Governor softens order over jailed Texas hair salon owner

AUSTIN, TX (AP) — Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has removed jail as a punishment for violating his coronavirus restrictions.

His new order Thursday follows outcry by conservatives over a Dallas salon owner who was jailed for refusing to keep her business closed.

Abbott says his new order should free Shelley Luther, who was booked in the Dallas County jail this week for keeping her salon open in defiance of the governor’s restrictions meant to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

The reversal reflects the increasing pressure Abbott is under to reboot the state’s economy at a much faster pace.