House set to vote on John Lewis Voting Rights Act next week
On Monday, the House Judiciary subcommittee held the last hearing on the Voting Rights Act and potential legislative reforms to the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced over the weekend that the House will vote on the Voting Rights...
Op-Ed: Step up for Afghan refugees
On September 11, 2001, Al-Qaeda operatives hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing them into the World Trade Center. None of the nineteen hijackers were Afghan nationals. Weeks after the attack, the United States announced that U.S. armed forces had launched...
Harris County begins offering $100 to residents who get vaccinated
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo announced Tuesday that residents would receive $100 if they get vaccinated at a Harris County Public Health site. Hidalgo said residents will receive the money “no strings attached” if they are unvaccinated. Residents can...
Op-Ed: Harris County’s new crime reduction and community safety initiatives
Keeping people safe is among the most fundamental responsibilities of local government. No single policy or program can meet the challenge and today’s polarizing politics are making the job that much harder. Responding to violence in the community primarily with law...
Briscoe Cain: hydrogen sulfide enjoyer, election bill writer
On Sunday, Harris County Pollution Control Services alerted residents they were investigating a hydrogen sulfide leak in La Porte. As emergency officials urged residents to shelter in place, Briscoe Cain, the Republican statehouse lawmaker representing much of the...
Despite Supreme Court ruling, Texas schools continue mask requirements
On Sunday night, the entirely Republican Texas Supreme Court issued a stay against any lower court opinions which blocked Greg Abbott’s mask mandate ban. The emergency stay is temporary and will be heard again with a final ruling, though there’s no indication when...
I-45 expansion project paused for civil rights and environmental concerns
In accordance with an ongoing investigation, the Federal Highway Administration has instructed Texas to pause all construction for the I-45 expansion because of possible civil rights violations and environmental concerns. The Federal Highway Administration cited...
Dan Crenshaw heckled and called a RINO for saying 2020 election wasn’t stolen
Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Houston) is considered by many to be a rising star within the GOP. As a well-spoken and social media-savvy former Navy SEAL, it’s not hard to see why he was quickly embraced by the Right after being elected to Congress in 2018. However, a heated...
What you need to know about the Child Tax Credit
One of the most important elements of the American Rescue Plan was the enhanced child tax credit and today the second round is going out. Thanks to the $1.9 trillion stimulus package, which every Republican in Congress voted against, qualifying families will receive...
Musings: Broken
I just want to state for the record up top that this is an opinion piece, and I’m speaking for myself. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about my career in politics everything you have to give up to help people get elected to do big things for people, and I can...
Texas Senate advances the latest attack on abortion
COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are increasing at an alarming rate throughout the state, but in the Texas State Senate they were focused on a wholly different public health catastrophe: banning medication abortion. On Tuesday, the Texas Senate passed Senate Bill...
COVID-19 vaccine booster shots maybe available soon
This week, Texas reported over 10,000 new COVID-19 cases with children and unvaccinated adults being the two groups hit hardest in the fight against the delta variant. Right now, with only 44 percent of Texans fully vaccinated and the variant surging across the...
Republicans pass voter suppression bill after 15-hour filibuster
State Sen. Carol Alvarado concluded a lengthy 15-hour filibuster on the Texas Senate floor on Thursday morning, attempting to block Republicans from passing Senate Bill 1, the new special session’s voter suppression legislation. The Houston lawmaker’s filibuster began...
Should the Military be deployed to fight the latest COVID surge?
Texas’ hospital system is being overwhelmed by the COVID-19 surge wrought by the Delta variant. More than 50 hospitals have run out of ICU capacity. Austin has only two ICU beds left thanks to the city seeing a record number of people in the ICU and on ventilators...
Dallas County Judge issues new masking requirements
Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins announced an emergency executive order on Wednesday afternoon that would require face masks in public schools, businesses, and county buildings. The order is the latest challenge to Greg Abbott’s, who had previously declared that local...