Texas AG weekly roundup includes puppy mills, child trafficking, mask mandates & Facebook’s exploitation of children
Staff Report
The responsibilities, of the Office of the Attorney General, are to serve as legal counsel to all boards and agencies of state government, issue legal opinions when requested by the Governor, heads of state agencies, and other officials and agencies as provided by Texas statutes.
The Texas AG sits as an ex-officio member of state committees and commissions and defends challenges to state laws and suits against both state agencies and individual employees of the State.
Many Texans look to the Office of the Attorney General for guidance with disputes and legal issues. The agency receives hundreds of letters, phone calls, and visits each week about crime victims’ compensation, child support, abuse in nursing homes, possible consumer fraud, and other topics.
To find out more about the Texas Attorney General, visit the official website at https://texasattorneygeneral.gov/.
Paxton’s Human Trafficking Division Announces 99-Year Sentence in Hunt County Human Trafficking Trial
AUSTIN – Attorney General Ken Paxton announced that Barbara Barrett, of Greenville, has been found guilty of Continuous Trafficking of a Child in Hunt County and received a sentence of 99 years in jail.
Barrett and her husband, Jeffery Barrett, are accused of abusing and neglecting their adopted children while forcing them to work in a puppy mill attached to their home.
Both were charged with Continuous Trafficking of Persons. Paxton’s Human Trafficking and Transnational Organized Crime Division assisted the Hunt County District Attorney in the prosecution of Barrett.
“It is heartbreaking to know this horrid abuse was happening in our state, and it is unfathomable that a person could be so heartless to abuse the foster care system and use children in need of a loving, safe home as slave labor,” Attorney General Paxton said. “There is no excuse for this evil behavior, and it will not be tolerated in our state. We can only hope this successful prosecution will bring some degree of justice to the children that were robbed of the love and care they deserved. I will never stop fighting against human trafficking.”
Paxton Files Motion to Force Biden Administration to Follow Migrant Protection Protocols
AUSTIN – Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a motion to force the Biden Administration to reinstate Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) after they blatantly ignored the court’s order to do so.
MPP restricts illegal aliens’ ability to remain in the United States during immigration proceedings, which greatly reduces the burden shouldered by state and federal agencies tasked with defending our border.
“The Biden Administration’s refusal to follow the law has created chaos at our border. Our officers are working endlessly to try to manage the crisis that is overwhelming our state,” Attorney General Paxton said. “I have already sued this administration and won – yet they still think they are above the law and can continue shirking their responsibilities. It’s time to stop the Biden Administration from acting outside of federal law. They have created this crisis by inviting illegal aliens to come into our country unlawfully.”
Read the motion here.
Attorney General Paxton Continues the Fight Against San Antonio ISD’s Unlawful Vaccine Mandate
AUSTIN –Attorney General Ken Paxton continues to fight in court to defend Governor Abbott’s Executive Order GA-39, which prohibits local entities from enforcing vaccine mandates. San Antonio ISD blatantly violated the law by forcing employees to get vaccinated or be terminated from employment.
“We’re confident the court will side with the law and not attempts of defiance. This will be settled before the district’s deadline of October 18,” Attorney General Paxton said. “The governor has made it very clear – the way through the pandemic is through personal responsibility, not government mandates.”
Paxton Joins Coalition to Stop Facebook from Exploiting Children
AUSTIN – In a letter to the Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security, Attorney General Ken Paxton joined a coalition of 52 attorneys general to express strong support for the hearings being conducted by the subcommittee on Facebook’s disastrous plans to increase user engagement by targeting our nation’s youth.
Aside from exposing children to obvious risks of exploitation, this form of social media has been shown to cause serious mental health problems in children.
Attorney General Paxton joined in a letter earlier this year urging the social media giant to stop plans to make an Instagram platform targeted at children under 13, asking them to think of the health and well-being of children over the potential of an increase in their pocketbooks.
Read the full letter here.
Request for Opinion
Official Request Summary RQ-0435-KP
Authority of school districts or educators to choose what disciplinary action to impose on a student because of race, ethnicity, sex, gender, or disability status of the student.
Date Received
Friday, October 8, 2021
Official Requestor
The Honorable James White
Chair, House Committee on Homeland Security & Public Safety
Texas House of Representatives
Post Office Box 2910
Austin, Texas 78768-2910
Request for Opinion
Official Request Summary RQ-0434-KP
Authority to manufacture firearm suppressors under House Bill 957 and enforcement of laws related to firearm suppressors
Date Received
Wednesday, October 6, 2021
Official Requestor
Honorable Elton R. Mathis
Waller County Criminal District Attorney
645 12th Street
Hempstead, Texas 77445
Request for Opinion
Official Request Summary RQ-0433-KP
Whether the doctrine of incompatibility or conflict-of-interest laws prevent simultaneous service as a county commissioner and general manager of a water authority.
Date Received
Friday, September 24, 2021
Official Requestor
The Honorable Jenny P. Dorsey
Nueces County Attorney
901 Leopard Street, Room 207
Corpus Christi, TX 78401-3689
