Republicans boycotted a tax increase vote, and in retaliation, Commissioner Adrian Garcia halted proposed projects in their precincts.
Although state lawmakers enacted property tax relief in 2019 and 2021, many school districts are asking voters to approve property tax increases this year.
The county must seek voter approval for a budget that reduces law enforcement funding or property taxes will be frozen at the no-new-revenue rate.
The Texas attorney general had to intervene in the lawsuit to defend the law in question, as the state was not named an original defendant.
District Attorney Kim Ogg warned Texas senators of a secretive process for appointing magistrates who set bail bonds and that Harris County courts had quietly stopped recording bail hearings.
The state’s highest civil court offered clarification of the Texas ban on officials soliciting unrequested mail ballot applications.
State officials estimate the two amendments will reduce average property tax bills between $100 and $200.
The Harris County indictments stem from controversy around a $11 million vaccine outreach contract awarded to a well-connected Democrat.
The GOP will seek to force the county to turn back on the livestream of the vote counting and implement independent oversight of upcoming elections in Harris County.
Elections Administrator Isabel Longoria said that 6,000 Democratic and 4,000 Republican ballots were left out of election tallies; enough to change results in some close races.
Appointed Elections Administrator Isabel Longoria allegedly told the Secretary of State’s office she would not be able to complete an unofficial count by the statutory deadline, a Class B Misdemeanor.
Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R-Houston) filed an amicus brief with 13 of his Republican colleagues supporting the motion for a rehearing.
