Capital Highlights Week of Oct. 28 – Nov. 1

Early voting ends on Friday

Texans who wish to vote early in the Nov. 5 general election have until closing time Friday, Nov. 1 to do so. Secretary of State Jane Nelson is encouraging voters to double-check their precinct numbers and candidate selections before casting their ballots.
“Texas has more than 18 million registered voters, and we want to make sure every eligible vote counts. All voting systems in Texas are designed to give voters an opportunity to review their selections before casting their ballot,” Nelson said. “I encourage Texas voters to use this built-in opportunity to double-check the selections.”
Voters can go to votetexas.gov to ensure they are registered, though the deadline to do so for the general election has passed. The site also lists polling places and what is on the ballot, depending on where you live.
Voting officials have taken steps to ensure ballots remain secret. Earlier this year, a conservative news site published what it claimed was a copy of then-GOP chair Matt Rinaldi’s ballot, using public records released by election administrators. 
The Houston Chronicle reported that Nelson and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton subsequently issued emergency guidelines to election officials to exercise caution about what type of information they release to the public. Voting records are public records, though who someone specifically voted for is not. Officials have noted identifying a voter’s choices was only possible in very limited circumstances, such as a precinct with very few voters.

Lawmakers, Paxton spar over inmate execution

A bipartisan group of 84 Texas legislators earlier this month subpoenaed a man on Death Row in an effort to stop his execution for the death of his 2-year-old daughter. Atty. Gen. Ken Paxton took issue with the move, claiming that the lawmakers ignored glaring evidence of Robert Roberson’s guilt, The Dallas Morning News reported.
The unique attempt came among increasing concern that Roberson was convicted of “shaken baby syndrome,” which is now widely discredited by science experts.
The case is now being reviewed by the Texas Supreme Court, which is considering the question of whether a legislative subpoena outweighs the executive branch’s authority to conduct an execution. 
Lawmakers heard from a number of experts, as well as the lead investigator and a juror.
Paxton “issued a stunningly misleading statement designed to quash a bipartisan group of lawmakers in their truth-seeking mission, which has riveted the world,” Roberson’s attorney, Gretchen Sween, said in a statement. 
The House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee has held two hearings on Roberson’s case. Roberson, who has been diagnosed with autism, did not testify after the attorney general’s office said he could only do so by teleconference.

Operation Lone Star costs reach $11 billion

In a little more than three-and-a-half years, Gov. Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star has spent $11 billion to make border crossings more difficult and to apprehend suspected undocumented migrants, The News reported. The effort began in March 2021 with National Guard soldiers and state troopers assigned to the border with Mexico. Since then, more than 100 miles of razor wire have been strung and 45 miles of state-built border wall is up, as well as a 1,000-foot buoy barrier on the Rio Grande. More than a half million migrants have been apprehended as of Oct. 3 under Operation Lone Star, resulting in 47,640 arrests – about one-fourth for trespassing.
Abbott is seeking another $2.9 billion during the upcoming legislative session for Operation Lone Star.
“Texas will not back down in our fight to secure the border from illegal immigration, dangerous criminals, and deadly drugs,” he wrote in a September social media post.

Oil patch traffic deaths spotlighted by TxDOT

Traffic deaths in the state’s five main energy sections accounted for nearly 25% of the state’s total traffic fatalities last year, according to the Texas Department of Transportation. More than 80,000 traffic crashes in the Permian Basin, Eagle Ford Shale, Barnett Shale, Anadarko Basin, and the Haynesville/Bossier Shale resulted in 1,081 fatalities and 3,578 serious injuries. 
“Our state’s energy sector is vital to many communities throughout the state and the Texas economy, but oil and gas production activity can also bring challenges to our transportation system,” the news release said. “These include an increase in traffic and the effects on our roads caused by large trucks and machinery sharing the road with passenger vehicles.”
Drivers in those regions are urged to give large trucks plenty of space, drive at a safe speed, and avoid trucks’ blind spots.
TxDOT continues to push to end the streak of daily deaths on Texas roadways. The last deathless day on state roads was Nov. 7, 2000.

Texans urged not to move firewood to prevent spread of diseases, pests

It isn’t exactly fireplace weather just yet, but with November knocking on the door, Texans looking to stock up their firewood supply are urged to be cautious when collecting, transporting and buying firewood, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service. 
“Many devastating, tree-killing pests present in Texas forests live and breed inside firewood,” said Demian Gomez of the forest service. “The spread of wood borers, such as the invasive emerald ash borer, have been on the rise this year. These invasive insects have caused devastating impacts, practically wiping out entire tree species from some regions of the country.”
Gomez said the best rule of thumb is to burn firewood near where it is bought or picked up. Moving it can easily introduce insects and diseases, since the pests do not travel extreme distances naturally. More information is available at dontmovefirewood.org.

Gary Borders is a veteran award-winning Texas journalist. He published a number of community newspapers in Texas during a 30-year span, including in Longview, Fort Stockton, Nacogdoches, Lufkin and Cedar Park. Email: [email protected]