The Texas Supreme Court handed a win to state Attorney General Ken Paxton–and to the restaurants and bars in the city of Austin–by allowing establishments to remain open into the late evening.
The decision came late Friday after Paxton previously filed legal action at both the county and appellate court levels. He filed against an order issued by the city’s mayor ahead of New Year’s Eve.
On Thursday, the courts upheld the order, which prompted Paxton to take his fight to the state Supreme Court. The order stopped dine-in services in restaurants and bars from 10:30 p.m. through 6:00 a.m. Thursday through Sunday.
Both Paxton and Gov. Greg Abbott (R-Texas) opposed the order, saying it openly challenged an executive order by Abbott that allowed restaurants to remain open.
Restaurant officials backed owners who chose to stay open despite the order. They emphasized the action was not a political statement, but a matter of survival.
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We are very grateful to @GovAbbott and @KenPaxtonTX for defending Austin restaurants. Restaurants are deeply invested within their communities, and so they continue to do all they can to prevent the spread of COVID-19, often at tremendous cost.
Texas Supreme Court sides with AG in fight to keep restaurants open | One America News Network