So, here's the thing....

No, it's still an anti-litter campaign.  To me, that's the humor.

Stipulated:  the Texas Attorney-General is a dick.

In January, Paxton said busing students to polls can't be done unless it serves an educational purpose, according to the Denton Record-Chronicle.

A month later he issued cease-and-desist letters to the school districts in Clute, Holliday and Lewisville, stating in a news release, "These school districts used taxpayer resources to distribute messages to their staff and the public advocating for or against certain political candidates and measures."

Wait, it gets better:

Brazosport Superintendent Danny Massey, for example, has tweeted in support of Scott Milder, a Republican candidate for lieutenant governor. That tweet was retweeted by the Brazoswood High School Twitter account, according to Paxton's letter.

Scott Milder is running against Dan "Bathroom" Patrick for the Lite. Guv. nomination of the Texas GOP.  Milder has sent e-mails to every school district in Texas (there are 1,247 school districts in Texas, in case you were wondering) asking for the votes of their employees in the primary in order to unseat Patrick, who still wants to tell Texas school districts that they can't have bathrooms for transgender students because it offends Dan Patrick's delicate sensibilities (Patrick is also no fan of funding Texas public education.  He literally wants to destroy it and replace it with private school for those who can afford it.  For the rest?  He doesn't care.  No, I am not kidding.)  There's nothing vaguely illegal about such an e-mail, but Paxton is well aware of Milder's efforts.   Milder's e-mail explains this:

The Collin County school district is among several in Texas that have received open-records requests from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's office asking for — among other things — emails from its superintendents and principals pertaining to voting and elections. Mesquite and Grapevine-Colleyville ISDs also confirmed receiving similar requests.

It's actually Paxton who is trying to electioneer, using the power of his office to do so.  He's scared of Milder's e-mail, because it threatens the candidacy of Dan Patrick (Texas has open primaries, anyone can vote in either (but not both!) of them.  For the first, and hopefully last, time in my life I voted in a GOP primary.  Now if it was just worth it.....).

Why would I make such a bold declaration?  Because of Texas law:

His law required principals or other designated registrars to circulate voter registration forms and notices to eligible high schoolers at least twice a year.

Still on the books 34 years later, the law might look like a compelling rebuttal to arguments that Texas does little to encourage civic participation among its racially diverse student population. But many high schools have apparently failed to comply with the law in recent years, and election turnout among young voters has remained chronically low — less than half of Texans age 18 to 24 are registered to vote.

Now, as voting rights groups decry that lack of progress, Texas Secretary of State Rolando Pablos is bypassing principals — and turning to their bosses — in hopes of boosting compliance for a law that carries no penalties for those who flout it.

The school districts didn't decide to get political, in other words; the Texas Secretary of State apprised them of this dusty law, and urged them to get the vote out.  And that has Paxton, and Greg Abbott, scared shitless.

Heh.  Mighty reckless, indeed.....