Texas Gov. Greg Abbott admonishes City of San Marcos for proposed Israel-Palestine resolution
The Brief
Gov. Abbott is admonishing the city of San Marcos over a proposed resolution concerning Israel and Palestine
Abbott says his office is reviewing active grants with the city to determine whether it has falsely certified compliance with state law
Abbott says the resolution seems "calculated" to violate Texas law prohibiting government entities from supporting efforts to boycott, divest from, and sanction Israel
AUSTIN, Texas - Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is admonishing the City of San Marcos for a proposed resolution concerning Israel and Palestine.
Abbott sent a letter on April 29 to Mayor Jane Hughson about the proposed resolution.
What we know
The San Marcos City Council recently held a discussion about a possible resolution "calling for the immediate and permanent ceasefire in occupied Palestine, an arms embargo on Israel, recognition of Palestinian sovereignty, and the protection of constitutional rights for all people under national and international law."
The city council voted to put the resolution to a formal vote at their next meeting on May 6.
What they're saying
In the letter, Abbott called it a "pro-Hamas resolution".
"Israel is a stalwart ally of the United States and a friend to Texas. I have repeatedly made clear that Texas will not tolerate antisemitism. Anti-Israel policies are anti-Texas policies," Abbott says in the letter.
Abbott's letter reads:
"In Texas, no governmental entity may enter into a contract worth $100,000 or more unless it includes a "written verification" that the contracting entity "does not boycott Israel" and "will not boycott Israel during the term of the contract." TEX. GOV'T CODE § 2271.002. A "governmental entity" includes a political subdivision, like the City of San Marcos. Id. §§ 2251.001(3), 2271.001(3). And to "boycott Israel" means "refusing to deal with, terminating business activities with, or otherwise taking any action that is intended to penalize, inflict economic harm on, or limit commercial relations specifically with Israel …" Id. §§ 808.001(1), 2271.001(1)."
Abbott says that San Marcos's proposed resolution seems "calculated" to violate Texas law by calling for the city to "limit its commercial relations with Israel".
What's next
Abbott says that his office is already reviewing active grants with the city to determine whether it has falsely certified compliance with Texas law.
Also, Abbott says that if the city moves forward with the resolution, his office will not "enter into any future grant agreements with the City and will act swiftly to terminate active grants for non-compliance."
Abbott adds that he will further direct all other state agencies to review agreements with the City for possible breach.
Read Abbott's full letter below:
Click to open this PDF in a new window.
The Source
Information in this report comes from an April 29 letter from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and city council records for the city of San Marcos.
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