Paxton Calls for Hancock’s Removal

CAPITAL Highlights 

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton called for Gov. Greg Abbott to remove acting state comptroller Kelly Hancock, calling him an “incompetent loser,” The Dallas Morning News reported. Paxton said the governor should replace him with Don Huffines, who defeated Hancock in the GOP primary race for the post earlier this month.

“Kelly Hancock was rejected by Texans because he failed to do his job. He failed to take me down during impeachment, and his career is over,” Paxton wrote on X. “It’s time for him to be fired.”

Before his appointment as acting comptroller, Hancock served in the Texas Senate and was one of two Republican state senators who voted to convict Paxton in his impeachment trial. Paxton was acquitted.

The latest dispute comes after Hancock sent a letter to Paxton and to federal officials, calling for stripping the Houston Quran Academy of its charter because of alleged ties to CAIR, the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights advocacy organization. Abbott has designated that group a foreign terrorist organization. The academy is suing to overturn the designation.

Texas Poised to Lead Nation in Data Centers 

Texas is poised to lead the nation by 2030 in the number of data centers, the Austin American- Statesman reported, surpassing Virginia. The state currently has 6.5 gigawatts of data center capacity under construction, accounting for 20% of the capacity added to the U.S. pipeline last year. One gigawatt can power about 750,000 homes on average.

Data centers provide the infrastructure to support both crypto currency facilities and the growth of artificial intelligence. The centers require huge amounts of power and water to operate. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which operates most of the state’s power grid, said the continuing growth in data centers will increase Texas energy demand by 71% in the next five years.

Central Texas has become the top data center market in the country. The American-Statesman identified at least 55 completed or planned projects between Temple and San Antonio in 2025.

$116 Million in FIFA Safety Grants Announced 

The city of Houston and the North Central Texas Council of Governments, areas that are both hosting FIFA World Cup events, will receive $116 million in grants to provide for safety personnel, equipment and other public safety needs, the governor’s office has announced. “The FIFA World Cup coming to Texas gives our state a premier opportunity to showcase all it has to offer,” Abbott said in a news release. “These public safety grants will help ensure that travelers visiting and traveling throughout Texas can enjoy our great state safely, will bolster Texas’ efforts to combat crime, and help prevent potential acts of violence.”

The money is coming from the federal government under the omnibus budget bill passed last year. The budget provides $625 million in federal funding to host cities across America. The funds are allocated for recipients to provide extensive security to protect venues, players, staff and attendees against potential terrorist attacks.