AG Paxton Pushes Back Against ‘Unlawful’ and ‘Orwellian’ Local Orders

[Elderberry]

Texas Scorecard By Brandon Waltens May 12, 2020

In a series of letters, Paxton takes aim at unlawful orders in Dallas, Travis, and Bexar counties.

As some local officials in Texas continue to run roughshod over citizens’ rights in response to the Chinese coronavirus, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is sending a big warning.

In letters addressed to the leaders of three Texas counties (Dallas, Bexar, and Travis) and two mayors (San Antonio and Austin), Paxton warns that recently passed public health orders by those localities “are unlawful and can confuse law-abiding citizens.”

All the letters all take aim at prohibitions on in-person worship gatherings, which have continued to be constrained by some local officials despite declarations and guidance from the state’s superseding local orders.

Additionally, Paxton also warns all three counties that mandatory mask orders are unlawful and are only a recommendation—not a mandate–from the state.

Read the letter to Bexar County and the City of San Antonio here.

Read the letter to Travis County and the City of Austin here.

Read the letter to Dallas County here.

More: https://texasscorecard.com/state/ag-paxton-pushes-back-against-unlawful-and-orwellian-local-orders/

[IsailedawayfromFR]

It's about da_n time.

You state officials have the power to shut down any and all of these local fiefdoms.

And it is past time to do so.

[Elderberry]

Local Officials Defend Their ‘Orwellian’ and ‘Unlawful’ Orders

Texas Scorecard by Jacob Asmussen May 13, 2020

https://texasscorecard.com/local/local-officials-defend-their-orwellian-and-unlawful-orders/

Austin’s mayor and local officials across the state stand by their questionably legal edicts, despite receiving a clear warning from the Texas attorney general.

Despite a warning from Texas’ attorney general, Austin’s mayor is still continuing his threat to punish local businesses who don’t obey his questionably legal new order.

Last week, Democrat Mayor Steve Adler announced his extended stay-at-home order, in which he “encourages” restaurants and businesses of 75 capacity or less to record an “activity log” of all customers that come in; the log would include collecting contact information, the date and time of visit, and even tracking where customers sit.

Though keeping a log isn’t mandatory, a business could potentially pay a devastating price if they don’t obey: the city government can determine if that business was exposed to the coronavirus and has unlimited power to publish their names to the public.

The order also continued Adler’s decree to prohibit all public and private gatherings, shut down all “non-essential” businesses, and mandated all citizens over the age of six to “wear some form of face covering” when going out in public.

More at link.