Veterans have been on the front lines of the fight to keep THC legal in Texas.

Todd Smith’s plea comes days before he was set to go to trial, where Miller was subpoenaed to testify.

Todd Smith was indicted in 2022 on felony charges of theft and commercial bribery related to taking money in exchange for hemp licenses that are issued by Miller’s office.

The policy comes as LGBTQ advocates are fighting a wave of hostile legislation at the Capitol, including proposals to restrict gender-affirming care for transgender children.

Experts said the plan, announced at the state GOP convention on Saturday, is not realistic and possibly not legal.

It is unclear how Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller contracted the coronavirus or whether he has received medical attention. Credit: Juan Figueroa for The Texas TribuneTexas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said Wednesday evening that he has tested positive for COVID-19. He is the second known statewide elected official to test positive for the coronavirus. "Friends, I just got news that I have tested positive for COVID-19, and as a result, will be quarantining at my ranch,” Miller said in a written statement. The first statewide elected official to publicly confirm a positive coronavirus test was Texas Supreme Court Justice Debra Lehrmann in May.

After touring a state-licensed Austin-area marijuana facility last week, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller indicated he would like to see the program expanded. “I would certainly expand medical marijuana. Critics say Texans with ailments like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or glaucoma should be allowed access to medical marijuana. While Miller expressed the need to expand medical access to marijuana in Texas, he stopped short of advocating for legalizing the drug recreationally. While Miller doesn’t have a vote in the Legislature, his agency does oversee the licensing of medical marijuana cultivators in Texas.