The legislation is in response to elected prosecutors in Texas’ large, left-leaning counties who have said they will not prosecute abortion or election fraud cases.
Locally elected prosecutors who do not enforce certain laws could be removed from office under a bill preliminarily approved by the Texas House of Representatives on Thursday. The bill passed 92-55 and is expected to clear final passage on Friday before going over to the Senate side.
The removal petition could then be filed by anyone who has lived in the county for at least six months, and it would be handled by a judge from a nearby county rather than the county where it was filed.Travis County District Attorney José Garza held a news conference to talk about the direct impact of the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Prosecutors in Texas’ largest counties have shown little interest in pursuing allegations of election fraud and in some cases have said they won’t bring cases against first-time drug offenders or low-level thefts. Canales’ amendment, which would have explicitly exempted prosecutors who declined to take cases due to staffing or financial limitations, failed, 62-84. But the chamber did adopt another amendment from Canales that would require the person who filed the petition to pay the prosecutor’s legal fees if they are vindicated in court.
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