AG Pax­ton Files Peti­tion to Pro­tect Tex­as­’s Sov­er­eign­ty to Reg­u­late Texas Nat­ur­al Gas Facilities

“Despite state laws and programs that regulate these facilities with respect to conservation, environmental protection and protection of property rights, the PHMSA effectively stripped the States of authority over their own natural gas facilities and completely disregarded traditional state regulatory roles,” said Attorney General Paxton. “My office does not tolerate government overreach, and will not allow a rule as arbitrary and capricious as this to stand.”

March 17, 2017 | Press Release

AG Pax­ton: Prayer Room at Pub­lic High School Rais­es First Amend­ment Concerns

“Liberty High School’s policy should be neutral toward religion,” reads the letter from Deputy Attorney General Andrew Leonie to Frisco ISD Superintendent Jeremy Lyon. “However, it appears that students are being treated different based on their religious beliefs. Such a practice, of course, is irreconcilable with our nation’s enduring commitment to religious liberty.”

March 17, 2017 | Press Release

Round Rock Man Arrest­ed by OAG’s Child Exploita­tion Unit for Pos­ses­sion of Child Pornography

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced that earlier this week the Child Exploitation Unit (CEU) of his office arrested Eric Christopher Lucas, 45, of Round Rock, on six counts of Possession of Child Pornography, a third-degree felony. Lucas could face up to 10 years in prison per charge if convicted.

March 17, 2017 | Press Release

AG Pax­ton Leads Mul­ti-State Coali­tion for Final Judg­ment in Law­suit to Pro­tect Tex­ans and Physi­cians from Oba­macare Mandate

“Doctors’ best medical judgment and deeply held religious beliefs should not be voided by political agendas in Washington,” Attorney General Paxton said. “The doctor/patient relationship should remain between doctors and their patients, and the government has no business telling doctors what their patients need. We’re asking the court for a permanent injunction against the rule based on a pure legal question that the court has already answered: the Obamacare rule is unlawful.”

March 15, 2017 | Press Release

AG Pax­ton Files Motion to Inter­vene in Law­suit Chal­leng­ing Texas’ Right to Hon­or ICE Detainers

“Governments throughout Texas have a duty under Texas law, and cooperative agreements with the federal government, to hold undocumented and suspected criminal aliens pursuant to ICE detainers,” Attorney General Paxton said. “This is a public safety issue. If a Texas sheriff cannot lawfully honor an ICE detainer, dangerous people may slip through the cracks of the justice system and back into the community.”

March 09, 2017 | Press Release

AG Pax­ton Leads 19-State Coali­tion Urg­ing EPA to End Sys­tem­at­ic Fed­er­al Overreach

“For the last eight years, politics, not law, drove the shape and character of this country’s environmental regulations,” Attorney General Paxton said. “The EPA now has the opportunity to correct that error under the leadership of Administrator Pruitt. We therefore invite the agency to turn away from its recent practices and bring its rulemaking back into compliance with the very statutes from which it derives its authority. The Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act expressly affirm that the states have the primary responsibility to care for the environment. It is about time the EPA respected that role.”

March 07, 2017 | Press Release

AG Pax­ton State­ment on the Pres­i­den­t’s Revised Immi­gra­tion Order

“The executive order issued today by President Trump is a direct response to an ongoing weakness in the refugee vetting process, which was identified to Congress by multiple federal officials, but left unaddressed by the Obama administration. In light of the looming threat of terrorism, the president has both the constitutional authority and solemn duty to take reasonable steps in securing our border. President Trump’s action shows decisiveness in answer to a very real danger, and I appreciate his efforts to protect the safety and security of Texans and all Americans.”

March 06, 2017 | Press Release

AG Pax­ton Releas­es State­ment on EPA Deci­sion to With­draw Infor­ma­tion Request for Oil and Gas Industry

"We are pleased that the EPA has responded to our request and withdrawn its burdensome and unlawful information demand to oil and gas producers across the country. We applaud Administrator Pruitt for his adherence to the rule of law as he pursues the balance Congress has struck between preserving our environment and allowing our economy to grow."

March 03, 2017 | Press Release

AG Pax­ton Files Law­suit to Stop Hous­ing Scam Tar­get­ing His­pan­ic Con­sumers in Texas

Attorney General Ken Paxton today announced that his office filed a lawsuit in Hidalgo County against a Mission, Texas-based construction company, and that a court has granted a restraining order stopping the company and its administrators from allegedly targeting Hispanics in a home building scam.

February 22, 2017 | Press Release

AG Pax­ton: Texas Files Ami­cus Brief Sup­port­ing Pres­i­dent Trump’s Con­sti­tu­tion­al Immi­gra­tion Order

“The law makes it very clear that the president has discretion to protect the safety of the American people and our nation’s institutions with respect to who can come into this country,” Attorney General Paxton said. “The safety of the American people and the security of our country are President Trump’s major responsibilities under the law.”

February 15, 2017 | Press Release