Published
Texas. U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman ordered the Texas Department of Criminal Justice on September 22 to “immediately develop and implement a plan to install air-conditioning in every Texas prison,” with installation finished no later than December 31, 2029, and status reports due every six months starting March 22, 2027, according to the order. The ruling follows an eight-day bench trial in Austin this spring and finds that conditions in the uncooled units violate the Eighth Amendment. TDCJ has said the work could cost $1.5 billion and plans to appeal, the Texas Tribune reported. The Legislature appropriated $85 million for prison cooling in 2023 and $118 million in 2025.
Fifth Circuit. A divided panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled September 18 that three provisions of the Gun Control Act of 1968, which together outlaw direct handgun sales across state lines, violate the Second Amendment, according to the opinion. The case was brought by Elite Precision Customs, a Texas dealer, with would-be customers from New Mexico and Arizona. Judge Jerry Smith wrote for himself and Judge Kurt Engelhardt, reversing a Fort Worth district court and rendering judgment for the plaintiffs. The panel expressly rejected the Second Circuit’s contrary ruling. Judge Catharina Haynes dissented.
Galveston. Galveston ISD trustees are set to “discuss and consider action” at 6 p.m. Wednesday on the state’s lawsuit over the district’s refusal to post the Ten Commandments in classrooms under Senate Bill 10, KPRC reported. Attorney General Ken Paxton filed the suit in November 2025. It is back in Galveston County’s 122nd District Court after a remand from federal court.
Austin. The Austin City Council votes Thursday on 12-month extensions and added funding for two contracts that provide legal services in immigration cases, Texas Scorecard reported. The increases are more than $499,000 for American Gateways and more than $315,000 for Catholic Charities of Central Texas, which would bring the combined ceiling on the two Austin Public Health contracts above $6.6 million.
Consumer protection. Sprouts Farmers Market agreed to stop spraying the synthetic antimicrobial pesticide ProduceMaxx on all of its produce nationwide, and to stop using it or any other synthetic antimicrobial pesticide on organic produce, under a settlement with the Texas Attorney General’s office announced September 21, according to the office. The terms take effect within 90 days.
Scotland. The Scottish Parliament voted 84 to 18 on September 22 to agree “that Scotland is a nation that has a right to decide its own future,” the Official Report records. SNP, Scottish Labour and Scottish Green members backed the motion as amended by Labour, whose child poverty amendment passed 91 to 12. Reform UK’s members left the chamber before the vote, and its amendment was not moved.
Alberta. Albertans had filed more than 610,000 applications for mail-in ballots in the October 19 referendum, about 90,000 more than on the previous Friday, The Canadian Press reported on September 22. Applications close Friday, September 25, and completed ballots must reach Elections Alberta by 5 p.m. on October 16, according to Elections Alberta.
Comments have moved. The real debate about Texas independence now happens with thousands of Texians in the app.
Get the TEXIAN app
