AAS 9/20/12

Judge orders Texas to halt purge of suspected dead voters

A Travis County judge temporarily barred Texas election officials from removing thousands of suspected dead people from voting rolls after four living voters complained that they had been improperly identified as "potentially deceased."

State District Judge Tim Sulak issued the temporary restraining order late Wednesday and directed all sides to find an acceptable hearing date within two weeks to determine if the order should be made permanent.

On Thursday, however, lawyers for Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott told Sulak that they intend to move the case into federal court, where a three-judge panel would determine how the lawsuit proceeds. Barring an order from that panel, Sulak's restraining order would remain in place, lawyers said.

The deadline to register for the Nov. 6 election is Oct. 9.

We are proud to announce that Progress Texas has joined the Clean Energy Works for Texas coalition as part of our first official environmental action. Joining with established environmental and labor groups like Public Citizen, Sierra Club, and the Texas BlueGreen Apollo Alliance, our coalition is urging the Public Utility Commission of Texas ("PUC&quot to make solar energy a priority for Texas.

If you believe solar energy - and the good jobs that come with it - should be a priority for Texas, sign the coalition's petition today.

Texas ranks 1st in solar energy potential, but only 10th in solar energy production. We can produce more solar energy and put countless trained electricians back to work in our state, but not until the PUC takes action.

Here's the background: in 2005, the Texas Legislature passed a bill empowering the PUC to create a market for energy created from renewable sources other than wind. To do so, the PUC must set solar energy production goals - as part of our state's Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) - for Texas to meet. Seven years later, the PUC still hasn't created the necessary rulemaking guidelines to create these goals. As a result, we have yet to fulfill our true potential when it comes to renewable energy production in Texas.

Join Texans across the state in asking for more clean energy jobs and more power from sources that preserve our environment while supporting economic development in our communities.

There are three Commissioners on the PUC, and we need two of them to agree to adopt this rule. With this action, we are writing to Commissioner Kenneth Anderson, who could be open to creating the necessary rule that will grow the solar industry in Texas. When you sign our petition, you will join thousands of other Texans in urging Commissioner Anderson to adopt a non-wind RPS that will promote the solar industry here in Texas.

The potential benefits from solar energy are obvious:

Jobs - The Texas wind boom has created thousands of jobs for Texans. We can do the same if we support solar production.

Clean Energy - In 2007, wind accounted for 3% of Texas' electricity. By 2010, that number jumped to 8%. Increasing where we get our energy - and building drought-proof sources of energy - is critical to our state's future. We already produce twice as much wind energy as any other state in America - imagine how we could lead if we showed the same support for solar production.

Money Saved - A recent study showed Texas consumers could save $520 million if solar capacity was added to Texas' energy market.
If you believe Texas should make clean energy work for Texas, sign our letter now and join us in our fight to improve Texas' economy, electric market, and environment - all at the same time.

Sincerely,

Phillip Martin
Political Director

Houston Chronicle 9/11/12
County says state erred with lists of 'dead' voter

The Harris County Attorney's office on Tuesday defended Tax Assessor-Collector Don Sumners' decision not to purge presumed-dead voters from the rolls until after the November election, and accused the secretary of state's office of not following the law in providing a list of 9,000 such voters to the county.

About 72,800 voters statewide have received or will receive letters telling them records suggest they may be dead and that they must act within 30 days to stay on the rolls. The list was generated by the secretary of state using the Social Security Administration's master death file, as outlined in a new state law.

"The notice from the secretary of state did not make the required determination that the voters on the list were deceased," County Attorney Vince Ryan said, adding that two of his attorneys received the letters. "This action by the Texas secretary of state is outrageous, wrong, and unlawful."

Ryan also said the state cannot force Sumners, as the county voter registrar, to send the letters.

A spokesman for Secretary of State Hope Andrade disagreed, saying the office followed the law and that the provision requiring the office to verify a voter's death before notifying the counties has been superseded by a more recent law.