Abbott's Hiring Freeze Could Violate Agreement on Disabilities Overhaul, Feds Say

AUSTIN — The Justice Department has reported warned that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's hiring freeze could jeopardize those with intellectual disabilities, attributing the support staff's high turnover to a dangerous gap in patient care. The Austin American-Statesman reports that a Feb. 7 letter warned the state attorney general's office that "there is no doubt that understaffing is dangerous" to individuals at the state supported living centers and that the department would assess its impact on the state's pending review of the centers.Last month, Abbott ordered a hiring freeze until Aug. 31 to leave $200 million in state coffers as lawmakers consider budget cuts.  Continue reading...