Editorial Roundup:

Amarillo Globe-News. October 10, 2020

Abbott makes right move in latest phase of reopening, allowing counties to make call

After an agonizing and financially devastating stretch of more than three months, Texas bars and alcohol-related businesses may once again open – per an announcement this week from Gov. Greg Abbott.

The governor’s order is effective Wednesday and not without its caveats. Such businesses can open only with the blessing of their respective county’s government and if they follow protocols meant to slow the spread of the virus. Just as quickly, officials in Dallas County and Harris County said their bars would remain closed for the time being because of a continuing high number of COVID-19 cases, according to the Texas Tribune.

Along those lines, Abbott said the order does not include regions where coronavirus patients take up at least 15% of hospital capacity; Amarillo is one of five hospital regions across the state affected.

It will mark the first time since late June for bars to open. That’s when Abbott once again ordered them shuttered in the face of rapidly accelerating coronavirus numbers across the state. In many instances, virus outbreaks were traced back to bars where public health protocols were relaxed or ignored after they reopened days before the Memorial Day holiday. The decision sparked protests and lawsuits on behalf of alcohol-related operations suddenly forced to shut down.

For a second time now since the pandemic took hold in March, bars will be reopened for in-person service. Restrictions include they be limited to 50% capacity and that customers must be seated while eating or drinking. This most recent order includes no outdoors capacity limits on alcohol-related businesses.

“It is time to open up more, provided that safe protocols continue to be followed,” Abbott said in a Facebook video. “If everyone continues the safe practices, Texas will be able to contain COVID and we will be able to reopen 100%.”

These operations will need to adhere to the guidelines this time around to avoid a repeat. As we have written before, maintaining social distance and not gathering in large groups are difficult to practice in bars. Last time the bars were closed, blame was cast on a small percentage of owner-operators disregarding guidelines, triggering the order that closed bars.

That means enforcing social distancing and strict observance of capacity restrictions. Along those lines, the Texas Bar and Nightclub Alliance devised guidelines in late August that included similar measures as well as other steps such as temperature checks at the door and mandatory facemasks for servers. On a similar note, the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission said it will work with county governments on protocols to guide officials and businesses.

According to the Tribune’s story, Abbott reiterated how the state’s seven-day average for the positivity rate, the number of new virus cases and hospitalizations and fatalities have remained steady since the most recent phase of the state’s reopening.

While Abbott has been criticized in some corners for leaving this decision in the hands of county government, it makes sense. Local officials have a better handle on their specific virus numbers, and a one-size-fits-all approach simply would not work. Local businesses have been severely damaged, and people have lost their livelihood. The time is right for the next slow, measured step in reopening the economy.

Alcohol-related businesses have been asking for relief for months. Now, when they reopen, it is up to them to do all they can to balance public health with their business interests.

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Fort Worth Star-Telegram. October 07, 2020

Come clean, Ken Paxton: Texans can’t have an attorney general accused of bribery

Like anyone accused of a crime, Ken Paxton is entitled to a presumption of innocence from the legal system.

What the state attorney general has not necessarily earned, however, is the benefit of the doubt from the rest of us - particularly when you consider the details of the abuse of power allegations that several of his deputies lodged last week.

Several top officials under Paxton in the attorney general’s office have reportedly asked federal officials to investigate the two-term Republican for possible crimes, including bribery. The Austin American-Statesman reports that the allegations revolve around steps Paxton may have taken to try to help a campaign donor with federal legal problems of his own. Also at issue is the appointment of an outside attorney to investigate a complaint from the donor, Austin real estate investor Nate Paul.

Paxton owes Texans an explanation, and soon. The work of his office includes prominent political and legal issues that affect the state and in some cases the entire country. It’s too important for him to continue under a cloud.

Plus, it’s not like these allegations are the work of Paxton’s political enemies. They come from hand-picked allies. The most prominent, former first assistant attorney general Jeff Mateer, is known for his activism in the conservative Christian legal circles that launched Paxton to power, first in Collin County and then statewide. And Paxton wouldn’t be on the ballot again for another 18 months at the earliest, in the 2022 GOP primary.

Paxton has said through a spokeswoman that the aides accusing him of wrongdoing were working to impede an investigation by his office. If that’s the case, he needs to explain publicly what the case is and what they allegedly did. By saying this much, he’s forfeited the right to hide behind the popular “ongoing investigation” excuse.

It’s unclear exactly what the special prosecutor Paxton sought is investigating, but the Statesman reported that it involved allegations that the FBI conducted federal raids on Paul’s properties without a proper search warrant. If true, that’s unacceptable. But the attorney general’s office doesn’t police the FBI. Going out of its way to do so is suspicious.

The cool response of other Texas Republican leaders is a sign that, at a minimum, the charges are serious and credible. Neither Gov. Greg Abbott nor Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick rushed to Paxton’s defense. U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, an Austin Republican who is a former top deputy to Paxton, has called on his former boss to resign. Paxton says he’s staying.

Paxton has been faced legal trouble for his entire tenure as AG. He’s been free on bond and awaiting trial for more than five years on felony charges of securities fraud stemming from investment work he did while still a state senator.

In a civil proceeding, Paxton admitted a mistake and paid a fine, and the criminal charge always seemed like overkill. But the details of the case showed Paxton’s casual sloppiness about the rules governing his work.

The attorney general frequently makes news with big constitutional cases, such as the ongoing challenge to the Affordable Care Act and splashy allegations of voter fraud. But the biggest daily function of his office is to ensure collection of billions of dollars in child support. Such jobs, crucial to so many Texans, can’t be endangered by turmoil at the top of the agency.

If Paxton genuinely believes he did nothing wrong, he should make his case. But if he’s staying in office in hopes of having a bargaining chip in a possible prosecution, he’s unconscionably holding Texans hostage.

If there’s a federal case against Paxton, the outcome could take years. Texans shouldn’t have to wait that long for answers.

Paxton must come clean, and the Legislature should prepare to investigate and possibly impeach the attorney general and remove him from office.

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The Monitor. October 11, 2020

Time to increase access on international bridges

The Trump administration has been trying to convince state and local officials that the worst fears of the COVID-19 pandemic should be behind us and we should start returning to normalcy, especially with regard to business operations. We hope federal officials heed their own words, and begin taking steps to reopen our border ports of entry to “non-essential” travelers.

After all, one of the best ways to reignite our economy would be to allow activity that brings billions of dollars to U.S. interests ever year. More importantly, much of that activity is in border areas like the Rio Grande Valley, where retail, tourism, medical and other border business helps reduce the need for local residents to seek welfare assistance.

The Texas Border Coalition, made up of city and county officials across the border, hope the federal government agrees that it’s time to lift foreign travel restrictions at our ports of entry.

Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño Jr., chairman of the TBC, recently sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf asking that the restrictions be lifted.

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, after making a campaign stop to the Valley, added his voice to the growing number of requests that activity on the border return to normal. He and six other Congress members from both parties sent their own letter to Wolf, saying it’s time to reverse policies that have only created bottlenecks at the bridges among people who are still trying to cross.

These aren’t the only efforts to allow more border activity. U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, has asked that the newest COVID-19 federal relief bill include language that requires DHS to work with local border and federal health officials to determine the best strategy to easing or dropping border crossing restrictions.

Officials have said the restrictions haven’t been effective, other than to reduce local border crossings. McAllen Mayor Jim Darling recently noted that Mexican residents can fly to any part of the United States, but can’t drive to McAllen.

The loss of those crossings has cost his city, and others all along the border, dearly. Darling said casual crossings were down 90%, with estimated losses of $2 million in bridge fees to the McAllen-Hidalgo International Toll Bridge Fund. And of course, bridge tolls are a tiny fraction of the money that would have been spent at Valley stores, restaurants and other sites once the visitors were here.

Certainly, the novel coronavirus is still out there and the chance of catching COVID-19 remains. Face coverings, social distancing and other measures have helped reduce transmission rates to the point that Gov. Abbott is easing restrictions across Texas. More importantly, foreign visitors will still be subject to whatever safety precautions will remain in place at the shops and other venues.

We can’t wait to return to our normal lives until COVID-19 disappears - that might never happen. Evidence that our safety measures are working we hope will inspire confidence in federal officials that as long as we continue those precautions, we can start returning to normal life.

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