As the county grapples with a daunting case backlog and a jail at capacity, violent suspects released on bond continue to pose challenges for public safety.
Although the county has already paid $539,000, a firestorm of controversy over a contract awarded to a well-connected Democrat has prompted county Judge Hidalgo to agree to seek cancellation.
Only representatives from county Judge Lina Hidalgo’s office and the county’s public health department were allowed to participate in vendor selection.
Decrying other proposals as “splashy headlines,” Hidalgo and Garcia sought a 6-month expansion of criminal courts but passed a resolution condemning a legislative fix to felony bond policy.
Despite demand for more time to review a plan only unveiled last week, Hidalgo and Democratic commissioners pushed through a vote to approve a substantial restructuring of county government.
Community leaders and elected officials are sounding the alarm on a proposal from Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo to realign county government under an appointed administrator.
Recently approved policy says Harris County employees must continue to wear masks unless they qualify for certain exemptions that include obtaining a “visible identifier” showing they are fully vaccinated.
A resolution from Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo opposes bans on sex-change procedures for children and efforts to prevent biological males from competing in girls’ sports.
A Harris County report sparked controversy for excluding data from the district attorney’s office, and commissioners clash over felony bail legislation.
Voters in hurricane-ravaged Harris County overwhelmingly approved a $2.5 billion bond for flood mitigation in 2018, but a significant shortfall is forcing the county to seek additional funding.
Commissioners of the state’s most populous county unanimously approved the exploration of ERCOT alternatives, while Democrats pushed a resolution condemning Republican leadership.
A controversial consulting group hired by Harris County recommended significant reforms and expansion of county services to promote equity and other goals.
As Harris County faces a case clearance backlog and criminal justice staffing shortages, commissioners approve a temporary staff increase for the district attorney’s office.
Instead of complying with instructions to rescind the appointment of an elections administrator, the Harris County attorney will draft a response to the attorney general on a challenge to the legality of the process.
Under Judge Lina Hidalgo’s initiative, the county will spend more than $2 million to provide legal services to individuals facing deportation.
A new proclamation from the governor reinstates poll watchers for mail-in ballot delivery activities and thwarts Harris County plans to accept in-person drop off of marked mail ballots at multiple locations.
In Texas’ largest county, a grant from Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg injects an additional $9.6 million into an elections administration rife with controversy and legal challenges.
A historically solid blue, heavily Hispanic district in Houston features a contest between a Democrat with Communist ties and an up-and-coming Republican.
Harris County's election budget will increase nearly seven fold to provide vote-by-mail applications to all voters, drive-thru voting, new outreach, and extra COVID-19 safety precautions for this year.
The use of personal recognizance bonds for violent offenders, which has led to over 50 deaths in Harris County, became a flash-point in a commissioners court meeting.
