Texas AG Orders Cities To Roll Back ‘Unlawful Restrictions’ On Churches, Businesses

By  Tim Pearce

The office of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton told three of the state’s largest cities to ease up on strict coronavirus regulations or risk defending their rules in court.

Paxton’s office sent letters to Austin Mayor Steve Adler, Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt, San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg, Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff and Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins on Tuesday, according to The Texas Tribune. The AG’s office warned the officials about “unconstitutional and unlawful restrictions” that may be challenged in court if not rectified soon.

In three similar letters, Deputy Attorney General for Legal Counsel Ryan Vassar directed the cities to bring their coronavirus restrictions in line with Gov. Greg Abbott’s Executive Order GA-21 controlling the gradual reopening of the Texas economy.

“Unlike the governor’s order, which protects the robust constitutional and statutory rights protecting Texans’ free exercise of religion, your local orders unlawfully trample religious freedom and expose the county and the city to legal liability,” Vassar said in the San Antonio letter.

“Insofar as your local orders conflict with Executive Order GA-21 by restricting essential or reopened [businesses], they are invalid and unenforceable,” Vassar continued.

The deputy attorney general also pointed out where each city conflicted with the governor’s directive on the use of masks, shelter-in-place orders, criminal penalties for emergency order violations, and other more onerous regulations.

Jenkins pushed back against Vassar’s letter, claiming that Dallas County coronavirus regulations were crafted to adhere to the governor’s order, suggesting he is being hypocritical in “not want[ing] his own guidelines followed.”

full story at https://www.dailywire.com/news/texas-ag-orders-cities-to-roll-back-unlawful-restrictions-on-churches-businesses