Election Judges With Guns? OK by Ken Paxton.
Ken Paxton's political ambitions, at this point, are probably best served by the attorney general staying out of the spotlight and away from controversy, at least until his November general election contest with Justin Nelson is over. That's reality for a public official with low name ID and a bunch of things voters might not like, if they only found out about them, like three felony indictments for securities violations that should be dealt with after the new year.
Despite having the good political judgment to stay away from a debate with Nelson, Paxton can't seem to stay out of the headlines. Whether he's advocating for unpopular positions like ending Affordable Care Act protections for Texans with pre-existing conditions or getting rid of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, which allows young, undocumented people in Texas to work without fear of immediate deportation, Paxton is far from the generic Republican who might hope to slip by voters on Gov. Greg Abbott's coattails in November.
Monday afternoon, Paxton ginned up another bizarre bit of news, declaring that he believes Texas election judges — the people who hand out "I voted" stickers and make sure campaign workers don't get too close to polling stations — should be allowed to arm themselves on the job.
"Section 46.03 of the Penal Code, which creates an offense for carrying firearms at multiple locations including a polling place, does not apply to presiding election judges," Paxton writes, summarizing a lengthy opinion.
Read more: https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/texas-could-have-armed-election-judges-in-november-11078763
