Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday vowed to hold district attorneys accountable if they fail to enforce the law and protect state residents.
In a tweet, the Republican governor invoked House Bill 17, which he signed into law earlier this month. Abbott said the new law “will help reign in rogue district attorneys.”
“Those who want to work in Texas law enforcement must uphold the laws and protect Texans,” he said. “If not, they will be held accountable.”
Abbott has said previously that the bill was intended to crack down on “rogue” district attorneys who refuse to prosecute entire classes of crime like abortion, thefts, or drug-related offenses.
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The bill, which the governor signed into law on June 6, expanded the definition of “official misconduct” for which a prosecutor can be removed from office. The law allowed for Texans to call for the removal of district attorneys who refuse to prosecute a class or type of criminal offense by filing a petition.
HB 17 came in response to left-wing DA’s and like-minded attorneys general who vowed not to enforce abortion bans since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in the summer of 2022.
Many DA’s, including New York’s Alvin Bragg and Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon, have declined to prosecute low-level crimes or misdemeanor offenses, including marijuana and prostitution. In Texas, Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza has been criticized for similar policies. He has also controversially indicted more than 20 Austin police officers for their actions during the violent 2020 riots, during which intersections were overtaken, rioters attempted to seize the city’s police headquarters, and the state capitol building was vandalized. Garza accepted campaign funds from Soros-linked groups.
Fox News’ Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.