PAUL BETTENCOURT

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.

If voters approve the measure next year, it will raise the state’s homestead exemption from $25,000 to $40,000 for school district property taxes, netting the average homeowner about $176 in savings.

Democrats criticized Republicans for “targeting” a North Texas district that had been trending Democratic and for not drawing any new districts where people of color would represent a majority of eligible voters.

The bill, filed by Houston Republican Paul Bettencourt, would allow county party leaders, candidates and political committees to seek an audit.

With the renewed backing of Gov. Greg Abbott, legislation to cut property tax rates is on a fast track through the Texas Legislature.

Tax relief for property owners joins a packed to-do list for Texas lawmakers — which includes redistricting, COVID-19 vaccine mandates and a spending plan for $16 billion in federal stimulus dollars.

AUSTIN — President Donald Trump on Thursday pressed Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to add an item to the agenda of the year's third special session: adopting an Arizona-style election audit of 2020 ballots.

Senate Bill 1 would use a state tax surplus to lower school district property tax rates by roughly 3.3 cents, translating to roughly $100 in savings for the owner of a $300,000 home.

Senate Bill 1 would use a state tax surplus to lower school district property tax rates by roughly 3.3 cents, translating to roughly $100 in savings for the owner of a $300,000 home.

The bill, approved by the Senate and never considered by the House, would have allowed state and local party chairs to file requests to launch audits, but Republicans say the legislation would not have spawned a debacle akin to the controversial review underway in Arizona.

The Houston Public Library’s Central branch in downtown Houston will reopen soon, but one group has been told they will no longer be welcome there.

Senator Paul Bettencourt R-Houston has accused HISD's COVID-19 leave policy of being "discriminatory and unfair" towards unvaccinated employees.

Two of the most significant bills come out of State Senator Paul Bettencourt’s experience as the voter registrar for Harris County.

The director for the non-partisan Texas Politics Project also examines the nuances of the voting bills' potential to help or hurt registered voters at the polls.

Several Texas lawmakers were briefed Wednesday on the status of our state’s power grid. Gov. Greg Abbott also spoke about the recent calls for energy conservation after several power generators went offline for unexpected maintenance.

The Senate opted not to accept the House changes to Senate Bill 7, prompting the formation of a conference committee to iron out the differences.

One of the students sued by the teacher is the daughter of Allen Blakemore, a prominent...

Houston Public Media spoke with him through the courtesy of the Texas Jail Project and Brothers In Arms. "I've put in all kind of motions to get a bond reduction, PR bond," Evans said. If I'm going to do a bail bond bill, it's going to be comprehensive." It's unlikely any bail reform bill would pass without his support. Discussions of bail reform are sometimes muddled, with a tendency to conflate Harris County's misdemeanor bail reform — which has been in place since the adoption of Harris County's Rule 9 two years ago — with felony bail reform, which is still the subject of an ongoing court dispute.

Greg Abbott (center) and state Sen. Paul Bettencourt (right) think it was too easy to vote in 2020. Greg Abbott visited Houston on Monday to tout new legislation proposed by his Republican allies that he claimed would protect the integrity of Texas elections. Speaking alongside Republicans state Rep. Briscoe Cain of Deer Park and state Sen. Paul Bettencourt of Houston, Abbott swore that all the GOP wants to do is protect elections from voter fraud. “What we’ve seen in the past is that election fraud takes place. Harris County Elections Administrator Isabel Longoria thinks attempts to ban drive-thru voting may be racially motivated.

Officials discussed election fraud and how they want to prevent it. Abbott has mentioned a number of times, especially during the 2020 election, that election fraud is “very real” and happens in different ways. Abbott did, however, say that former President Barack Obama prosecuted a voter fraud scheme in South Texas where cocaine was used to pay voter harvesters. “Election fraud is unacceptable.”AdA small group carrying signs protested against Senate Bill 7 outside Bettencourt’s office, calling the proposed bill voter suppression. “We should be focused on making voting more accessible and stop trying to create obstacles and distractions with unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud,” Turner said.

When you look out in some of the counties surrounding Harris County, they don’t even go to 7 p.m. In Harris County, a multiagency, bipartisan election security task force found no cases of fraud in the most recent election. More than 10,000 Harris County voters cast ballots overnight on Oct. 29 of last year. Conservative activist Steve Hotze sued the county to limit early voting, and reject some in-person absentee ballots. "We just want the ability to provide the service that Harris County residents want,” she said.

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.

HOUSTON – Texas Senate and House hearings are only the beginning of the investigations into our state’s power grid failures during a blistering winter storm. Ten days after the winter storm blanketed Texas, Anderson still has no water in her Yorkdale neighborhood home in Northwest Houston. Like millions of Texans, Anderson lost power as temperatures dropped, pipes in the ceiling froze and then cracked. Hearings in the House and Senate will start the work to get those answers. We should have taken action then, what prevented that from happening, why did we not take the action?”

Here are things to know for Tuesday, Feb. 2:1. Legislators have promised to back a so-called “heartbeat bill” that would bar abortions before many women know they are pregnant. Anti-abortion advocates have urged them to challenge the Roe v. Wade decision that established the right to an abortion. Registration for Memorial Hermann COVID-19 vaccine drive-thru clinic in Sugar Land for those 65 and older now openMemorial Hermann has partnered with Fort Bend County to offer a COVID-19 vaccine drive-thru clinic at Smart Financial Centre in Sugar Land Wednesday, Feb. 3 to Saturday, Feb. 6. Additionally, the BBB warns that photos of COVID-19 vaccination cards shared on social media can help scammers create phony versions.

HOUSTON – Senator Paul Bettencourt and Crime Stoppers of Houston held a press conference on “Caitlynne’s” bill filing on Personal Recognizance Bonds (PR bonds) Monday. The bill would prevent defendants from release on multiple PR bonds. The press conference started at 10 a.m. at the Crime Stoppers of Houston Building and included several community leaders/officials. “Too many of our citizens have become victims of violent crime by habitual offenders who are continually released back to the community often on multiple PR bonds,” said Crime Stoppers of Houston CEO Rania Mankarious. According to Andy Kahan with Crime Stoppers, since 2018, 90 victims have been killed in Harris County by defendants released on various PR and low-dollar felony bonds.

Over the summer, the Harris County Clerk’s Office tried to send mail-in ballot applications to all voters in response to the pandemic. Now, five state senators, including Conroe's Brandon Creighton and Houston's Paul Bettencourt, have filed a bill that would make it illegal to send unsolicited absentee ballot applications to registered voters. He alleged that upwards of $1 million of taxpayer's money was spent printing ballot applications that were then destroyed. Republican state Rep. Valoree Swanson, also of Houston, has filed a companion bill in the House. Subscribe to Today in Houston Fill out the form below to subscribe our new daily editorial newsletter from the HPM Newsroom.

Friday’s announcement of proposed Senate Bill 252 comes after Channel 2 Investigates first exposed secret massive art collection being warehoused on the taxpayers’ dime, “Legally what this bill means is that I don’t think that what Precinct One Commissioner is doing is legal. I don’t think you can take a private Art collection, house it, spend public money, do private tours, I don’t think that is the right thing under the Texas Code,” said Bettencourt. The state senator out of District 7 doesn’t believe the actions taken by Ellis and his office is legal. Bettencourt said this bill is to ensure accountability at the state level if the Ogg’s office does nothing. Bettencourt indicated he cannot speak to federal operations, but he can speak to the state and its laws.

Students in the Houston Independent School District -- the state’s largest school system -- are struggling academically and struggling far more than normal. It’s survival mode.”In a statement to KPRC 2, HISD confirmed that 42% of their students failed one or more classes in the first grading period of the fall, which was six weeks long. That grading period was nine weeks long and all in-person instruction. “Additionally, to support students who are facing academic challenges, interventions are in place during the school day. Also, high school students can attend virtual online classes for credit recovery.”Sen. Paul Bettencourt, a known critic of the school board, believes any solution needs to be hyper-focused on the students.

HOUSTON – The Harris County’s toll road system is described as one of the best and most financially successful urban toll road systems in the country. The system, which includes the Sam Houston Tollway, Hardy Toll Road, Westpark Tollway, Tomball Tollway, and Katy Freeway Toll Lanes, covers 128 miles across the county. In 1983, Harris County voters approved the Hardy and Sam Houston toll roads with the intent that the toll money would be used for expansion, maintenance, and improvements. But last month, Judge Lina Hidalgo, along with County Commissioners Rodney Ellis and Adrian Garcia, passed a new measure from the Harris County Toll Road Authority, or HCTRA, to create a publicly funded corporation to fund the system. “Our tolls should be spent on the people of Harris County,” Hidalgo said.

HOUSTON As Anthony Campbell puts it: Power runs a long way.Thursday night, parts of The Woodlands and Conroe, found out this truth the hard way. The loss of power the result Hurricane Lauras powerful landfall 200 miles away in Cameron, Louisiana, two nights ago. Man, I was really surprised, said Campbell in regards to the devastation in Louisiana linked to power outages in Montgomery and Galveston counties. In order to avoid losing the whole grid for the region, they redirected power away, which produced the blackouts in Texas. Entergy reported back at normal operations by Friday afternoon, with less than 200 customers in Conroe and The Woodlands still experiencing issues.

Now, some homeowners are calling on the Harris County Appraisal District to cut taxpayers some slack. Taxpayers’ plea for relief“Here’s your stimulus check for $1,200; and here’s your bill for $4,000 for your property tax,” quipped retired southwest Houston homeowner Ed Hobson. “We have to follow the state tax code.”Barnett said the tax code requires that properties in Harris County be appraised on Jan. 1 of every year. Rather than changing the tax code and laws, he said taxing and other government agencies will have to be flexible. What you can do if your property appraisal increasedLike every year, you can protest your appraisal online using iSettle or iFile.

Well it's not turn out the lights, but the party (if there was one scheduled) is definitely over in Harris County starting at one minute before midnight today. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo in an early morning press conference today issued a mandatory stay-at-home, work-safe order effective through April 3, exempting only people working in certain industries including police, fire and health care workers. So I am issuing a stay home,work safe order for Harris County walking in lockstep with Mayor Turner, " the judge said. Today, he resisted the term lockdown, saying that changes in the situation compelled this next step and that it is really a stay-at-home order. He insisted that there have only been a few new cases in Harris County and that stricter measures restricting residents' freedom to move about are not needed.

State Sen. Paul Bettencourt argued that the orders, intended to halt the spread of the coronavirus, go too far. When Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo announced she was ordering most county residents to stay in their homes, it came as a relief to many in the area. But some Republican leaders are pushing back against local stay home, work safe orders to stem the spread of coronavirus, including in Harris County. But State Sen. Paul Bettencourt said Harris Countys stay home order is too sweeping and lacks transparency. The Republican mayor of El Paso and the Republican judge of Collin County, among others, have each issued their own stay home orders.

Schools across the state now have access to a list of teachers who have crossed the line with students in the past. The Texas Education Agency rolled out the ‘Do Not Hire Registry’ this week which serves as a database for employers. Also, it created a registry of individuals who are not eligible for hire in a Texas public school based on misconduct or criminal history. In 2017 the Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 7 which addressed inappropriate teacher student relationships and added more penalties. This piece of legislation, Senate Bill 1256 was amended to Senate Bill 3 and cost about $1.7 million.

KPRCHOUSTON - U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady (R-The Woodlands) represents the Eighth Congressional District in Southeast Texas and said his constituents are not focused on impeachment as a high priority. Brady said the impeachment inquiry takes away from potential progress and said the Democrats are wrong. "If you've got great evidence and you're running a fair process why do it in secret?" Brady talks about much more in this week's program and in this Newsmakers EXTRA video. More informationU.S. Rep Kevin Bradyhttps://kevinbrady.house.gov936-441-5700Twitter: @RepKevinBradyState Sen. Paul Bettencourthttp://bit.ly/34AULwu713-464-0282Twitter: @TeamBettencourtCopyright 2019 by KPRC Click2Houston - All rights reserved.

One proposed amendment, Proposition 4, would make it more challenging for future state lawmakers to impose a personal income tax. 71% of Texans oppose an individual state income tax, according to a 2019 poll by the University of Texas at Austin and the Texas Tribune. Proposition 4 would throw out those stipulations and replace them with language that simply prohibits the Legislature from enacting any individual income tax. "If you're against the state income tax, you need to vote yes for Proposition 4," Bettencourt said. If you're against state income tax, you vote yes on Prop 4."

Report (via @TeamBettencourt) says @HoustonISD Board shows inability to appropriately govern... and cites procurement issues. pic.twitter.com/8M8onLW5sA Ted Oberg (@TedABC13) October 31, 2019HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Investigators with the Texas Education Agency are recommending replacing the HISD board of trustees with an appointed board of managers, according to a Texas state senator.Sen. Paul says that the school board meetings aren't serving our children well. We've given enough time and I'm confident there will be a new board in 2020. "Bettencourt told 13 Investigates' Ted Oberg Thursday night that a final decision will be made in January.

The Texas Education Agency is recommending that the state take over Houston Independent School District the states largest public school system because of its elected school boards demonstrated inability to appropriately govern, according to a 318-page final investigative report sent to lawmakers Wednesday. Hewitt recommended Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath appoint a board of managers to oversee the school district, replacing the elected school board. The request argues replacing an elected board would disenfranchise voters of color, harming a school district that is majority black and Hispanic. RELATED Houston ISD cancels classes for Friday, Sept. 20 Houston ISD has canceled classes for Friday, Sept. 20, according to an announcement on its website. Morath will make the final determination on whether to replace Houston ISDs board.

Prop 4 would throw out those stipulations and replace them with language that simply prohibits the Legislature from enacting any individual income tax. "There already was a hurdle to get state income tax in Texas," said Rice University professor Mark Jones. Critics contend that Prop 4 is unnecessary because the mechanism to create an income tax is already cumbersome. Recent polls show that more than 70% of Texas voters oppose a state income tax. If you're against state income tax, you vote yes on Prop 4."

The problem is the board of trustees and everybody out there knows it, and that's what needs to be replaced. "State Rep. Dan Huberty, also a Houston Republican and chair of the Texas House Education Committee, echoed Bettencourt's assessment. State accountability ratings aren't finalized until November, but HISD does not appear to be fighting the accountability ratings.According to district sources, HISD has elected not to appeal. "Even in the midst of a Thursday morning celebration of, current HISD board member Jolanda Jones said given the level of board dysfunction, a state takeover may be the lesser of two evils. The board's president wrote recently in a Houston Chronicle op-ed that "HISD needs a fresh start.

HOUSTON - The Texas Education Agency is recommending that the Houston Independent School District school board be replaced by a state-appointed governing team. HISDs school board has been under investigation for months regarding allegations of misconduct and violations of the Texas Open Meetings Act. School board officials have until Aug. 15 to respond to the preliminary report put out by the TEA. School board responseThe board needs to have its day in court. Whats nextThe HISD School Board has until Aug. 15 to respond to the report.

At the 86th legislative session, state officials tackled big topics this year including property taxes, school finances and flood mitigation. SB2: Property tax reformWhat it does: Senate Bill 2 creates an online database where information about property tax rates will be accessible for property owners, said state Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, author of the bill. He expects property owners of a $179,00 home to see their property tax bills decrease by about $140 in 2019 and about $293 in 2020. An additional $5.1 billion will help lower local district property tax rates. School districts cannot collect 2.5% more property tax revenue than the previous year without voter approval.