Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed another lawsuit over the development formerly known as EPIC City.
Paxton is suing the Double R Municipal Utility District of Hunt and Collin Counties, claiming that it is trying to support the proposed Muslim housing development now known as The Meadow. The Attorney General said in a recent press release that Double R MUD approved a petition from The Meadow's developer, Community Capital Partners, to add the community to the municipal utility district in September after it appointed a new board.
Paxton said adding The Meadow to the existing MUD rather than forming a new one avoids the state oversight in the municipality utility district creation process.
“I will not allow individuals to cheat the system to advance an illegal development and destroy beautiful Texas land,” he said. “If EPIC City’s developers or operatives are attempting to illegally take over local governmental structures in North Texas, my office will do everything in our power to stop their scheme.”
The lawsuit seeks to remove the members of the Double R MUD board of directors who approved Community Capital Partner’s petition.
A spokesperson for the developer said in a statement Paxton's lawsuit is the latest escalation in sustained lawfare against the project from the Attorney General and Gov. Greg Abbott.
“When the Governor and Attorney General repeatedly label a development by religion and then unleash escalating legal attacks to keep it from moving forward, people are right to see what’s happening,” Eric Hudson, an attorney for the developer, said. “That looks a lot like religious discrimination dressed up as land use enforcement. The Constitution doesn’t allow government to pick winners and losers based on faith.”
Several top Republicans have initiated state and federal investigations of the proposed community, including Sen. John Cornyn, Paxton’s opponent in the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate seat. Cornyn sent a letter last year urging the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate The Meadow, accusing it of religious discrimination.
The U.S. Department of Justice closed its civil rights investigation after Community Capital Partners affirmed that it’s committed to building an inclusive community that complies with Fair Housing Act requirements.
Cornyn recently announced that he’s introducing a new bill called The Defeat Sharia Law in America Act, which would make discrimination based on Sharia Law for goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages or accommodations a violation of the Civil Rights Act according to a press release from Cornyn’s office.
A recent poll from the University of Houston’s Hobby School of Public Affairs found 38% of likely GOP primary voters back Paxton, compared to 31% who support Cornyn and 17% for Hunt.
Got a tip? Email Caroline Love at clove@kera.org.
KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider making a tax-deductible gift today. Thank you.
