Capital Highlights

Supreme Court blocks lower court redistricting ruling

     The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday blocked a lower court ruling that threw out the state’s new congressional map, allowing the new districts to stay in place, at least for now. A federal panel, by a 2-1 vote, said a few days earlier that the new map was racially gerrymandered.

     The Dallas Morning News reported Justice Samuel Alito signed the order after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton appealed the lower court’s decision, which would have forced the state to revert to the old map.

    Alito asked the full court to rule by 5 p.m. on Nov. 24.

     Days earlier,  U.S. District Judge Jeffrey V. Brown, a Trump appointee, had granted a preliminary injunction. Brown was appointed to his position by President Donald Trump and is a former Texas Supreme Court justice who has long backed conservative policies. U.S. Circuit Judge Jerry E. Smith wrote a searing dissent.

     The Texas Legislature last summer redrew the map at President Donald Trump’s request, making it likely the GOP would pick up five additional congressional seats next year.

     The filing deadline for a place on the primary ballot is Dec. 8. Until the issue is settled, potential congressional candidates will not know which position to file for.

Judge blocks display of Ten Commandments at some schools

     A federal judge has ruled that requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in Texas classrooms interferes with the religious freedoms of the 15 Texas families who sued, issuing a temporary injunction against 11 districts across the state, the Houston Chronicle reported.

    The ruling has been appealed to the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, which will hear arguments in both the Texas case and a similar case in Louisiana.

     Meanwhile, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued Round Rock, Leander and Galveston school districts after their school board members voted against putting up the displays.

     “These rogue ISD officials and board members blatantly disregarded the will of Texas voters who expect the legal and moral heritage of our state to be displayed in accordance with the law,” Paxton said in a statement.

     Another lawsuit challenging the requirement to post the Ten Commandment also resulted in a temporary blocking of posting the Ten Commandments. A total of 25 school districts are affected by the rulings.

Dallas Fed: State’s 

economy is cooling

     The Texas economy is cooling, according to a recent analysis by researchers at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. The News reported the analysis concludes that tariffs, inflation and uncertainty about the economy are taking a toll on the state’s businesses.

     “Tariffs and the surrounding uncertainty continue to impact the Texas economy,” Luis Torres, a Dallas Fed economist who coauthored the analysis, said in accompanying comments. He added that nearly half of all the businesses surveyed are seeing costs go up because of tariffs, and more than a fourth are passing along those higher costs to their customers.

     The survey found modest growth in the manufacturing sector while the services sector saw slight job losses.