Testimony on Interim Charge 3:…

Ban Foreign Funding in Ballot Propositions

Despite federal laws prohibiting foreign funding of candidate elections, foreign individuals and entities are still able to fund campaigns related to state and local ballot initiatives in multiple jurisdictions, creating a loophole that hostile foreign actors can exploit to influence American elections. Key points: Federal law prohibits foreign nationals from contributing to candidate campaigns or...

Will Voters Decide to Leave Austin?

Last year, the Texas Legislature passed a limited disannexation measure, House Bill 3053, that allows people unfairly captured by large cities during a particular time period to hold an election on the question of staying or leaving municipal control. The law was passed after concerns were raised that some cities had accelerated their involuntary annexation...

Texas sets the standard in the fight against human trafficking

Originally published in the Dallas Morning News. New legislation stiffens penalties and provides for victims. A recent police effort underscored a disturbing but resolvable truth: Human trafficking doesn’t just happen in faraway places — it happens in our own backyard, and, too often, it targets our children. Through a coordinated effort by the U.S. Marshals...