Governor & Comptroller Say No More to De Facto Severance Pay

The week in Texas politics with the Texas Tribune.

By Rhonda FanningJune 3, 2016 3:34 pm

Happy first Friday of June – it’s time to check the week that was in politics with the experts on all things Texas politics, Patrick Svitek of the Texas Tribune.

Big news on so-called severance pay for state workers – state workers aren’t supposed to get severance and agencies like the General Land Office have been accused of offering buyouts with paperwork about not suing the office. Abuses of emergency leave for state workers has gotten the attention of Gov. Greg Abbott and Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar this week.

“It just doesn’t look good in a lot of these instances for these agreements to be struck, and I think that’s why the governor decided to get involved,” he says. “Perception is reality in some ways and I think it was just starting to stink too much.”

What you’ll hear in this segment:

– How Bill Kristol, an independent candidate, might fare in Texas come November

– What would happen with balloting in Texas should a viable third party candidate arise

– What’s behind Joaquín Castro’s chief of staff joining the Clinton campaign