- The Texas Attorney General's investigating a proposed development meant to accommodate the North Texas Muslim community. As KERA's Penelope Rivera reports, Ken Paxton accused developers of violating consumer protection laws.
EPIC City is a planned development in Josephine, located about 40 miles northeast of Dallas. It was proposed by the East Plano Islamic Center. And the 400-acre development would include a new mosque, more than a thousand homes, a faith-based school, and more. Paxton's investigation focuses on the corporate entity involved with the development. It comes after Governor Greg Abbott criticized the project online. Abbott alleged it has “serious legal issues" - but did not provide any evidence. I'm Penelope Rivera in Fort Worth.
- A bill making it easier for property owners and landlords to evict squatters could advance to the floor of the Texas Senate within the week. Houston Public Media’s Andrew Schneider says Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick has named the bill as a top priority for the legislative session.
Senate Bill 38 would streamline the legal process for evicting someone who is illegally occupying a property. Stephanie Graves of Houston-based Q10 Property Advisors told the Senate State Affairs Committee that under current law, evicting squatters now takes months, forcing her firm to pay property damages and security costs as well as legal fees.
“The total company losses from my owners was over $750,000 in the last three years. This is unsustainable.”
But Nelson Mock of Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid says the bill weakens due process for low-income tenants.
“This is not a squatter bill. This is a bill that undermines tenants’ rights all across the board from the beginning of the eviction process to the very end.”
The State Affairs Committee will likely vote on S-B 38 at its next meeting, which could come as soon as Thursday. I’m Andrew Schneider in Houston.
