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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. Attorney General Ken Paxton took issue with the move, claiming 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 i s consider ing the question of whether a legislative subpoena outweighs the executive branch’s authority to conduct an execution.
Lawmaker s hea rd from a number of experts, as well as the lead investigator and a juror.
Pa x ton “ i s sued a stunningly misleading statement designed to quash a bipartisan group of lawmakers in their truth-seeking mission, which has r iveted the world,” Roberson’s attorney, Gretchen Sween, said in a statement.
The House Criminal Jurisprudence Commit tee has held two hearings on Roberson’s case. Roberson, who has been diagnosed with autism, did not testify after the attorney general’s off ice 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 detain suspected undocumented migrants, The News reported. The effort began in March 2021 with National Guard soldiers and state troopers assigned to the border with Mex ico. 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 R io Grande. More than a half million migrants have been apprehended as of Oct. 3 under Operat ion Lone Star, resulting in 47,640 arrests – about one-four th for trespassing.
Abbot t is seek ing 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
Tr a f f i c deat hs in the state’s five main energy sect ions 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 Haynesv i l le/ Bos sier 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 chal lenges 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 plent y of space, drive at a safe speed and avoid trucks’ blind spots.
TxDOT continues to push to end the streak of dai ly 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.
“ Ma ny de v a s t a ting, 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 invas ive insects have caused devastat ing impac t s, prac t ica l ly 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.
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
