chron.com/culture/article/judge-ruling-texas-book-rating-law-18376394.php

...And Texas Senator Borris Miles weighs in on a Houston-area high school junior's ongoing suspension over his hairstyle, an apparent violation of the new CROWN Act: https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/barbers-hill-isd-student-suspended-hair/285-6d1cd9b0-8959-443e-b1ec-917018fefb6c

CROWN Act co-author Rep. Rhetta Bowers has announced a run to replace Colin Allred in the U.S. House: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2023/09/19/texas-rep-rhetta-bowers-changes-course-launches-congressional-bid-to-replace-colin-allred/

Texas National Guard troops may have violated U.S. law yesterday by ordering migrants to cross back into Mexico through the Rio Grande: https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/2023/09/19/texas-national-guard-order-asylum-seekers-at-border-back-into-mexico/70903227007/

A 14th busload of migrants from Texas arrives in Los Angeles: https://abc7.com/texas-migrants-los-angeles-asylum-seekers/13803043/

And apparently, even in the cooler fall weather, ERCOT cannot fully guarantee reliable electricity for Texas: https://www.khou.com/article/news/investigations/ercot-report-rotating-power-outage-scenarios-2023/285-7dc74070-318e-434a-91d4-623444670bac

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Following his acquittal from impeachment, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton faces even more serious state and federal charges: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/18/us/texas-ken-paxton-legal-problems.html

...While Republicans who voted to convict him face problems from within their own party: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/09/16/ken-paxton-impeachment-kelly-hancock-robert-nichols/

...Former President Trump takes credit (of course) for Paxton's acquittal: https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/4210367-trump-says-he-saved-paxton-from-being-convicted-in-texas-impeachment-push/

...And Senator Angela Paxton spins the affair (no pun intended) into an opportunity for anti-feminist religious manipulation: https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/angela-paxton-ken-impeachment-biblical-womanhood/

Governor Greg Abbott spews Epoch Times falsehoods about a Texas public school district in advance of the special session on vouchers: https://www.austinchronicle.com/daily/news/2023-09-18/greg-abbott-casually-spreads-misinformation-about-leander-isd/

A North Texas sheriff, previously connected to the Oath Keepers, is convicted of unlawfully detaining two citizens in his jail: https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/oath-keeper-sheriff-convicted-violating-inmate-rights-1234827432/

...While Texas DPS head Steve McCraw gets a raise that puts his salary at several times that of the typical Texas LEO: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/dps-mccraw-raise-operation-lone-star-18329377.php

A Barber Hills High junior is suspended from school over his hairstyle for a second time, in spite of the new CROWN Act: https://www.businessinsider.com/texas-school-suspend-black-student-locs-hair-lawyer-2023-9

A list of the books that have been banned by Texas schools (so far) makes a handy shopping list for parents: https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/list-of-texas-banned-books-shows-state-has-most-in-us-17480532

Colorado U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert is off the schedule for the conservative Texas Youth Summit following hanky-panky in a Denver theater: https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/texas/lauren-boebert-beetlejuice-texas-youth-summit/285-92fbdc2f-9e82-4b1e-a8b9-5f026e5873e3

And not only driverless cars, but driverless TRUCKS will soon be a feature of Texas roadways: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-09-13/driverless-trucks-leave-california-for-texas-over-new-laws

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The acquittal of Ken Paxton is anything but a surprise to progressives in Texas: https://www.star-telegram.com/opinion/nicole-russell/article279427534.html

...More entertaining is the escalation of GOP infighting: https://www.statesman.com/story/news/politics/state/2023/09/18/texas-legislature-senate-house-split-deepens-attorney-general-ken-paxton-acquittal/70885735007/

...Lt. Governer Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dade Phelan are at severe odds over the impeachment: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/09/16/ken-paxton-impeachment-dan-patrick/

...The GOP civil war is not going well at present for the moderate side: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/17/us/texas-republicans-paxton-impeachment.html

...But, the disarray could work in favor of opponents of school vouchers: https://www.reformaustin.org/texas-legislature/texas-lawmakers-hold-their-ground-voucher-deals-face-skepticism/

...And Paxton still faces serious legal peril beyond mere political theater: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/09/16/texas-ken-paxton-attorney-general-legal-cases-securities-fbi/

Dallas ISD's Superintendent believes controversial school ratings changes at TEA are designed to help the argument for vouchers: https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/carter-in-the-classroom/dallas-isd-superintendent-says-new-grading-method-for-texas-schools-is-connected-to-school-voucher-debate/3339554/

...While hundreds of thousands of Texas school kids are suddenly without health coverage: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/texas-schools-and-families-struggle-as-hundreds-of-thousands-of-kids-lose-medicaid-amid-unwinding

Cooler weather notwithstanding, we mustn't forget that Texas is in the midst of an existential climate crisis: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/09/07/texas-hottest-summer-2023/

...As a cotton farming advocacy group continues to doubt climate change, while worrying about threats to their government subsidies: https://www.bigcountryhomepage.com/news/climate-change-the-future-of-cotton-production-in-west-texas/

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Ken Paxton defense lead Tony Buzbee calls four friendly witnesses - all current Texas AG Office employees - before resting: https://www.statesman.com/story/news/politics/state/2023/09/14/texas-attorney-general-ken-paxton-impeachment-trial-live-updates-coverage-day-eight/70836056007/

Donald Trump weighs in - while admitting he doesn't think President Biden is too old to server: https://www.axios.com/2023/09/14/trump-biden-age-2024-election

Senator John Cornyn voices support for the Biden impeachment inquiry, contradicting his own prior views: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/09/14/john-cornyn-biden-impeachment-inquiry/

Near-hopeless Republican Presidential candidate Ron DeSantis will be in Midland on Wednesday: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-09-14/desantis-to-detail-energy-policy-during-texas-visit-next-week

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo will depart in-patient care for clinical depression and plans to return to duty on October 2: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/09/14/harris-county-lina-hidalgo-mental-health-leave/

Mitchell and Goliad Counties have implemented local ordinances that allow vigilantes to sue people they suspect of driving through those counties on their way to out-of-state abortion care: https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/texas-abortion-trafficking/285-31f15a6c-dcf1-4711-a02b-2686ce9f7552

Dallas ISD joins several other districts in a lawsuit against the Texas Education Agency over a new school rating system they say will artificially degrade scores: https://thehub.dallasisd.org/2023/09/14/dallas-isd-joins-other-texas-districts-in-tea-lawsuit/

In a Democrat vs. Democrat conflict, Hays County sees the first test of a new state law allowing for the removal of county DA's who refuse to prosecute select state laws: https://www.kxan.com/news/local/hays/hays-county-district-clerk-files-petition-to-remove-da-citing-new-texas-law/

Rosie Cuellar announces a run for the open House seat representing District 80, including Uvalde: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/09/14/henry-rosie-cuellar-texas-house-uvalde/

Coffee City, which made the news for its oversized police department largely staffed with officers who had been fired from other departments due to misconduct, fires its police chief and disbands its PD: https://www.kltv.com/2023/09/11/coffee-city-council-fires-police-chief-deactivates-police-department-wake-investigation/

And you're not exaggerating - Texas officially has the worst drivers in the country: https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2023/09/14/texas-has-worst-drivers-in-the-country-report-says/

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Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Anticipation that Ken Paxton's alleged mistress might testify in the ongoing impeachment trial is for naught: https://www.star-telegram.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article279286904.html

...As former Paxton aide Drew Wicker is grilled over that infamous kitchen remodel: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/09/13/ken-paxton-impeachment-trial-drew-wicker/

...And House managers commit an unforced (and almost catastrophic) error: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/09/13/ken-paxton-impeachment-trial-laura-olson-drew-wicker/

Republicans maneuver to block the Biden administration's plans for immigrants to "remain in Texas": https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2023-09-13/republicans-biden-families-remain-in-texas

...While the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services re-opens a troubled housing facility for migrant teens at Pecos: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/migrant-children-housing-facility-reopens-pecos-texas-spike-border-arrivals/

The new Texas law designed to criminalize drag performances is blocked for another two weeks: https://www.kxan.com/lgbtq/texas-drag-performance-law-blocked-from-taking-effect-again/

Ted Cruz gets crosswise with the U.S. Secretary of Education over a masking plan for a kindergarten class in Maryland fighting a COVID outbreak: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2023/09/13/education-sec-cardona-ted-cruz-wrong-to-oppose-masking-in-classroom-with-covid-outbreak/

San Antonio's local energy boss says ERCOT has not prepared the Texas grid for the oncoming winter: https://www.expressnews.com/business/article/ercot-grid-gas-supply-ready-winter-cps-energy-18362209.php

...While battery storage is hailed as a possible solution to Texas' power grid woes: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/energy/article/ercot-grid-battery-solar-enel-texas-18350609.php

...And a Chinese solar panel company moves forward with a $200 million new production plant near Dallas: https://www.dallasnews.com/business/real-estate/2023/09/11/chinese-company-plans-200-million-solar-panel-manufacturing-plant-in-wilmer/

Continued population growth remains a the core of continued economic growth in Texas: https://www.businessinsider.com/texas-population-state-economic-growth-housing-2023-9

And for the second day in a row, a female police officer in Texas is recognized: https://www.12newsnow.com/article/news/local/vidor-officer-named-officer-of-the-year-by-texas-law-enforcement-association/502-584740d8-6ffa-4d12-8420-7d69ad75d565

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Some Texans have been paying close attention all day, every day for the last week as the historic impeachment of Ken Paxton unfolds - others have, you know, jobs and stuff. So we're glad to have stolen a bit of time today with one particular Texan who's doing both at the same time! Justin Miller writes on Texas politics for the Texas Observer and has been covering every minute of the proceedings - which as of tonight, appear to be on the verge of wrapping up. Will Paxton be convicted? And what comes next for him, and for Texas? We discuss.

Find Justin Miller and all his great work for the Texas Observer at https://www.texasobserver.org/author/justin-miller/.

Thanks as always for listening! We're looking for about 21 more new regular, reliable supporting members to help Progress Texas continue our work into what's shaping up to be a monumental election year. Please consider joining the team at https://progresstexas.org/.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Impeachment Day 6: Outside lawyer Brandon Cammack, central to Ken Paxton's questionable relationship with Nate Paul, appears to have ended up a victim himself: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2023/09/12/ken-paxton-impeachment-trial-takeaways-day-6/

...While former Travis County DA Margaret Moore testifies that she found Nate Paul's claims of law enforcement persecution "ridiculous": https://www.star-telegram.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article279239704.html

Texas lawmakers involved in the two Trump impeachments find no parallel in new impeachment inquiry targeting President Joe Biden: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/09/12/texas-congress-biden-impeach-trump/

A trial is underway over Texas voting laws that could have monumental implications in the 2024 election: https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/politics/texas-politics/trial-begins-over-texas-voter-laws-that-sparked-38-day-walkout-by-democrats-in-2021/3335152/

A police shooting amidst a mental health emergency in McKinney draws the scrutiny of both the Texas Rangers and the local NAACP: https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/texas-dps-investigating-officer-involved-shooting-that-left-mckinney-man-dead/3336590/

Law enforcement officials in San Antonio say the permitless carrying of guns in Texas has increased crime and made law enforcement more dangerous: https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2023/09/12/texas-constitutional-carry-law-impacts-highlighted-during-district-4-public-safety-town-hall/

The Texas Education Agency is delaying its annual rating of Texas schools, which could affect the upcoming special session on school vouchers: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/09/12/texas-education-accountability-ratings/

Texas DPS and the Texas Rangers promote a woman to the rank of Texas Ranger Major for the first time: https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2023/09/12/unbelievable-honor-dps-selects-first-woman-to-serve-as-texas-ranger-major/

The oysters that recently killed a 30-something man came from a Galveson restaurant: https://nypost.com/2023/09/12/texas-man-dies-after-eating-raw-oysters-over-labor-day-weekend/

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Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Day 5 of the Ken Paxton impeachment sees the most extensive discussion yet of his extramarital affair: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/09/11/ken-paxton-affair-impeachment-trial/

...While a former deputy reveals the AG's general mistrust of law enforcement: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/09/11/ken-paxton-mark-penley-impeachment-trial/

...And a former Travis County assistant DA reveals prior investigations of Paxton's involvement with Nate Paul: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2023/09/11/ken-paxtonimpeachmenttexastrial/

Famed novelist John Grisham weighs in on the faulty science that has kept a Texas father on death row for two decades: https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/news/john-grisham-on-robert-roberson-texas-may-execute-an-innocent-man

A Houston-area school district continues disciplining Black students over their hairstyles, in defiance of the CROWN Act: https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/11/us/barbers-hill-student-hair-suspension/index.html

The University of Alabama condemns racist and homophobic slurs directed by its football team's fans at visiting Texas Longhorns players: https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/09/11/alabama-condemns-racist-homophobic-taunts-by-fans-loss-texas/

A North Austin church is set to become the first to hear an AI-generated sermon this Sunday: https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/chatgpt-ai-sermon-austin-18360010.php

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Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Friday saw testimony from legendary Texas Ranger David Maxwell: https://news.yahoo.com/former-texas-lawman-says-warned-210156665.html

...While prominent voices on the right continue to support the justification for the proceedings - some more surprising than others: https://www.kxan.com/news/texas-politics/texas-republicans-weigh-in-on-paxton-impeachment-after-week-one-of-trial/

...And the Texas Tribune has a good first-week summary, and a livestream to watch as the impeachment continues: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/09/09/ken-paxton-impeachment-trial-main-themes/

A major power outage in North Texas - but don't blame ERCOT this time: https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/texas/tens-of-thousands-across-north-texas-without-power-following-friday-storms/287-72e702e1-f376-4d25-a2bc-e017094ff047

...While the Feds weigh in on Texas' energy struggles, though not in the way many progressives have hoped: https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/08/energy/texas-power-emergency-heat-wave/index.html

...And somebody out there is making a LOT of money on all this power trouble: https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/commodities/texas-power-prices-20000-percent-heat-wave-ercot-grid-emergency-2023-9

...And let's not forget our mounting water woes: https://www.wired.com/story/a-summer-of-record-heat-deals-costly-damage-to-texas-water-systems/

Another solid Democrat has announced a run against Ted Cruz: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/09/09/carl-sherman-2024-senate-democrat/

And Texas loses a beloved musical icon - Charlie Robison - far too young, at 59: https://www.savingcountrymusic.com/texas-country-royalty-charlie-robison-had-died/

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Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Paxton aides say they turned him in to the FBI when it became clear he had been compromised: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2023/09/07/ken-paxton-impeachment-trial-takeaways-day-3/

...While Senator John Cornyn finds the whole mess "very deeply disturbing": https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2023/09/07/john-cornyn-texas-attorney-general-ken-paxton-impeachment-trial-disturbing/

...And deeper rifts within the GOP are laid bare, with possible 2024 implications: https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-nightly/2023/09/07/the-battle-thats-tearing-the-texas-gop-apart-00114616

Yet another power conservation plea from ERCOT on Thursday night: https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/texas-news/ercot-calls-for-conservation-thursday-after-energy-emergency-alert-wednesday/3332195/

...While transmission lines present yet another weak link for the Texas grid: https://www.dallasnews.com/business/energy/2023/09/07/texas-power-emergency-hinged-on-stranded-wind-farm-supplies/

...And outrage spreads over news that Bitcoin companies are profiting from Texas' power woes: https://decrypt.co/155460/how-bitcoin-miners-in-texas-are-making-millions-without-mining-at-all

Texas can keep its deathtrap buoy barrier in the Rio Grande for now, on appeal: https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/07/politics/texas-water-barriers-migrants-appeal/index.html

...While the death of a 3 year old on a migrant bus appears to have been preventable: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/investigations/2023/09/07/texas-migrant-bus-death-coroners-report/70786395007/

...And the migrant buses themselves are not having the impact on "sanctuary cities" that Governor Abbott has aimed for: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/07/us/migrant-buses-texas-nyc-los-angeles.html

...And the Biden administration considers forcing migrants to stay in Texas: https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2023-09-07/biden-migrant-families-border

A vanishingly small number of legal abortions in Texas so far this year is likely an undercount due to fear of state reprisal: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/sep/07/texas-abortion-emergency-data

Austin has been over-run by rogue robot cars - and the city is powerless to stop them: https://www.kut.org/transportation/2023-09-07/austin-driverless-vehicles-cruise-complaints-rules