MUSLIM RALLY
Dozens of protesters heckle Texas Muslim Capitol rally
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) _ Hundreds of Muslims have rallied as part of their biennial Texas Capitol lobbying day _ but a small group of counter-protesters tried to shout them down.
As organizers from the Council on American-Islamic Relations began Thursday’s event, a woman grabbed a microphone erected on the Capitol steps and proclaimed the name of Jesus Christ.
The microphone was wrestled back and the rally continued peacefully. But nearby hecklers yelled things like “assimilate or go home.”
Council Executive Director Mustafaa Carroll said the event began in 2003 and never drew opposition before. But this year, online threats prompted the council to contact the FBI.
Added police presence around the event was also conspicuous.
Last week, hundreds of protesters gathered outside a Muslim group’s conference in a Dallas suburb and heckled participants.
TEXAS-CAMPUS CARRY
UT Chancellor writes GOP leaders to oppose campus carry
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) _ The new chancellor of the University of Texas System is telling Governor Greg Abbott and other top Republicans that concealed handguns at colleges will make campus less safe.
William McRaven is a former Navy admiral who directed the special forces operation to kill Osama Bin Laden. He took over the lead of the University of Texas System this month.
So called “campus carry” has been a hot-button issue for lawmakers in recent years and has strong backing from Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick. A Senate bill filed this week allowing campus carry already has 19 co-sponsors, the precise number needed to pass out of that chamber.
McRaven wrote Abbott, Patrick and House speaker Joe Straus on Thursday, telling them students, parents, faculty and police all don’t want concealed weapons on campus.
TECH FUND-ABBOTT
Abbott calls to abolish Perry’s pet fund for Texas startups
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) _ Republican Gov. Greg Abbott is planning to abolish Rick Perry’s pet program that gave $200 million in taxpayer dollars to Texas startups and was beset by bankruptcies and transparency issues.
Abbott said Thursday that the Texas Emerging Technology Fund should be eliminated. The decade-old program was one of Perry’s signature initiatives and one the potential 2016 presidential candidate often used to extol the strengths of the Texas economy.
An Associated Press review of the fund last year found that some of the high-risk startups had undisclosed business troubles and reported questionable job-creation figures.
Abbott wants to use money currently set aside for the tech fund to launch what he calls his University Research Initiative. He says it would provide matching funds to Texas universities to recruit nationally recognized faculty.
PAXTON DISCIPLINED
Public corruption prosecutors close new AG Paxton case
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) _ State public corruption prosecutors have closed their investigation into possible ethics violations against new Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton without filing charges.
Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg, who oversees the unit, said in a statement Thursday that investigators “did not find any additional criminal activity over which our office has venue.”
She referred the case to prosecutors in Collin and Dallas counties.
Paxton won a bitter Republican primary, then coasted through November’s general election, despite being reprimanded and fined $1,000 by state financial regulators in May.
They found that Paxton, then a state senator, was paid for investment advising at times between 2004 and 2012 but didn’t register with the state.
Paxton blamed an administrative oversight, but largely avoided the media between being fined and winning his new office.
JUVENILE JUSTICE
Study: Texas cut juvenile jail rates, saw youth crime fall
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) _ A new study shows the Texas juvenile justice system’s dramatic shift away from sending youths to state detention facilities has coincided with a sharp drop in crime committed by young people.
The report’s authors praised the overhaul as a model for the country. It was compiled by the Justice Center at the nonpartisan Council of State Governments and unveiled Thursday.
Lawmakers spent years redesigning the system after pervasive reports in 2007 of physical and sexual abuse.
The number of youths subsequently confined to state facilities fell by 65 percent from 2007 to 2012. Many were shifted to community-based, county programs.
The study found that, over the same period, crimes committed by youths declined 33 percent.
It also says having fewer juveniles in state facilities has saved Texas $150 million.