Two Proposed Bills Would Give Paxton Authority To Prosecute Election Crimes

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Two proposed bills in the Texas House of Representatives would expand the state attorney general's power to prosecute election crimes. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has been pursuing election-related crimes since he took office in 2015. In September, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals ruled that Paxton doesn't have the authority to prosecute election crimes. Under the Texas Constitution, that authority belongs to local prosecutors. One proposed bill allows the A-G to appoint special prosecutors to such cases. The other empowers the office to punish local prosecutors for limiting enforcement of election law.


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