As The Texas Tribune has pointed out, Monday was a tough day for the "Class of 2014" in Texas--the group of Lone Star pols who rose to prominence two years ago, including Gov. Greg Abbott, AG Ken Paxton, and Ag Commish Sid Miller. Here’s a recap:
- As the state’s beleaguered foster care system continues to flounder, Abbott replaced the person in charge. Yet he declined to choose a nominee with any experience in the field of health and human services. Instead, he picked the former head of the Texas Rangers, indicating he sees the problem as one to be solved by law enforcement.
- Paxton was charged by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The agency alleges that the attorney general had been steering investors to a Collin County company—but neglecting to mention that he was being paid to do so. Meanwhile, the charges from Paxton’s indictment last year on state securities charges are still pending.
- After the Department of Agriculture put out contradictory stories about whether taxpayers paid for Commissioner Sid Miller’s calf-roping trip to Mississippi, Miller’s head of communications resigned.
- On top of his Mississippi Blues, Miller has some Oklahoma woes, too. The Texas Rangers are currently investigatingwhether Miller used taxpayer money for a trip to Oklahoma to receive what is known as the “Jesus shot”—an allegedly miraculous treatment that cures pain for life.