Houston Public MediaSep 5, 2025

Voter and civil rights organizations are seeking to block efforts by Gov. Greg Abbott and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to expel 13 Democratic state representatives from office for their role in this summer’s quorum break.

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/court/2025/09/05/530161/civil-rights-groups-challenge-abbotts-paxtons-efforts-to-expel-democratic-house-members-who-broke-quorum/

#Court #Houston #Local #News #Politics #Texas #2025TexasLegislature #QuorumBreak #SupremeCourtOfTexas #TexasAGKenPaxton #TexasConstitution #TexasGovernorGregAbbott

Civil rights groups challenge Texas GOP leaders’ efforts to expel Democratic House members who broke quorum

Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton have separately petitioned the Supreme Court of Texas to have 13 lawmakers declared to have abandoned their offices after they left the state for two weeks to temporarily prevent the passage of a Republican-led congressional redistricting plan.

Houston Public Media
Houston Public MediaSep 3, 2025

HB 18 would ban lawmakers from raising funds while participating in a quorum break. The measure is in response to the Democratic quorum break that unsuccessfully sought to prevent Republican-sponsored congressional redistricting legislation.

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/politics/2025/09/03/529947/texas-house-passes-bill-to-punish-quorum-breaks/

#News #Politics #Texas #2025TexasLegislature #CongressionalRedistricting #FreedomOfSpeech #QuorumBreak #SpecialSession #TexasConstitution

Texas House passes bill to punish quorum breaks

House Bill 18 would ban lawmakers from raising funds while participating in a quorum break. It would punish such actions by fining lawmakers and their contributors up to $5,000 per donation.

Houston Public Media
Houston Public MediaJun 5, 2025

Voters will be asked to approve property tax cuts for Texas homeowners and businesses in November.

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/texas/2025/06/05/523236/voters-will-have-final-say-on-billions-of-tax-cuts-for-texas-homeowners-businesses/

#Business #EducationNews #Elections #News #Texas #Homeowners #NovemberElection #PropertyTaxCuts #PropertyTaxes #TexasConstitution #TexasPropertyTaxes

Voters will have final say on billions of tax cuts for Texas homeowners, businesses

Texas is slated to spend $51 billion on property tax cuts over the next two years. Some worry that’s unsustainable.

Houston Public Media
Houston Public MediaMay 20, 2025

A trio of Texas Senate bail reform measures authored by state Sen. Joan Huffman (R-Houston) advanced in the House on Monday.

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/criminal-justice/2025/05/20/521773/three-bail-reform-measures-advance-in-texas-house/

#Border #Crime #CriminalJustice #HarrisCounty #Houston #Immigration #Local #News #Politics #PublicSafety #Texas #2025TexasLegislature #BailReform #JocelynNungaray #StateSenatorJoanHuffman #TexasConstitution #UndocumentedImmigrants

Bail reform package authored by Houston lawmaker advances in Texas House

The measures, all authored by Houston Sen. Joan Huffman, include a proposed constitutional amendment that would bar people in the country without legal status from being released on bond if accused of a range of serious felonies.

Houston Public Media
Houston Public MediaApr 23, 2024

The Supreme Court of Texas has blocked Harris County from making any further payments under the Uplift Harris guaranteed income pilot program for low-income households. 

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/harris-county/2024/04/23/484377/texas-supreme-court-blocks-further-payments-under-uplift-harris/

#Court #HarrisCounty #Local #News #Politics #CountyAttorneyChristianMenefee #HarrisCountyCommissionerRodneyEllis #HarrisCountyGuaranteedIncomeProgram #HarrisCountyJudgeLinaHidalgo #Poverty #SupremeCourtOfTexas #TexasAttorneyGeneralKenPaxton #TexasConstitution #UpliftHarris

Texas Supreme Court blocks further payments under Uplift Harris

The county’s guaranteed income pilot program was designed provide $500 monthly subsidies for more than 1,900 low-income households for 18 months. County Judge Lina Hidalgo said the first payments had already gone out.

Houston Public Media
Houston Public MediaJan 31, 2024

Harris County is defending its guaranteed income pilot program against a potential legal challenge from the state.

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/harris-county/2024/01/31/476023/menefee-charts-defense-of-harris-countys-guaranteed-income-pilot-program-to-ag/

#Court #HarrisCounty #Local #News #Politics #CountyAttorneyChristianMenefee #GuaranteedIncomeProgram #StateSenatorPaulBettencourt #TexasAttorneyGeneralKenPaxton #TexasAttorneyGeneralSOffice #TexasConstitution #TexasSupremeCourt #UpliftHarris

Menefee charts defense of Harris County’s guaranteed income pilot program to AG

County Attorney Christian Menefee filed a brief with Attorney General Ken Paxton to counter a request by State Senator Paul Bettencourt to declare Uplift Harris unconstitutional.

Houston Public Media
Houston Public MediaJan 19, 2024

State Senator Paul Bettencourt is asking Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to rule Harris County’s pilot guaranteed income program unconstitutional.

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/harris-county/2024/01/18/474833/paul-bettencourt-challenges-guaranteed-income-harris-county-pilot-program-legality/

#HarrisCounty #Local #News #Politics #CountyAttorneyChristianMenefee #GuaranteedIncomeProgram #HighPovertyNeighborhoods #StateSenatorPaulBettencourt #TexasAttorneyGeneralKenPaxton #TexasConstitution #UpliftHarris

State Senator Paul Bettencourt challenges legality of Harris County’s guaranteed income pilot program

Bettencourt has asked Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for a pair of opinions declaring Uplift Harris is unconstitutional.

Houston Public Media
Houston Public MediaOct 30, 2023

Derrick Broze sues Texas to challenge the election law that kept him from running for mayor of Houston

Broze was barred from the mayoral ballot because of an 18-year-old felony conviction for drug possession. He said the current interpretation of the Texas Election Code, effectively banning all convicted felons from running for office, violates the U.S. and Texas Constitutions.

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#2023HoustonMayoralElection #DerrickBroze #TexasAttorneyGeneralSOffice #TexasConstitution #TexasElectionCode #USConstitution

Derrick Broze sues Texas to challenge the election law that kept him from running for mayor of Houston

Broze was barred from the mayoral ballot because of an 18-year-old felony conviction for drug possession. He said the current interpretation of the Texas Election Code, effectively banning all convicted felons from running for office, violates the U.S. and Texas Constitutions.

Houston Public Media