Texas lawmakers forming panel to examine FLDS raid

The Texas State Legislature is forming a special subcommittee to take a second look at the raid on the Fundamentalist LDS Church's YFZ Ranch.

At the start of a hearing of the Texas House Human Services Committee on Tuesday, Rep. Patrick Rose, D-Dripping Springs, announced the formation of the subcommittee.

"The situation in Eldorado over the interim presented real challenges for the department and real challenges for the state," Rose said. "A lot of us have been talking about those issues during the interim."

Rose said the subcommittee will schedule hearings in the coming weeks and would present a final report to the legislative committee, but he did not say what its specific focus would be.

"Those of us who are on the committee … care deeply about what we can learn, what lessons learned from that experience are," he said.

Members of the Subcommittee on Investigations of Abuse and Neglect of Children and Interagency Cooperation will include Rep. Elliott Naishtat, D-Austin; Rep. Ana Hernandez, D-Houston; and Rep. Drew Darby, R-San Angelo.

"Although it is unlikely that we will see an investigation of this size and scope again, it is important that we hear from caseworkers, law enforcement officers and local elected officials to learn how each of these groups and relevant agencies can better cooperate in investigations of abuse and neglect," Naishtat said Tuesday. "It is important that the state learn from this experience to better protect Texas children."

FLDS spokesman Willie Jessop also welcomed the news of the subcommittee.

"There is no downside for this to be thoroughly investigated," he told the Deseret News on Tuesday. "I know what we've spent. It's cost millions of millions of dollars and disrupted thousands of lives. I think we've been dying for our day in court and I'm hoping they'll invite participation from the FLDS."

Hundreds of children were taken into state protective custody last year when Child Protective Services and law enforcement went to the Utah-based polygamous sect's property near Eldorado to investigate a phone call alleging abuse. The call is believed to be a hoax, but at the ranch CPS claimed to have seen other evidence of abuse that prompted a judge to order the removal of all 439 children.

"We look forward to working with the committee to provide any information we can about the Eldorado case, and about our efforts on behalf of the children who were affected," Texas CPS spokesman Patrick Crimmins said in an e-mail.

The children were ultimately returned when two Texas appeals courts ruled the state acted improperly, and the children were not at immediate risk for abuse. Only two children remain under court oversight in what was once the nation's largest child custody case. A dozen FLDS men, including FLDS leader Warren Jeffs, are facing criminal charges related to underage marriages.

More legislation related to the YFZ raid is expected to debut soon at the Texas State House. Rep. Harvey Hildebran, R-Kerrville, whose district includes Eldorado and the YFZ Ranch, is reportedly drafting a bill dealing with removing accused sexual perpetrators from a home and the length of time courts must hold child custody hearings.

E-MAIL: bwinslow@desnews.com