Texas is a law-and-order state, but soft-on-crime Democrats are hellbent on undoing public order in blue cities, so Texas Governor Greg Abbott is asking for new tools to correct the errors of their ways.
In an ongoing push for public safety, Gov. Greg Abbott called for state lawmakers to pass legislation next year that would create a state prosecutor, deny bail to illegal aliens charged with violent crimes, and allow for the impeachment of “rogue” district attorneys.
“I talk to victims … almost every day, and they’re angry about the current system and how the current system is failing them,” said Abbott during a press conference in Austin on Thursday. “I’m here today to provide solutions that we are going to pass this next session to ensure that victims’ rights are fought for, and we have their back and we are going to make our communities safer.”
Flanked by law enforcement and state lawmakers, including newly elected Texas Sen. Brett Ligon (R-Conroe), Abbott touted the success of a task force launched in the Houston area last October and said he had expanded the coordinated multi-agency effort to arrest repeat offenders to include Austin, Dallas, and San Antonio.
“In a matter of half a year, [they] had tremendous success, arresting over 700 of these repeat offenders,” said Abbott.
According to the governor’s office, the arrests included 455 “high threat” offenders and 155 known gang members. The task force has also seized 225,000 lethal doses of fentanyl, 115 pounds of methamphetamine, and 110 weapons, and recovered 25 stolen vehicles.
Abbott highlighted accomplishments from the last legislative session, but said lawmakers needed to do more and called for the passage of a constitutional amendment that would automatically deny bail to illegal immigrants accused of violent crime.
A similar proposal passed in the Texas Senate last year with the two-thirds majority needed to pass a proposed constitutional amendment, but fell short of the 100 votes needed in the House.
Abbott also reiterated his push to create a state prosecutor who would be appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Texas Senate.
“The Travis County District Attorney failed to bring indictments for more than 200 people who were arrested and were behind bars, and he failed to bring those indictments within 90 days as required by law,” said Abbott. “Because of that failure, those people who have been arrested for crimes, including murder, were required to be let out from jail on very low bond.”
“A person arrested for murder was allowed to get out of jail for a $1 bond. That’s outrageous.”
In addition to adding a state criminal prosecutor, Abbott said there should be a process for impeaching district attorneys.
“Every statewide officer, every legislator, every district judge — they are subject to impeachment,” said Abbott. “The only elected official I’m aware of who is not subject to impeachment is a district attorney. Why are they excluded?”
Noting that there have only been three impeachments in Texas history, Abbott dismissed claims that impeachment could be used as a political tool to attack a district attorney as “a failed argument.”
Abbott said Ligon, the former Montgomery County district attorney, would be helping to draft the legislation addressing rogue prosecutors.
“The governor shared private comments with me that with his permission, I would share with you,” said Ligon. “What he told me was that he believed that the number one job for the state of Texas is to protect its people.”
“The way that you protect your people is you demand accountability of your elected group of district attorneys. The district attorney is the highest law enforcement officer in every community,” added Ligon.
He also took aim at Travis County District Attorney José Garza.
“There are only two ways to describe what’s going on here in Travis County. It’s absolutely ineffectual, or it’s intentional, and either way, it’s going to stop,” vowed Ligon.
It’s intentional. Like other Soros-backed leftwing DAs, Garza seems to regard it as a holy social justice imperative to put dangerous criminal back out on the streets as quickly as possible.
Garza has faced mounting calls for his resignation due to alleged prosecutorial misconduct and his handling of violent suspects.
Kristina Byington, whose sister Anita was murdered in Austin in 1991, was among the victims’ families present for Abbott’s press conference.
Although Texas courts called for a retrial of Anita’s alleged killer, Allen Andre Causey, Garza instead dropped the case and instructed the state to pay Causey $2.5 million in compensation.
These all seem like solid, common-sense proposals. Even better would be for voters in blue cities to stop electing Soros-backed pro-crime DAs…
Tags: Allen Andre Causey, Austin, Border Controls, Brett Ligon, Crime, Democrats, George Soros, Greg Abbott, Houston, Illegal Aliens, Jose Garza, murder, Social Justice Warriors, Texas, Travis County
Off-topic, and I’m sure you’ve heard, Trump just endorsed Paxton:
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/amy-curtis/2026/05/19/trump-to-drop-endorsement-this-afternoon-for-tx-senate-runoff-n2676330
I hadn’t, but I have a post up now. Thanks!