What Happens in Austin Won’t Stay in Austin

Paxton isn’t fit to judge anyone

Guest Article by Joe Jaworski, Texas lawyer, Democrat, and former mayor of Galveston, Texas

The Paxtons’ divorce is no one’s business—EXCEPT it’s everyone’s business, I’m afraid, because Mr. Paxton is a public figure who for over a decade now has made it his business to terrorize families who don’t strictly follow his definition of ideal lifestyle choices.

Well, truth is, he’s not fit to judge anyone. He’s human just like everyone else—he’s a bad guy in some ways, actually—and it appears he’s now publicly lost whatever “moral” authority he had left to pick winners and losers in Texas.

Seriously, when did the Texas Republican Party lose its way, tires squealing, careening off the cliff like Toonces, “the Cat Who Could Drive a Car”?

In my adult life we had a reasonably efficient government with shared power—George Bush and Bob Bullock, Bill Ratliff joining ten Senate Democrats to oppose mid-census redistricting, and Joe Straus and a House Democratic caucus that was valued as partners.

It wasn’t that long ago, but it’s gone, gone, gone.

Sorry, not sorry: Texas Republicans are too brutal to lead this outstanding state any longer. Note that Abbott, in his ill-timed redistricting call made less than a week after the July 4 flood, takes his orders from Trump, who senses danger in the midterms. So, how sad (and predictable) that Texas’ request for disaster assistance was followed days later with a special session call to eliminate Democratic members of Congress:

“Greg, you’re going to help MAGA greatly by doing this. We won’t forget it. I won’t forget it.”

Yes, Mr. President. And if you…..(Click….) Hello?”

Republicans have mishandled their shot at one-party leadership. Here’s a short list of what Texas Republicans have done to you: made voting a risky task, defunded public education, ruined access to good public health options throughout the state, limited public transportation, damaged women’s health, damaged children’s health, hurt foster kids, really poorly managed disaster response funding, expertly made enemies of Democratic administrations, totally blew it on whatever opportunity they had to work with Congress to fix immigration.

It goes on and on.

Voters will demand better in 2026. For themselves. For their neighbors. For their kids.
Democrats are capable of leading Texas. Republicans can either shape up or get out of the way and let decent people manage things.