Capital Highlights Week of Sept. 23 – 27

Voter registration deadline nears for November election

Eligible Texans planning to vote in the November general election have until Oct. 7 to register, Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson reminds folks.  The registration deadline applies to both early and election day voting.
“Texans have just a few short weeks left to register to vote, and I want to ensure all eligible Texans who want to make their voices heard are registered and prepared to do so,” Nelson said. 
Instructions on how to register to vote and how to update existing voter registrations can be found at VoteTexas.org. To be eligible to vote, you must be a U.S. citizen, a resident of the county where you register and at least 18 years old on Election Day.
Texas officials say they have scrubbed voter rolls of more than 1 million voters deemed ineligible. The routine process culls people who have moved out of state or are dead. Voters can ensure they are registered by going to the My Voter Portal on the secretary of state’s website,  https://teamrv-mvp.sos.texas.gov/MVP/mvp.do
Early voting begins on Oct. 21 and ends Nov. 1. The last day to apply for a ballot by mail is Oct. 25. Election Day is Nov. 5.

Venezuelan gang designated terrorist organization

Gov. Greg Abbott and state officials have labeled the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua as a “foreign terrorist organization,” the Austin American-Statesman reported.
The gang originated in Venezuela’s prison system a decade ago and first operated from the state of Aragua, from which it derives its name. Its criminal activities include drug trafficking, human smuggling, kidnapping, extortion and illegal mining, according to the report. State officials believe the gang is operating in Texas.
“Our goal is to defend Texas from the growing threat of the gang,” Abbott said. “We will not let them use Texas as a base of operations to terrorize our citizens.”
Abbott has said El Paso is a locus of illegal activity by members of Tren de Aragua. A law passed in 2023 to target smugglers of undocumented immigrants will be used against gang members, he said.

Judge tosses Paxton suit against Bexar County

A state district judge last week threw out a lawsuit filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton against Bexar County’s plan to mail voter registration forms to country residents, The Texas Tribune reported. Since the forms have already been mailed, District Judge Antonia Arteaga ruled the case was moot.
Paxton sued the county to attempt to block the mailing of the forms. He asserted that the efforts in Bexar County, as well as in Harris and Travis counties, are a violation of state law and risk adding noncitizens to voter rolls. Bexar county commissioners called the claims misleading and unfounded.
A similar suit against Travis County has been moved to federal court, where county officials are also challenging Paxton’s efforts to stop voter registration efforts. In addition, Jolt, a nonprofit that is pushing for increased Latino participation in the electoral process, has sued Paxton after being targeted in a separate investigation into its registration efforts.

Project 2025 data shows little evidence of voter fraud

Data compiled by the Heritage Foundation, architect of the controversial Project 2025, indicates noncitizen voting in Texas is not a widespread problem, the Texas Newsroom reported.
A database maintained since 2017 houses state data since 2005. Only three instances of noncitizens casting ballots have been found since 2012, the database indicates.
The Heritage Foundation has recently sounded alarm bells about potential noncitizen voting in the upcoming general election. The American Immigration Council cited the foundation’s own data as proof that noncitizen voting is not a widespread problem.
“The lessons to take from Heritage’s own database are that noncitizen voting is not a serious problem and that to the extent rare cases occur, they would be best addressed by better training government workers to recognize immigration documents and follow procedure,” wrote Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a senior fellow at the council.

PUC urged to more closely vet plant loan applicants

The Public Utility Commission has drawn criticism after initially approving a power plant project in the Rio Grande Valley for a company whose CEO was convicted of embezzlement seven years earlier.
The application has since been canceled, the Texas Standard reported. Earlier this month, the Senate Finance Committee grilled agency leaders, who are tasked with approving loans out of a $5 billion fund approved by lawmakers to boost the state’s power grid.
“The role of your organization has changed dramatically,” state Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, told PUC Chair Thomas Gleeson. “We’re expecting more from you. You’re not just a [electricity] rate organization anymore.”
Gleeson said the PUC would review its processes and has penalized Deloitte, the firm hired to administer the Texas Energy Fund, by cutting its contract by 10%. The agency is under pressure to finish loaning the $5 billion by the end of 2025, according to the legislation.

Time for flu, COVID-19 vaccines

Autumn has officially arrived, which means it’s the season to consider booster shots for the flu, COVID-19 and other immunizations, such as shingles or pneumonia. The Statesman reported healthcare providers say it’s OK to get both the flu and COVID-19 shots at the same time, but people should first check with their healthcare provider. 
The federal Food and Drug Administration has approved three updated COVID-19 boosters, and the agency urges people of all ages to get vaccinated. The vaccines typically become effective in two weeks, healthcare authorities say. Most insurance plans cover the cost of the vaccines.

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].