Attorney General Abbott issued a press release today challenging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Barbara Ann Radnofsky, 2010 Democratic candidate for Texas Attorney General, responded:

"The Attorney General is fighting to protect his own political interests, not the health or economic well being of Texans. Examine the hypocrisy in the Attorney General's legal filing: The AG makes pointed criticism of the EPA while at the same time taking credit for EPA's multiple achievements.

"The AG's position for and against the EPA is like accepting a multi-million dollar personal injury payout and advocating for tort reform to prevent multi-million dollar personal injury payouts.

"If the Attorney General cares for the people of Texas, he'd fight for fair pricing of natural gas, which would benefit property tax payors and royalty holders, like the State of Texas and its income beneficiaries: the students of Texas. If the Attorney General cared about Texas property owners, he'd have intervened in Exxon v Emerald as requested, to protect our natural resources from massive waste and sabotage. And if the Attorney General cared about the taxpayers of this state, he'd have declared the margin income tax unconstitutional, instead of allowing it to proceed without the constitutionally required vote of the people of Texas."

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During her 30 year legal career, Barbara Ann has represented retirees, life-saving doctors, blood banks, children burned by lighters, families of murder victims, unfairly treated businesses: a wide variety of persons entitled to protection. Barbara Ann graduated with honors from the University of Houston and the University Of Texas School of Law. She was honored as the Outstanding Young Lawyer of Texas in 1988 and for the past 17 years she has been listed in "Best Lawyers in America".

Prior to 2006, she was a partner at the law firm of Vinson & Elkins in Houston, where she served as head of the Alternate Dispute Resolution Section. She was the first woman at Vinson & Elkins to have children as an associate and later attain partnership. Texas has never had a woman Attorney General.

Media Contact:
Katie Floyd
Office: 713-357-3360
katie.floyd@radnofsky.com