Attorney General Paxton: Religious Liberties of Texas Public Officials Remain Constitutionally Protected After Obergefell v. Hodges  —  Attorney General Ken Paxton today made the following statement and issued an opinion in response to questions about the impact of Obergefell v. Hodges, the case that redefined marriage:

Texas AG: County clerks can refuse gay couples  —  County clerks can refuse to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples based on religious objections to gay marriage, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said Sunday.  —  Paxton noted that clerks who refuse to issue licenses can expect to be sued …

Supreme Court Allows Use of Execution Drug  —  WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court ruled on Monday against three death row inmates who had sought to bar the use of an execution drug they said risked causing excruciating pain.  —  The drug, the sedative midazolam, played a part in three long and apparently painful executions last year.

The pollution of politics  —  When President Obama lobbied for fast-track authority on his trade bill he asked House Democrats to “play it straight.”  Capitol Hill Republicans reacted by saying to Congressional Democrats, “We told you so. ”  —  Their argument is that this president is an intellectual bully.

Independent Redistricting Panel Upheld by U.S. Supreme Court  —  The 5-4 ruling is a setback to Arizona Republicans.  —  The U.S. Supreme Court bolstered efforts to make federal elections more competitive, upholding an independent commission set up by Arizona voters to draw congressional districts.