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Texas. Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and House Speaker Dustin Burrows said on September 18 that the Legislature will act in 2027 to put local prosecutors under greater state oversight, The Center Square reported. Abbott said, “Prosecutors must enforce Texas law and keep violent criminals behind bars.” Abbott has previously proposed a statewide prosecutor office, and House Bill 17, passed in 2023, already set out a removal procedure for official misconduct. The House Select Committee on Governmental Oversight will take testimony on prosecutorial integrity at its September 30 hearing in Austin, the same hearing at which the committee will examine adding New Mexico counties to Texas.
Texas. Abbott named 13 members to a Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board working group charged with building a statewide framework for three-year bachelor’s degrees, his office announced on September 16. The group will recommend which degree programs and occupations fit a three-year pathway, and which statutes and rules would have to change to run one statewide. Its recommendations are due to the governor’s office by December 31.
Austin. A federal immigration officer shot and wounded a man during a foot pursuit near Research Boulevard and Anderson Square on Sunday, September 20, the Texas Tribune reported. Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis confirmed the shooting, and Austin police and the Texas Rangers responded. Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, 28, took a single gunshot wound to the upper torso and was released from the hospital into federal custody that evening. The Department of Homeland Security said Homeland Security Investigations would conduct the inquiry with support from the FBI. His attorney said he entered the country legally and held a valid work permit. DHS said he entered illegally and did not detail the claim.
Alberta. The Angus Reid Institute published research on September 21 finding that the wording of the province’s referendum questions moves the result, the institute reported. On the separation question, 61 percent said they would vote to remain in Canada when read the government’s official wording, against 65 percent when read wording the institute wrote to put one idea at a time. The institute surveyed Albertans from August 10 to 13. The official question asks whether Alberta should remain a province of Canada or whether the provincial government should begin the constitutional process required to hold a binding referendum on separation. The vote is October 19.
Alberta. Elections Alberta had received almost 520,000 special ballot applications as of September 17, with roughly 72 percent approved and more than 330,000 packages already in the mail, the agency reported on September 18. In the entire 2023 provincial general election the agency received 59,589 special ballot requests. Applications close on September 25, and completed packages must reach Elections Alberta by 5 p.m. on October 16.
Scotland. The SNP’s national executive committee approved 100,000 pounds for a doorstep and digital campaign on independence, including what a party source called the largest digital advertising buy the SNP has made outside an election, The National reported. Depute leader Keith Brown tied the spending to the declaration signed last week in Cardiff by the leaders of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, saying, “the age of Westminster is coming to an end.” Further detail on the fund is expected in the coming weeks.
Somaliland. President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro met U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz on Capitol Hill on September 19 to press Somaliland’s case for American recognition, Dawan Africa reported. The talks covered security and economic cooperation in the Horn of Africa, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden. Somaliland said it is seeking a long-term relationship with Washington based on shared strategic interests rather than foreign aid. Cruz has previously urged the administration to recognize Somaliland, arguing that closer ties would serve American security interests in the region. Somaliland has governed itself and sought recognition since declaring independence from Somalia in 1991.
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