Governor rails against Dallas sheriff’s detention policy
AUSTIN — Gov. Greg Abbott on Oct. 26 wrote to Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez, saying her “case-by-case immigrant detention plan will no longer be tolerated in Texas.” 
Under the sheriff’s current policy, an undocumented person who committed minor offenses is not held past their release date an extra 48 hours for federal immigration authorities. 

State says funding to Planned Parenthood will be cut

AUSTIN — The state Health and Human Services Commission notified Planned Parenthood affiliates in Texas on Oct. 19 that state funding they have been receiving through the Medicaid program would be cut.

Revenue estimate reflects slowdown in energy sector

AUSTIN — Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar on Oct. 14 announced the release of his office’s Certification Revenue Estimate.

The “CRE” is an update to the Biennial Revenue Estimate, a document that gives state lawmakers a good idea of how much revenue will be available for general-purpose spending in 2016-2017, the next two-year state budget period. 

BP settles with five states, federal government

AUSTIN — BP, one of the world’s largest oil and gas companies, has settled with the federal government and the states of Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida over claims related to the Deep Water Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010.

Governor requests border help from Washington

AUSTIN — Gov. Greg Abbott on Sept. 30 wrote a letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, requesting immediate action to address “the significant increase of illegal border crossings.”

Nearly 10,000 immigrant families and unaccompanied children were detained after illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border in August, an increase of more than 50 percent over August 2014, Abbott said, quoting official reports.

Lawmakers get input on jails, suicide prevention
AUSTIN — The July 13, 2015, death of Sandra Bland, a woman arrested and jailed after a traffic stop in Waller County, has prompted meetings of Texas House and Senate committees. Bland, whose body was discovered in her jail cell three days after she was put in custody, was ruled a suicide.

American Community Survey updates poverty statistics

AUSTIN — Texas’ poverty rate improved to 17.2 percent in 2014, according to U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey released Sept. 17.

Embedded in that statistic is this: more than 4.5 million Texans — 1.7 million of whom are children — still live in poverty. In 2014, the poverty line for a family of three was about $19,000 per year.

Neighbors agree to work on trade, energy projects

AUSTIN — Gov. Greg Abbott traveled to Mexico last week to meet with President Enrique Peña Nieto and other officials in Mexico City.

On Sept. 8, the governor’s office announced an agreement between the Texas Department of Transportation and the Ministry of Communications and Transportation of the United Mexican States “to promote and increase bilateral collaboration on future border infrastructure projects.”

Abbott orders flags to half-staff to honor slain officer

AUSTIN — Gov. Greg Abbott ordered Texas flags across the state be lowered to half-staff in honor of slain Harris County Deputy Sheriff Darren Goforth on Sept. 4.

Abbott also asked that law enforcement officers turn on their patrol vehicles’ red and blue flashing lights for one minute at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 4, the start time for Deputy Goforth’s funeral.

Abbott orders flags to half-staff to honor slain officer

AUSTIN — Gov. Greg Abbott on Sept. 2 issued a statewide call in honor of slain Harris County Deputy Sheriff Darren Goforth and all law enforcement officers.

Abbott asked that officers turn on their patrol vehicles’ red and blue flashing lights for one minute at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 4, the start time for Deputy Goforth’s funeral.