AUSTIN, Texas — You never know what to expect in the final week of a legislative session in Texas.
In 2023, though?
Everyone thought they knew the big issues that were coming down to the wire, including education savings accounts and property tax relief.
But raise your hand if you saw Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton facing impeachment in the closing days of 88th Texas Legislature?
“I think that’s one of the questions is, was this intentionally pushed to the end of the session? Why did we wait until the last week to take this up,” Bud Kennedy asked on this week's episode of Y’all-itics. “It’s a good question why this waited until the last minute. I think it’s to put pressure on the Senate.”
The Republican-led House General Investigating Committee voted unanimously Thursday to send articles of impeachment to the floor of the State House of Representatives.
The 20 charges alleged by the House committee include conspiracy, misappropriation of public resources, dereliction of duty, abuse of public trust, unfitness for office and making false statements in official records.
If the Texas House of Representatives votes to impeach Paxton, the Collin County Republican would stand trial on the charges in the Texas Senate.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick sat down with Jason Whitely to discuss that potential.
“It comes to the Texas Senate, there will be a trial conducted. I’m not at liberty to say anything really beyond that because I will be presiding over that case and the senators, all 31 senators, will have a vote. We’ll set the rules for that trial as we go forward and we’ll see how that develops,” Patrick said.
Paxton said last week in a statement posted to Twitter that “every allegation is easily disproved.”
And the day after the House committee voted for impeachment, Paxton complained “this process provided no opportunity for rebuttal or due process. They even refused to allow a senior attorney from my office to provide facts.”
The Fort Worth Star Telegram’s Bud Kennedy and KVUE anchor and managing editor of political content Ashley Goudeau joined the Jasons in our latest episode of Y’all-itics to discuss the impeachment effort.
“I think you had to get it right. I think if you’re coming after the Attorney General of the state of Texas, who is a die-hard friend of former President Donald Trump, I think if you’re coming after him in reliably red Texas, you’ve got to get it right,” said Goudeau.