South Arkansas is in a unique position.
Down here, a lot of people travel to Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas. Many of us live on or near the state line of one of these states. We do business, have family, attend concerts, travel and even go to doctor appointments in these states.
We have decided to share news out of these places occassionally because what happens around us matters even regionally.
An execution
Last week, Texas Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton defended the application of the death sentence of a man who assaulted and murdered a young mother in 2004.
According to a release from Paxton's office, "Moises Sandoval Mendoza violently killed Rachelle O’Neil Tolleson, a 20-year-old mother of a young daughter. Mendoza confessed that he had taken Tolleson from her home before sexually assaulting, strangling, and stabbing her to death. Once police questioned Mendoza about Tolleson’s whereabouts, he burned and attempted to hide her body in a creek."
(Editor's note: A murder case in Arkansas the Reckoning reported on included a burning body. That murderer was acquitted. Read one of the stories in that series here.)
Mendoza filed many appeals, but Paxton, according to the release, "fought to uphold the sentencing and secure justice for the victim and her family."
The release stated: “Tonight, the State of Texas upheld its duty and obligation to enforce justice and ensure that criminals receive the appropriate punishment. Twenty years after Mendoza violently murdered Rachelle Tolleson, robbing her five-month-old daughter of her mother, Texas has executed him. I will always do everything in my power to defend the law and hold criminals accountable.”
Taking on gun laws
Paxton recently filed two lawsuits against the City of Dallas "for banning lawful license holders from carrying handguns into Fair Park’s Music Hall and The Majestic Theatre in blatant violation of Texas law" this week.
According to a release from Paxton's office, the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs leases both The Majestic Theatre and Music Hall at Fair Park.
The release states: "Under Texas law, governmental subdivisions have no authority to prohibit license holders from carrying their handguns as Dallas has repeatedly done to citizens, going so far as threatening to arrest law-abiding citizens seeking to participate in their rights. Now, Attorney General Paxton has sued Dallas for wrongfully infringing on Texans’ gun rights."
Paxton said, "The law is clear. Cities like Dallas have no authority to override state statutes that enable license holders to lawfully carry their handguns and protect themselves from potential threats,” said Attorney General Paxton. “I will always do everything in my power to defend Texans’ gun rights from cities that would strip us of our legal rights."
Last year, Paxton sued the City of Dallas for unlawfully restricting license holders from carrying their handguns into the Texas State Fair.
In a release from that time, he said, "Municipalities cannot nullify state law nor can they avoid accountability by contracting official functions to nominally third parties,” said Attorney General Paxton. “Neither the City of Dallas nor the State Fair of Texas can infringe on Texans’ right to self-defense. I warned fifteen days ago that if they did not end their unlawful conduct I would see them in court, and now I will.”
That lawsuit went all the way to the Texas Supreme Court, which kept the gun ban in place for the Texas State Fair.
Who is Ken Paxton?
For Arkansans who may not know Paxton, here's some info.
A North Dakota native, Paxton, 62, became Texas Attorney General in 2015.
His bio states: "Attorney General Paxton is focused on protecting Texans and upholding Texas laws and the Constitution."
Earlier this month, Paxton, a Trump ally, announced he is running for U.S. Senate against long-time Texas Republican U.S. Senator John Cornyn, who has been in office since 2002.
Pundits say it could be one if the most expensive races in state history.
Paxton faced impeachment in 2023 after his aides accused him of corruption and reported him to the FBI.
The Texas Senate held a trial for alleged bribery offenses but Paxton was acquitted. His wife, Angela, is a state senator but she was disqualified to participate in the hearings against her husband.
Support for Paxton came from Trump, Donald Trump, Jr., Stephan Miller and U.S. Senator Ted Cruz.
Paxton is obviously a staunch conservative not a Republican In Name Only (RINO). During his impeachment, Paxton called it a "politically motivated sham" by Democrats and RINOs.
He supports bans on access to abortion. Paxton even gave his employees a paid vacation day to celebrate the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
Read more about Paxton here.
Back to guns, Paxton isn't giving up on his fight for the right for Texans to carry guns to the State Fair. The licensed concealed carry law was revoked in 2023 after a man shot three people at the state fair.
The Texas Legislature recently introduced a bill that would mandate contracts between governmental entities and contractors to "include provisions ensuring licensed handgun holders are allowed to carry handguns on such properties, except where state law explicitly prohibits firearms."
