HOUSTON – Harris County Commissioners Court is set to meet Thursday for the first time since County Judge Lina Hidalgo’s highly publicized dispute with the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, a controversy that has prompted at least two Republican officials to call for her resignation.
Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey said he plans to address the issue during the meeting, citing what he described as Hidalgo’s “damaging behavior” toward the world-renowned event and how the community can move forward.
What sparked the controversy
The dispute stems from Hidalgo’s attempt to access the dirt-level area during the Megan Moroney concert at the rodeo.
Rodeo officials say Hidalgo had a ticket for a suite and that the concert was sold out, so she was not able to remain in the dirt-level premium seats with her guests.
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After she was asked to leave, Hidalgo said rodeo security “manhandled” her, pushed her and threatened her with arrest. She also suggested her race or gender may have played a role, though no proof supporting her claims has surfaced.
What commissioners can do — and can’t do
While Ramsey and State Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R-Houston) have called for Hidalgo to resign, removing a county judge from office is far more complicated — and not something Commissioners Court can do on its own.
Rice University political science professor Mark Jones said any effort to remove Hidalgo would require a petition filed in district court, either by a county or district attorney or resident.
A judge would have to find evidence that meets a high legal bar, such as gross incompetence or official misconduct, before the process could advance.
“The threshold to remove a county judge from office is very high,” Jones said. “While many of Judge Hidalgo’s actions have been questionable over the course of the past year, if not earlier, I don’t think any of them rise to the level of gross incompetence or official misconduct of the level that a district court judge would say, ‘Yes, this meets a minimum burden of proof, we will hold a jury trial.’"
What to expect Thursday
Hidalgo’s office has not responded to calls for her resignation. She is currently on a trade mission in Europe, with stops in the Netherlands, Germany and Portugal.
As of Monday, there is nothing on the Commissioners Court agenda specifically referencing any elected leader’s behavior at the rodeo, leaving it unclear how the topic will be raised — and whether any formal action related to resignation or removal is even possible.
Other commissioners have not commented on the public dispute.