United States

Paxton calls on Texas House speaker to be investigated, resign

(The Center Square) – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Tuesday called on House Speaker Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, to resign after he appeared to be intoxicated and could barely hold the gavel during official proceedings on the House floor on Friday.

His inability to speak using slurred words was documented in an official video of House proceedings. Several people shared the official video on social media.

Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan last night.Is he having a stroke or just drunk.pic.twitter.com/b6nlO1FHb3— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) May 21, 2023

As members are voting, Phelan appears to slur his words and can’t appear to stand straight.

Yes, the clip Stickland shared is the worst one of Phelan that evening…but he doesn’t sound great in your clip either. If you let that video keep playing, you can still hear that he’s plainly intoxicated: pic.twitter.com/lfnuBJRTk8— Hunter Schuler (@hunterschuler) May 22, 2023

On Sunday, anonymous text messages were sent to Texans with a video clip of the proceedings telling recipients to call their state representative to say, “Drunk Dade has got to go.” Other texts referred to him as PWI, “presiding while intoxicated.”

On Tuesday afternoon, Paxton issued a statement posted on social media calling on Phelan to resign. He said, “After much consideration, it is with profound disappointment that I call on Speaker Phelan to resign at the end of the legislative session,” which ends May 29.

“Texans were dismayed to witness his performance presiding over the Texas House in a state of apparent debilitating intoxication. His conduct has negatively impacted the legislative process and constitutes a failure to live up to his duty to the public,” he continued. “Texans were relying on the House to pass critical conservative priorities including protecting the integrity of our elections and preventing Chinese spies from controlling Texas land.”

The Senate last month passed a bill banning foreign nationals from countries named national security threats from purchasing land in Texas. The bill was blocked in the House State Affairs Committee.

Phelan’s “failures as Speaker have created a credibility crisis for all Republican candidates and for our entire Party. While I hope Speaker Phelan will get the help he needs, he has proven himself unworthy of Texans’ trust and incapable of leading the Texas House.”

Paxton also wrote a letter to the House General Investigations Committee requesting it to open an investigation into Phelan for “violation of House rules, state law, and for conduct unbecoming his position.”

While Phelan has expressed how “stoked” he is for the session to end so he can go surfing and posted pictures of himself in a swimsuit with a surfboard on social media – and committee chairs he’s appointed, including Democrats, have blocked conservative bills in the House – the Texas Senate has advanced one bill after another with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick signing a table full of bills on Sunday.

The Texas Senate is working this Sunday afternoon and night on important legislation before time runs out Wednesday at midnight. And I’m signing House & Senate bills passed recently. #txlege pic.twitter.com/LgymAPYF4f— Office of the Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick (@LtGovTX) May 22, 2023

Patrick has also issued statements about the need to advance priority legislative bills and has expressed his commitment to advancing Republican Party of Texas priorities while also labeling Phelan “California Dade,” suggesting he’s really a Democrat.

Phelan has not responded to Patrick’s jabs, nor has he issued a statement about accusations of his intoxication.

His office could not be reached for comment by publication time.

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