AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Texas Gov. Greg Abbott escalated a standoff with Austin’s sheriff over so-called sanctuary cities on Wednesday, vowing to oust the elected Democrat from office even though he doesn’t have the power to do so.
His pledge came hours before President Donald Trump signed an executive action to also crackdown on immigrant-protecting sanctuary policies by cutting federal dollars.
Abbott, a Republican, already has plans to cut off some state grants by Feb. 1 because Travis County Sheriff Sally Hernandez says her jails in Texas’ most liberal city will no longer honor all detainer requests from federal immigration authorities.
“If she doesn’t, we will remove her from office,” Abbott said during an interview on “Fox and Friends.”
Abbott said the Texas Legislature is working on anti-sanctuary bills that would remove officeholders and impose criminal and financial penalties. His threat goes beyond one prominent anti-sanctuary bill that proposes blocking taxpayer money as punishment.
A spokeswoman for Hernandez didn’t immediately return a request for comment Wednesday.
Democratic state Rep. Rafael Anchia said “’’unless the governor wants to be king and remove people form office unilaterally,” it’s up to voters to decide.
Trump plans to curb funding for cities that don’t arrest or detain immigrants living in the U.S. illegally, which could cost individual jurisdictions millions of dollars. But the administration may face legal challenges, given that some federal courts have found that local jurisdictions cannot hold immigrants beyond their jail term or deny them bond based only a request from immigration authorities.
___
SENATOR MUM ON ETHICS BILL’S IMPACT ON PAXTON CASE
A top Republican leading efforts that would force convicted officeholders to resign won’t say how his bill might apply to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Sen. Van Taylor said Wednesday his sweeping ethics legislation is “bigger than any one case.” Paxton is scheduled to stand trial in May on felony securities fraud charges and faces 5 to 99 years in prison if convicted.
Paxton has pleaded not guilty. Current Texas law doesn’t explicitly say convicted elected officials must step down.
Paxton has signaled he will run for re-election in 2018. Taylor deflected questions about whether his ethics bill would force Paxton to leave office if convicted.
Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is backing the bill, which says state elected officials must leave office “the date the conviction becomes final.”
___
BLACK LAWMAKERS SAY REGENT APPOINTMENTS LACK DIVERSITY
The Texas Senate’s only two black members are criticizing Gov. Greg Abbott for not including any African-Americans in his three nominees for the University of Texas System Board of Regents.
The Senate is to begin vetting Abbott nominees Janiece Longoria, former Sen. Kevin Eltife and Rad Weaver on Thursday for six-year terms.
Sens. Royce West of Dallas and Borris Miles of Houston say Abbott missed a chance to boost board diversity when he failed to nominate any new black members.
The board has had only three black regents in 126 years.
Abbott spokesman John Wittman said the governor is proud of his appointments, “and he will continue to seek out willing public servants who not only share his vision for Texas, but also reflect the diversity of the state.”
___
SMITH REAPPOINTED AS HHSC DIRECTOR
Gov. Greg Abbott has reappointed his former longtime aide as head of Texas’ massive health agency.
Abbott announced Wednesday that Charles Smith will continue as executive commissioner of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission through January 2019. The governor first tapped Smith for the post last May.
Smith was once a top deputy under Abbott in the attorney general’s office before Abbott became governor in 2015.
Smith has been something of a stabilizing force since taking over the 60,000-person health commission. He started amid a $110 million, no-bid contracting scandal and as a federal judge began ordering improvements as part of an overhaul to the state’s embattled foster care system.
Smith’s reappointment still has to be confirmed by the Texas Senate.
___
ON DECK
Both chambers are adjourned until Monday at 2 p.m. Gov. Greg Abbott’s State of the State address before a joint session of the Legislature is Tuesday and Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan Hecht will address another joint legislative session on Wednesday.
___
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Texans hold their elected officials to the highest standards - and rightfully so,” Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, commenting on the ethics proposal Sen. Van Taylor introduced r on Wednesday.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.