The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday blocked a lower court ruling that threw out the state’s new congressional map, allowing the new districts to stay in place, at least for now. A federal panel, by a 2-1 vote, said a few days earlier that the new map was racially gerrymandered.
The Dallas Morning News reported Justice Samuel Alito signed the order after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton appealed the lower court’s decision, which would have forced the state to revert to the old map.
Alito asked the full court to rule by 5 p.m. on Nov. 24.
Days earlier, U.S. District Judge Jeffrey V. Brown, a Trump appointee, had granted a preliminary injunction. Brown was appointed to his position by President Donald Trump and is a former Texas Supreme Court justice who has long backed conservative policies. U.S. Circuit Judge Jerry E. Smith wrote a searing dissent.
The Texas Legislature last summer redrew the map at President Donald Trump’s request, making it likely the GOP would pick up five additional congressional seats next year.
The filing deadline for a place on the primary ballot is Dec. 8. Until the issue is settled, potential congressional candidates will not know which position to file for.
Judge blocks display of Ten Commandments at some schools
A federal judge has ruled that requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in Texas classrooms interferes with the religious freedoms of the 15 Texas families who sued, issuing a temporary injunction against 11 districts across the state, the Houston Chronicle reported.
The ruling has been appealed to the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, which will hear arguments in both the Texas case and a similar case in Louisiana.
Meanwhile, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued Round Rock, Leander and Galveston school districts after their school board members voted against putting up the displays. “These rogue ISD officials and board members blatantly disregarded the will of Texas voters who expect the legal and moral heritage of our state to be displayed in accordance with the law,” Paxton said in a statement.
Another lawsuit challenging the requirement to post the Ten Commandment also resulted in a temporary blocking of posting the Ten Commandments. A total of 25 school districts are affected by the rulings.
Dallas Fed: State’s economy is cooling
The Texas economy is cooling, according to a recent analysis by researchers at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. The News reported the analysis concludes that tariffs, inflation and uncertainty about the economy are taking a toll on the state’s businesses.
“Tariffs and the surrounding uncertainty continue to impact the Texas economy,” Luis Torres, a Dallas Fed economist who coauthored the analysis, said in accompanying comments. He added that nearly half of all the businesses surveyed are seeing costs go up because of tariffs, and more than a fourth are passing along those higher costs to their customers.
The survey found modest growth in the manufacturing sector while the services sector saw slight job losses.
Texas has the country’s second-largest state economy, with 9% of overall U.S. gross domestic product.
New state parks planned with $1 billion fund
After voters in 2023 backed a $1 billion endowment to establish the Centennial Parks Conservation Fund, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is planning development of several new state parks. The largest is the Silver Lake Ranch acquisition from the Moody Foundation, which will be developed with money from the fund, according to the Austin American-Statesman.
Other new parks planned include:
· Bear Creek State Park, 1,720 acres in Uvalde County.
· Post Oak Ridge State Park, 3,170 acres in Lampasas and Burnet counties.
· Enchanted Rock State Natural Area expansion, 3,700 acres in Llano County.
“This fund allows Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to address the demand for more public lands in Texas while conserving natural and cultural resources for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations,” the Parks and Wildlife Department said on its website.
Paxton asks court to keep divorce records sealed
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is asking a Collin County court to seal records in his ongoing divorce case, The News reported. A hearing has been set for Dec. 19 on a lawsuit filed by several major media companies to make the records public.
“Allegations that might suggest abuse of marital assets, concealment of financial information, or personal conduct inconsistent with public responsibility are not merely private — they are of public consequence,” the plaintiffs’ filing reads.
In response, Paxton called the media companies’ efforts an “unprecedentedly broad and intrusive request.”
Paxton’s wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton, R-McKinney, filed for divorce in July, citing infidelity, according to Collin County court documents. Ken Paxton is attempting to unseat U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in next March’s GOP primary.
Add a flu shot to Thanksgiving shopping list
The Texas Department of State Health Services is encouraging everyone to add flu shots to their Thanksgiving shopping lists. Flu vaccines are widely available at health clinics, doctors’ offices, and pharmacies across Texas.
“It is especially important for older adults, very young children, people with chronic health conditions and pregnant women to get protection from the flu,” said DSHS Commissioner Jennifer Shuford. “People in those higher risk groups are more likely to get seriously sick if they do get the flu, and some will inevitably need to be hospitalized and even die from their infections.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that the flu caused at least 600,000 hospitalizations in the United States and tens of thousands of deaths last flu season. Cooler weather, holiday gatherings, and increased travel all increase the risk that the flu will spread. Public health officials recommend everyone six months of age and older get vaccinated.
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: gborders@texaspress.com.
