Some Texas Legislators Criticize Use Of Emergency Leave

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AUSTIN (AP) — Some Texas legislators have criticized giving ex-state workers weeks or months of emergency leave in place of not-allowed severance pay or as settlements.

The House Committee on General Investigating & Ethics met Tuesday in Austin amid efforts to draft legislation to ban such practices that benefit workers leaving government. Lawmakers convene in January.

Gov. Greg Abbott on June 1 ordered Texas agencies to stop offering severance pay. Abbott's decision followed reports that Attorney General Ken Paxton and Land Commissioner George P. Bush kept some ex-workers on the payroll at a cost of hundreds of thousands of dollars to taxpayers.

Rep. Lyle Larson of San Antonio says too much ambiguity is allowed in awarding leave. State auditors are doing a survey of Texas agencies to track use of emergency leave.

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