JOHN WHITMIRE

The local Senate Committee on Criminal Justice will hold a hearing in attempt to tackle catalytic converter theft in Houston. Sen. John Whitmire and members of the Senate Criminal Justice Committee, including other invited guests, will hold an interim hearing in Houston to determine what actions are needed to aid law enforcement and stop catalytic converter theft and its related violence. The hearing is scheduled for Thursday at 10:00 a.m. at the Texas Department of Transportation Houston District Headquarters.

He brought only one of the rifles with him into the elementary school, according to the briefing. The other was left in a truck he crashed nearby.

Houston-area lawmakers weigh-in with how they would like to see the budget surplus spent on.

“It’s unbelievable — my mother is off death row; she’s not on death row anymore. The execution date no longer exists.”John was getting quarters for his mother at the hotel and doing media interviews while defense attorneys met with his mother. Upon exiting the women’s prison, they passed Lucio’s sons John and Bobby, who were on their way inside. It’s pain again.”Monday morning, Lucio’s defense attorneys had filed a supplement to her motion to withdraw the order setting her execution date for 6 p.m. Wednesday. “I fully expected the Court of Criminal Appeals to stay Lucio’s execution to allow time for those motions to be heard.

The rise in violent catalytic converters thefts continues to rise and now, state lawmakers are planning to address the issue soon.

Senator John Whitmire is holding a news conference Tuesday regarding the Harris County Bail Bond Board’s consideration of the “10% Rule.”

As Chair of the State Legislature’s Criminal Justice Committee, Senator John Whitmire, D-Houston, is researching, reviewing, and preparing for next year’s legislative session where he hopes to address the rise in catalytic converter thefts.

Edwards joins a field that already includes two well-known names: veteran state Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, and Chris Hollins, the former Harris County clerk who oversaw election changes in 2020 that became a lightning rod for Republicans.

Amid numerous outcries for bond reform, Texas State Senator John Whitmire has announced he will push for a new state law in the next legislative session that will require bail bondsmen to collect a minimum 10% payment before they post bond for individuals accused of violent crimes.

If nominated, Sen. John Whitmire will face the sole Republican challenger, George Brian Vachris, in November.

With the Republicans holding an iron grip on the Texas Capitol, some Democratic lawmakers are seeking their political fortunes in city mayoral races.

The two will face off in a primary to represent Senate District 15, which includes Bellaire, The Heights and Humble.

Local physicians, elected officials and community leaders are joining the public in celebrating the grand re-opening of the Heights Hospital in north Houston.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner addressed questions back on June 4, 2021 when asked about the rapidly rising homicide rate in the City of Houston after data revealed an increase in the numbers this year compared to in 2020.

Ten months ago, millions of homes and businesses were plunged into darkness and more than 100 Texans lost their lives when our power grid failed at the height of a historic winter storm.

Houston restaurant legend Irma Galvan turns 80 years old on Saturday. Her family has a big celebration planned for her on Sunday.

Here are things to know for Friday, Nov. 19:

Whitmire, the longest-serving member of the Texas Senate, will first run for reelection to the chamber in 2022 before his mayoral run the following year.

State Sen. John Whitmire told KPRC 2 he will run for Mayor of Houston in 2023.

Whitmire has been rumored to be interested in succeeding Mayor Sylvester Turner, who is currently serving his final term.

Friends and family members of one of the men shot during Saturday’s robbery at a restaurant near the Galleria area is now hoping for the best.

Friends and family members of one of the men shot during Saturday’s robbery at a restaurant near the Galleria area is now hoping for the best.

Friends and family members of one of the men shot during Saturday’s robbery at a restaurant near the Galleria area is now hoping for the best.

A Houston hospital said it was inundated with patients over the weekend, prompting it to announce an “internal disaster” and leading to wait times up to 24 hours.

Members of the Texas Senate Democratic Caucus held a press conference Wednesday to update Texans on their work and progress while advocating for voting rights protections.

In 2003, during a bitter fight over a controversial redistricting proposal, Texas House and Senate Democrats left the state on two separate occasions.

Out of options in Austin, House Democrats fly to Washington, D.C., where they plan to press Congress to pass federal legislation protecting ballot access.

Democrats who pulled off the revolt in the state House of Representatives just before a midnight deadline Sunday did not leave indefinitely. But bare-knuckled Republican governing is a way of life in the Texas Capitol and no concessions are so far promised. Texas Republicans may also enter a 30-day special session with not just commanding majorities, but new leverage. The Texas GOP’s torpedoed bill, known as Senate Bill 7, would have reduced polling hours, empowered poll watchers and scaled back ways to vote. The decision gave Senate Republicans at the time the quorum needed to get back to work on a redistricting plan that would give the GOP more seats in Congress.

Texas Republicans are pressing ahead with their push for tougher election laws after Democrats' defiant weekend walkout stopped one of the nation's most restrictive voting measures.

The legislative session at the Capitol comes to a close on Monday, and the power supply system in Texas is as vulnerable as ever.

Police say it all began as an altercation when someone fired at the victim.

At ERCOT’s behest, the Public Utility Commission of Texas allowed energy prices to hit the cap of $9,000 per megawatt-hour during the storm. Ogelman testified that during the storm, energy prices were fluctuating based on supply scarcity. He said as more power units went down and demand grew, prices went up. As ERCOT called for millions of people to lose power, prices dropped since it appeared demand and supply were evening out. Potomac strongly suggests ERCOT retroactively amend energy prices to bring the bills down.

At ERCOT’s behest, the Public Utility Commission of Texas allowed energy prices to hit the cap of $9,000 per megawatt-hour during the storm. Ogelman testified that during the storm, energy prices were fluctuating based on supply scarcity. He said as more power units went down and demand grew, prices went up. As ERCOT called for millions of people to lose power, prices dropped since it appeared demand and supply were evening out. Potomac strongly suggests ERCOT retroactively amend energy prices to bring the bills down.

HOUSTON – After two days and two hearings, Texas state senators and representatives will begin deciding how to reform the embattled Electric Reliability Council of Texas, ERCOT, which manages the flow of electricity across our state. Magness testified ERCOT is asking each of the 185 power plants that went down during the storm to provide specific reasons for the outages. Nye testified his list did include natural gas facilities, but he learned during the storm his list was not the most current. Garland Power and Light COO Tom Hancock told state senators the company invested in a robust winterization effort following the 2011 winter storm that caused similar problems in Texas. Hancock said as a result none of the natural gas facilities in their territory went offline.

Bill Magness, CEO of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, said widespread blackouts during last week’s winter storm were necessary to prevent grid failure. WATCH THE HOUSE FEED | WATCH THE SENATE FEEDIn hours of testimony from energy executives, state regulators and managers of the Texas electric grid, blame was plentiful. In 2011, another winter storm in Texas widespread power outages. Last week, about 4 million people across Texas went without power for days as temperatures dropped below freezing, placing unprecedented demand on the power grid that led to generator failures. FROM KUT IN AUSTIN | Texas' Power Grid Was 4 Minutes And 37 Seconds Away From Collapsing.

The first hearings are set to take place ThursdayTODAY IN HOUSTON | Start your day with the Houston Public Media newsletterUpdated 3:32 p.m. CTThe head of the state's power grid operator on Thursday defended the group’s decision to order widespread blackouts during last week's winter storm, telling state lawmakers that doing so helped prevent a larger disaster. At Thursday’s joint House committee hearing, Texas energy executives from NRG Energy and Vistra Corp. said weather conditions last week were unprecedented — far exceeding freezing temperatures in 2011 when Texas also experienced blackouts. Last week, about 4 million people across Texas went without power for days as temperatures dropped below freezing, placing unprecedented demand on the power grid that led to generator failures. FROM KUT IN AUSTIN | Texas' Power Grid Was 4 Minutes And 37 Seconds Away From Collapsing. If there are ambiguities, inconsistencies, or potential deficiencies in state law, they must be addressed immediately through legislative action."

But by the time the Legislature passed it, most of the sweeping provisions related to policing had been stripped out. Many provisions were removed from the bill after law enforcement opposition. Those measures stalled the bills progress because of opposition from law enforcement groups and lawmakers concerned about unfunded mandates. The version of the Sandra Bland Act signed into law by Gov. Abbott did not, however, mention any specific proposals, and has not addressed the policing aspects that faced harsh opposition by law enforcement and how, if at all, that will change in 2021.

Running for Ahmaud Arbery had evolved to riding for him. More than 50 slab riders took to the Houston streets Saturday afternoon to ride for justice for Arbery’s death. Organizers said the ‘Slab Ride’ was to protest hate and violence against Black people. Riders completed two loops around 610, commemorating the 2-mile run Arbery made before being killed. and Real Beauty Real Women.

Fort Bend County prison slated for closureThe Jester I Unit a facility with a 323-prisoner capacity outside Richmond is expected to shutter its doors by the end of 2020, according to Texas Department of Criminal Justice officials. Photo: James Nielsen, Staff / Houston Chronicle Photo: James Nielsen, Staff / Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 18 Caption Close Fort Bend County prison slated for closure 1 / 18 Back to GalleryA Houston-area prison is slated to close this year, state lawmakers on Thursday said. About 120 employees were working at the prison in 2016, according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice website. A second prison in Bee County, the Garza Unit in Beeville where about 2,280 prisoners can be housed, will also shut down. Since 2007, the state has ordered the closure of 10 prisons, including the most recent facilities in Fort Bend and Bee County.

Plans for concrete batch plant near NW Houston neighborhood concern officials, residentsState Senator John Whitmire, D-Houston. Photo: Melissa Phillip, Houston Chronicle / Staff Photographer Photo: Melissa Phillip, Houston Chronicle / Staff Photographer Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Plans for concrete batch plant near NW Houston neighborhood concern officials, residents 1 / 1 Back to GalleryLocal officials and neighborhood activists renewed their opposition to plans for a concrete batch plant in northwest Houston and vowed to work on all levels of government to keep such facilities away from homes and schools. For two years, residents in Acres Homes, a historically black neighborhood in northwest Houston, have fought against an environmental permit for a small business, Soto Ready Mix, to build a concrete mixing plant in a residential area. Residents are concerned that the proposed batch plant will further contribute to health problems in the community. TCEQ, which approves air permit requests for concrete batch plants, most recently referred the issue to the State Office of Administrative Hearings for a hearing before a judge.

"I've got to raise enough hell and make it a high enough priority to get the resources," said Whitmire. However, parole officers don't have the authority to arrest anyone and, therefore, rely on local law enforcement to make those arrests. TDCJ has also added a most wanted parole offender section on its website, as well as Wanted Wednesdays on its social media channels. Desel said out of the wanted parolees featured on Wanted Wednesdays, 68% have been arrested. The Houston Police Department reported 559 wanted parolees have been arrested during these operations.