The Texas House of Representatives ethics committee is set to meet publicly for the first time since last year’s impeachment of Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton. The Committee on General Investigating will hold a hearing on July 17, with the agenda stating they will consider committee business. This comes after a year where the committee approved subpoenas related to Paxton’s investigation, ultimately leading to his impeachment trial which ended in acquittal.
The committee’s previous actions have raised its profile, as it also investigated and expelled Texas Rep. Bryan Slaton for an inappropriate relationship with a staffer. With the upcoming hearing, all eyes will be on the committee to see what may come next. The hearing will be chaired by Rep. Andrew Murr, who announced he will not seek reelection after leading the committee through the Paxton investigation.
This meeting comes at a time when numerous committees are discussing interim charges and newly-enforced state laws, ahead of next year’s regular legislative session. The committee, responsible for ensuring proper workplace conduct, is stepping back into the spotlight after its high-profile actions in the previous session. Despite efforts by Paxton to gain support through endorsing primary challengers, the committee remains focused on upholding ethics and standards within the Texas House of Representatives.
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