On Saturday, the Texas House of Representatives voted to impeach Attorney General Ken Paxton. The AG is facing multiple allegations, including bribery and abuse of public trust.
During the debate before the vote, State Representative David Spiller laid out the allegations against Paxton, which was enough to see the attorney general impeached.
After the vote, Paxton wrote on Twitter that he was “beyond grateful to have the support of millions of Texans who recognize that what we just witnessed is illegal, unethical, and profoundly unjust. I look forward to a quick resolution in the Texas Senate, where I have full confidence the process will be fair and just.”
The trial to remove Paxton permanently now shifts to the State Senate, where his wife is a senator.
KRLD’s Robyn Geske shared that this could be another reason lawmakers may spend the summer months in Austin, as the 88th legislative session comes to an end on Monday.
This leaves no time for an impeachment trial before lawmakers get set to head home to their districts.
However, because Paxton has now been impeached, Gov. Greg Abbott only has 10 days from the close of the session to call a trial in the Senate.
Should Abbott decide not to do so, the decision then falls on the plate of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the president pro tempore of the Senate.
If Patrick also decides not to call lawmakers back, then a “simple” majority of senators can make the decision themselves to resolve the matter.
Gov. Abbott has not indicated whether he planned to make that call or not.
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