Gov. Greg Abbott doesn't acknowledge Joe Biden as president-elect
Abbott didn't raise any accusations of malfeasance in the election but said election winners "are certified by designated governmental bodies, not by media outlets."
In his first comments on the presidential election since election night, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott avoided acknowledging former Vice President Joe Biden's victory and said the process of vote counting and recounts should play out.
“Democracy depends upon fair and open elections. We all agree that every legal vote counts and that illegal votes do not. There are processes in place in each state to determine if any vote is legal, and we must respect those processes to ensure the integrity of our elections,” Abbott said in a written statement Monday evening.
Abbott’s statement comes days after major news outlets called Biden president-elect on Saturday as results indicated that he would win the swing state of Pennsylvania and secure enough electoral votes to ascend to the presidency.
Trump has not conceded, claiming the election was stolen and making unsubstantiated claims of widespread voter fraud. The sitting president's campaign has filed legal challenges to contest the election results in battleground states. Judges in two of those cases — in Michigan and Georgia — tossed out the lawsuits because the campaign failed to provide evidence that laws were broken. Trump's campaign has indicated that it will call for recounts in Michigan and Wisconsin, and recounts are also possible in Georgia and Pennsylvania. Still, experts say his odds of winning are practically impossible.
Former President George W. Bush, a fellow Republican and former governor of Texas, congratulated Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on their victory Sunday and called the outcome of the election “clear.” But many other Republicans have disputed or questioned the results, and some have parroted Trump's unsubstantiated claims of fraud.
Abbott avoided making such claims but said that election winners are "certified by designated governmental bodies, not by media outlets."
"Resolving disputes over vote counts is not uncharted territory," Abbott said. "It happens frequently, including in presidential contests like the one asserted by Al Gore. Regardless of party affiliation, or no party affiliation, all Americans must have confidence in the accuracy and transparency of our elections. That can be achieved, and must be done swiftly."
The state's senior U.S. senator, John Cornyn, made similar comments Monday when asked whether he'd seen evidence of voter fraud in the presidential election.
“That’s really not my, my role,” Cornyn, a Republican, told reporters on Capitol Hill. “There is a process that is available, and I don’t begrudge the president for availing himself of that process — but in the end, they’re going to have to come up with some facts and evidence.”
Abbott, meanwhile, has been quicker to congratulate winners in Texas elections, even though votes are still being counted and canvass deadlines have not arrived. Early Wednesday morning, Abbott congratulated state Rep. Angie Chen Button, R-Richardson, for winning reelection. Her opponent has not yet conceded and will be able to call for a recount if she chooses. As of Monday, Button was up by 223 votes, or about 0.3%.
Alex Samuels contributed reporting.
Selected Business Can Open up to 75% Starting Sept. 21
In order for a business to open, the TSA metric should have seven consecutive days in which the number of COVID-19 hospitalized is 15% or less.
By Menda Eulenfeld, Sep 18, 2020
Governor Greg Abbott announced that selected business such as Gyms / Exercise Facilities, Manufacturers, Museums and Libraries, Office-Based Employers, Restaurants and Retailers can open up to 75% occupancy starting on September 21, 2020.
A data driven hospitalization metric known as the Trauma Service Area (TSA), will be used by doctors and medical experts to determine if businesses in the area can reopen. In order for a business to open, the TSA metric should have seven consecutive days in which the number of COVID-19 hospitalized is 15% or less.
Victoria, Laredo, and the Lower Rio Grande Valley will remain at 50% occupancy until the hospitalization metric requirements are met.
"With the medical advancements we have made and the personal hygiene practices we have adopted, Texans have shown that we can address both the health and safety concerns of COVID-19 while also taking careful, measured steps to restore the livelihoods that Texans depend on," said Governor Abbott.
Texas Legislation Could Freeze Revenues for Cities That cut Police Budgets
The state's three top elected leaders also fiercely criticized the Austin officials who plan to cut up to one-third of their police department's budget, largely through reorganizing divisions out from under law enforcement.
Gov. Greg Abbott, other Texas leaders want to freeze property tax revenues for cities that cut police budgets
"Gov. Greg Abbott, other Texas leaders want to freeze property tax revenues for cities that cut police budgets" was first published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.
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Gov. Greg Abbott and top Texas leaders announced Tuesday that they will push for legislation next year that would freeze property tax revenues for cities that cut police budgets, just days after the Austin City Council approved a budget that will cut police funding by up to one-third by moving areas like forensics outside of the management of the police department to become separate municipal offices and by reinvesting money in social services.
The proposal sets up what is expected to be a fight in the 2021 Texas Legislature over what police reform should look like after the in-custody death of George Floyd that reignited a national movement against police brutality and racial injustice.
“Any city in the state of Texas that defunds law enforcement will have their property tax revenue frozen as of that time,” Abbott said in Fort Worth, where the press conference was held. “This will be an effective tool that effectively will prevent cities from being able to reduce funding support for law enforcement agencies.”
The killing of Floyd, a Black man who died after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly eight minutes, has spurred protests against police brutality and calls to reduce police funding across the state and country. Police reform advocates are pushing cities to reallocate police funds to areas like housing, social services and public spaces.
Texas’ four largest cities — Austin, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio — each spent more than a third of their general funds on their police departments in the 2020 fiscal year. But on Thursday, Austin became the first major Texas city to cut its police department’s budget.
At a press conference Tuesday, Austin Mayor Steve Adler said the bulk of the decrease to the police budget is achieved through reorganizing existing offices and duties out from under the department. About $80 million in police budget decreases comes from moving things like the forensic lab and the internal affairs office out of the department and into other areas of city government. Another $50 million in police budget decreases might come from areas that are being reevaluated and might be removed from the department, like traffic work, training and recruitment within the agency. About $20 million comes from moving money to social services like violence prevention, food access and abortion access programs.
"Public safety is more broad than just police and EMS and fire. It is about making sure that people have health care opportunities," Adler said. "And that is part of the way our city and other cities are going to have to frame public safety if they want to be just, equitable and the safest cities they can be."
The City Council approved the measure after Austin's police department faced months of criticism over the killing of an unarmed Black and Hispanic man, the use of force against anti-police brutality protesters and the investigation of a demonstrator’s fatal shooting by another resident. The move quickly drew outcry from Texas Republican leaders and prompted Tuesday's press conference.
“If we have police brutality, we don't need fewer police, we need less police brutality, and so we need to take action, whether it be as a Legislature or in police departments or whatever the case may be,” Abbott said. "We do need to take action to ensure that law enforcement officers are trained in ways in which they will not engage in police brutality.”
Last week, the Texas Legislative Black Caucus unveiled provisions it plans to include in a George Floyd Act when the legislative session begins in January. The proposals included some related directly to Floyd, like banning chokeholds and requiring officers to intervene if another officer is using excessive force. But they also revived efforts that have previously failed at the Capitol after facing opposition from police unions. One such measure would be to end arrests for criminal violations that at most would result in a fine, like theft under $100.
While Abbott has mentioned potential proposals since Floyd’s death, they have mostly fallen in line with what police unions also support, like increased training. But the item Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said would be a priority in the Senate is to ensure that police funding is not diminished.
Abbott was joined in the press conference by Patrick, Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen, several Republican North Texas lawmakers and Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price. During the press conference, Abbott made a reference to a report from The Wall Street Journal that showed increases in homicides and robberies in Austin this year. The report lists Austin and Fort Worth, the city Abbott praised for its public safety policies, as both showing high increases in the percentage of murders from last year to this year; city crime data reveal those percentages amount for nine more murders in Austin this year compared with 2019 and 13 more in Fort Worth.
Experts have pointed out that crime rates are nowhere near the high levels of two decades ago. An analysis by the University of Pennsylvania shows a marginal increase in violent crimes compared with the previous five years in Austin.
During the press conference, Bonnen, who is not returning to the Legislature in 2021, criticized Adler for opposing police funding cuts in previous years during property tax debates, only to support it now.
“It is not acceptable,” Bonnen said. “Law enforcement is not a tool of political agendas, and I would ask the city of Austin to stop using them as one.”
Austin City Council member Greg Casar said in a statement that the council was following what Austin residents wanted and that Abbott, instead of supporting police reforms proposed in the Black caucus' George Floyd Act, relied on fear-mongering.
“The message from the tens of thousands of Austinites who made their voices heard in this year’s budget process was clear: We must decrease our over-reliance on police to handle all of our complex public safety challenges and instead reinvest in domestic violence shelters, mental health first responders, and more," Casar said.
Other major Texas cities are also weighing police budgets, now with Abbott's proposal in mind. San Antonio’s proposed budget for 2021 increases overall police funding by $8 million, but cuts overtime and funds health and violence prevention programs. In Dallas, the proposed 2021 budget includes a small increase in police funding, as well as $3.2 million for safety net resources. Both cities are scheduled to approve their budgets in September.
"I would want to see the actual legislation before I comment directly on Governor Abbott's proposal because 'defunding' means different things to different people," said Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson in a statement. "But generally, I believe it should be up to voters to hold their local elected officials accountable for their budgetary decisions, which should reflect the people's priorities."
The Houston City Council approved a minor funding increase to its police department in June, but an amendment that tried to redistribute some of the money to other areas, like the police oversight board and loans for businesses owned by people of color, was rejected.
In Fort Worth, voters supported renewing the half-cent sales tax that funds at least 24% of the city police department's budget in July. According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the city is considering a proposal to redirect some funds within its police department to expand its mental health team, increase funding to nonprofits and create a civilian response program.
Abbott said Tuesday's press conference was in Fort Worth because “Fort Worth is doing it right” in terms of investing in police and public safety. While Abbott mentioned Floyd’s death in Minneapolis, there was no mention during the conference of Atatiana Jefferson or other Black residents who died in high-profile Texas police killings. Jefferson, a 28-year-old Black woman, was killed last year after a Fort Worth police officer shot into her home during a welfare check. The former officer, Aaron Dean, has been indicted on a murder charge.
Advocates have argued that while police departments receive a large portion of city funds, safety net programs remain underfunded and communities of color are disproportionately affected by unemployment, lack of adequate housing and poverty. In 2018, 19.6% of Black Texans and 20.9% of Hispanic Texans lived below the poverty line, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, compared with 8.5% of non-Hispanic white Texans.
“The only way that you're going to prevent crime is by addressing the root causes of crime, and the main one is poverty,” said Nora Soto, co-founder of Our City Our Future in Dallas. “Police have acted as a poverty patrol. They're criminalizing poor people.”
Police unions explain that law enforcement is expensive and involves a wide range of responsibilities, which include everything from responding to potentially dangerous emergency 911 calls to attending monthly neighborhood meetings.
“Just because of the sheer volume of tasks that we are responsible for dealing with, public safety is going to be the most expensive part of a city budget across the board. That's really just demand,” said Jennifer Szimanski, public affairs coordinator for the Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas.
Disclosure: Steve Adler, a former Texas Tribune board chairman, has been a financial supporter of the Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.
This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2020/08/18/texas-police-funding-greg-abbott-dan-patrick/.
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No Shutdown Coming For Texas
Texas Governor Greg Abbott said it will take weeks to see whether his recent mask order and decision to close bars are effective in slowing the virus' spread.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says "there is no shutdown coming" as coronavirus cases surge
"Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says "there is no shutdown coming" as coronavirus cases surge" was first published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.
As the number of new coronavirus cases in Texas continues to rise and hospitals grow more crowded, Gov. Greg Abbott said Thursday there is no statewide shutdown looming.
Abbott said last week that if the spread of the virus didn't slow, "the next step would have to be a lockdown." But in a television interview Thursday, he said that there have been rumors of such a move and stressed that they were not true.
“Let me tell you, there is no shutdown coming,” he told KRIV-TV in Houston.
Abbott pointed to measures he’s taken in recent weeks, including a statewide mask mandate and an order shutting down bars, to slow the spread of the virus. It will take a few weeks to see a reversal in coronavirus case surges, he said.
He has repeatedly stressed this week that, if people wear masks, he'll be able to avoid shutting down the state. On Wednesday, he told KPRC-TV in Houston that it seems like people ask him about a shutdown "like a thousand times a day."
"People are panicking, thinking I'm about to shut down Texas again," he said. "The answer is no. That is not the goal. I've been abundantly clear."
As of Thursday, there were 10,457 people in Texas hospitals with the coronavirus. That was down slightly from a peak of 10,569 on Tuesday, but still an 8% increase from a week ago and more than four times the number a month ago. Abbott described seeing a "flattening" of hospitalizations. The state has reported 3,561 deaths from the virus.
“We are certainly not out of the woods yet, but this could be a glimmer of hope,” Abbott said of the recent hospitalization numbers. “But the only way we can avoid a shutdown is if we do get everybody buying into this process of wearing a face mask.”
Earlier Thursday, Abbott defended his coronavirus response at the Texas GOP convention after acknowledging widespread discontent among party members. Several Republican officials have voiced their criticism of Abbott’s statewide mask order.
"The last thing that any of us want is to lock Texas back down again," he said during the virtual convention.
But Democrats continued to push for Abbott to take more action to stem the spread of the virus.
"Governor Abbott should start listening to public health officials and members of his own coronavirus taskforce before he makes blanket claims," Abhi Rahman, a state party spokesperson, said in an email. "After experiencing record deaths today and over 10,000 new cases, it's shocking that Abbott continues to double down on his failed policies and positions."
Correction: The photo caption for this story originally misstated when Gov. Greg Abbott held a press conference on steps to reopen Texas businesses. The press conference was in April.
This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2020/07/16/texas-shutdown-greg-abbott/.
The Texas Tribune is proud to celebrate 10 years of exceptional journalism for an exceptional state. Explore the next 10 years with us.