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.

Attorney General Paxton pleads not guilty to charges
AUSTIN — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Aug. 27 entered a plea of not guilty on felony charges of securities fraud at his arraignment in Fort Worth.
Tarrant County 396th State District Court Judge George Gallagher gave Paxton until Sept. 30 to answer to the charges.

Energy agency chief rails against federal plan
AUSTIN — Texas Railroad Commission Chair David Porter on Aug. 19 spoke against America’s Clean Power Plan, a regulatory framework rolled out by the White House on Aug. 3. Texas is one of at least a dozen states lining up in opposition.

University president says Davis statue to be moved
AUSTIN — A bronze statue of Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederate States of America, will be moved from the Main Mall of the University of Texas at Austin campus to UT’s Center for American History for interior display, in accordance with a decision made last week by UT President Gregory Fenves.