As districts work to bolster school security, Harris County Constable Mark Herman says he will place hundreds of deputies at schools and day care centers.
Despite $197 million in unspent funds from the 2015 bond package, the commissioners court voted to proceed with a new bond election in November.
Commissioner Adrian Garcia implied Republican commissioners who vote against the measure would not receive an equal share of funding.
Incumbent Lina Hidalgo leads by 1 percent, while del Moral Mealer has a slight advantage with Latino voters and a net favorability rating of +17 percent to Hidalgo’s +7 percent.
Commissioners voted along party lines to explore ways to promote and expand access to abortion and contraception in the state’s most populous county.
County Judge Lina Hidalgo says the program will use federal ARPA funds to provide childcare for 1,000 children for three years.
The commissioners courts in two of the most populous counties in the state passed resolutions asking for the governor to call a special session to address gun violence in schools.
Prosecutors allege Hidalgo’s chief of staff violated felony bond conditions, but a lack of court documents has led to a dispute over permitted activities.
Commissioner Rodney Ellis cited articles published by two news outlets and a progressive advocacy group in blocking recognition of Crime Stoppers Houston while calling for an audit of the non-profit.
Even after Judge Lina Hidalgo announced she would cancel a controversial $11 million COVID-19 vaccine outreach contract, the county continued to pay advances to Elevate Strategies.
The cases of three indicted Hidalgo staffers have been assigned to a judge who took campaign donations from the owner of Elevate Strategies, as well as Hidalgo’s legal counsel and criminal defense attorney.
The Harris County indictments stem from controversy around a $11 million vaccine outreach contract awarded to a well-connected Democrat.
