Author Topic: The Texas Senate has approved a new statewide appeals court. Critics contend it's another attempt to  (Read 168 times)

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Online Elderberry

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Texas Tribune by Reese Oxner April 14, 2021

The Texas Senate has approved a new statewide appeals court. Critics contend it's another attempt to limit Democrats' power.

The proposed court would handle some of the state's most high-profile appeals, which are typically handled by the mostly Democrat 3rd Court of Appeals based in Austin.

The Texas Senate passed a bill Wednesday to create a new statewide court of appeals that would hear cases that have statewide significance — including ones that challenge state laws, the constitution or when the state or its agencies are sued.

Currently, when such cases go to the intermediate appellate level, they are mostly heard by the 3rd Court of Appeals based in Austin. That court’s judges are elected by voters in Democratic-leaning Travis County. Senate Bill 1529, though, would send the cases to the new appellate court whose judges would be elected by voters statewide — an electorate that skews Republican.

Some of the state’s highest profile cases could be affected by this proposed court. Bill author Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston, said that recent lawsuits surrounding Gov. Greg Abbott’s pandemic emergency orders are examples of types of litigation the proposed court would have jurisdiction over.

More: https://www.texastribune.org/2021/04/14/texas-appeals-court-statewide-senate/