Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against the city of Austin and its mayor, Steve Adler, over the city’s extreme coronavirus restrictions.
My team and I are preparing decisive action against @austintexasgov and @TravisCountyTX. They issued their illegal shutdown orders late last night, right before a holiday in a shameless attempt to game the system and run the clock.
We won’t let them.https://t.co/icQHiHEdD2
— Texas Attorney General (@TXAG) December 30, 2020
Paxton first voiced his concerns about Adler’s restrictions on Wednesday, arguing Adler’s four-day shutdown of indoor dining violated Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order allowing restaurants to reopen to 75% dining capacity.
Adler’s order prohibits dine-in service between the hours of 10:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m. from Dec. 31 to Jan. 3.
The City of Austin and Travis County orders enacting a four-day shutdown of dine-in food and beverage services violate @GovAbbott’s Exec Order GA-32.
They must rescind or modify their local orders immediately.
— Texas Attorney General (@TXAG) December 30, 2020
Dr. Mark Escott, interim Austin-Travis County health authority, defended Austin’s strict lockdown order, calling the situation “critical.”
“We are asking the public to stay home as much as possible and not gather with people outside their households for New Year’s Eve,” he said.
“We are now experiencing uncontrolled, widespread community transmission of COVID-19, particularly in circumstances where masking and distancing are not possible, making bars and similar establishments extremely concerning over this holiday weekend.”
Abbott, however, warned Austin that its shutdown was unconstitutional.
This shutdown order by Austin isn’t allowed. Period.
My executive order stops cities like Austin from arbitrarily shutting down businesses.
The city has a responsibility to enforce existing orders, not make new ones. https://t.co/rm00K1bQQl
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) December 30, 2020
