Texas Supreme Court denies Harris Countyโs request to temporarily block law that would abolish elections office
The Texas Supreme Court denied Harris Countyโs request to temporarily block the implementation of Senate Bill 1750 on Sept. 1, which will abolish the Harris County Election Administratorโs Office, the Harris County Attorneyโs Office said on Tuesday.
Following Uvalde mass shooting, lawmakers say truancy laws need a reset
A bill filed by State Sen. Paul Bettencourt would help bring consistency to how truancy is handled by school districts across the state. After passing the Senate 30-1, Senate Bill 1630 was recently voted out of a House committee and is now headed to a vote in the House.
The Texas House and Senate differ on how to cut property taxes. Hereโs what their proposals say.
Cuts to school property tax bills. Bigger tax benefits for homeowners. A controversial idea to limit property tax growth. Hereโs what you need to know about the brewing property tax debate at the Texas Legislature.
Texas senators seem open to major change in stateโs public education funding formula
Senators in the finance committee asked questions Monday about the pros and cons of basing the amount of money that schools get per student on enrollment instead of attendance. Districts say the change could mean millions in additional funding.
Two years after Texasโ voting rights showdown gripped the nation, lawmakers again push dozens of elections bills
State policymakers have mapped out familiar territory early in the legislative session, with Democrats seeking to expand voting access and Republicans pledging to make elections more secure.
After Uvalde massacre, state lawmaker eyeing how schools address truancy
The Robb Elementary School shooter had hundreds of unexcused absences, and a House investigative report noted it was unclear whether any attempts were made by the school district to find out what was happening in the teenโs life before he was involuntarily withdrawn.
Katy ISD calls on voters to approve same tax rate to provide salary increase for teachers; Sen. Bettencourt fires back
Voters living in the area of Katy Independent School District will soon vote on a tax rate election (TRE.) It would keep the rate the same and the school district says the extra money they gain would help some staffing shortages.
Harris County election officials lay out plan to avoid issues that plagued 2020 general election
As we count down to election day in two weeks, and with early voting already underway, Harris County election officials are laying out their plan for avoiding the issues that plagued the 2020 election cycle.
KPRC 2 Investigates: The gaps in school safety and what educators need to close them
After eight students and two teachers were murdered at Santa Fe high school in 2018, state legislators passed more than a dozen laws. None of those laws prevented Uvalde and pressure is mounting for lawmakers to address lingering gaps in school security.
Bettencourt: Uvalde classroom door unlocked during rampage; law enforcement didnโt try to see if it would open
On Monday, the state House committee investigating the response to the mass murders at Robb Elementary will hear testimony from responding law enforcement officers. It is the third day of testimony in Uvalde.
Harris County GOP files lawsuit against Harris County Elections Administrator Isabel Longoria over 10,000 vote count discrepancy
The Harris County Republican Party announced that it has filed a lawsuit against Harris County Elections Administrator Isabel Longoria during a press conference Monday afternoon.
Harris County GOP officials criticize Isabel Longoria, alleging a failure to properly manage primary election
Harris County Republican Party Chairman Cindy Siegel is joining Texas State Senator Paul Bettencourt, HCRP Legal Counsel Steve Mitby and the Partyโs Legal Team to discuss the widespread problems and legal action addressing what they claim is a failure of Election Administrator Isabel Longoria to properly manage the primary election.
Texas voters will decide whether to lower their property tax payments after Legislature completes last-minute Hail Mary
If voters approve the measure next year, it will raise the stateโs homestead exemption from $25,000 to $40,000 for school district property taxes, netting the average homeowner about $176 in savings.
Senate approves map cementing GOP dominance in upper chamber, dividing up Tarrant countyโs voters of color
Democrats criticized Republicans for โtargetingโ 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.
Texas Senate too late with hastily conjured bill allowing party officials to trigger audits of 2020 election
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.
Lawmakers briefed on status of Texasโ power grid after conservation alert
Several Texas lawmakers were briefed Wednesday on the status of our stateโs power grid. Gov. Greg Abbott also spoke about the recent calls for energy conservation after several power generators went offline for unexpected maintenance.
Gov. Abbott discusses election integrity legislation in Houston, talks about election fraud bill
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 โvery realโ 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. โElection fraud is unacceptable.โAdA small group carrying signs protested against Senate Bill 7 outside Bettencourtโs office, calling the proposed bill voter suppression. โWe should be focused on making voting more accessible and stop trying to create obstacles and distractions with unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud,โ Turner said.
Power failure: Texas Senators take โfirst step toward reformโ
HOUSTON โ 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.
Lights may be on, but the suffering isnโt over
HOUSTON โ Texas Senate and House hearings are only the beginning of the investigations into our stateโs 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?โ
5 things for Houstonians to know for Tuesday, Feb. 2
Here are things to know for Tuesday, Feb. 2:1. Legislators have promised to back a so-called โheartbeat billโ 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.
Sen. Paul Bettencourt, Crime Stoppers of Houston discuss โCaitlynneโsโ bill in honor of woman killed by husband
HOUSTON โ Senator Paul Bettencourt and Crime Stoppers of Houston held a press conference on โCaitlynneโsโ 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. โToo 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,โ 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.
State senator files bill calling for legal action in connection with secret art collection inside Harris County shed
Fridayโs announcement of proposed Senate Bill 252 comes after Channel 2 Investigates first exposed secret massive art collection being warehoused on the taxpayersโ dime, โLegally what this bill means is that I donโt think that what Precinct One Commissioner is doing is legal. I donโt think you can take a private Art collection, house it, spend public money, do private tours, I donโt think that is the right thing under the Texas Code,โ said Bettencourt. The state senator out of District 7 doesnโt 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 Oggโs office does nothing. Bettencourt indicated he cannot speak to federal operations, but he can speak to the state and its laws.
42% of HISD students failing one or more classes amid COVID-19 pandemic
Students in the Houston Independent School District -- the stateโs largest school system -- are struggling academically and struggling far more than normal. Itโs survival mode.โIn 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. โAdditionally, 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.โSen. Paul Bettencourt, a known critic of the school board, believes any solution needs to be hyper-focused on the students.
Harris County toll roads generate hundreds of millions a year. Hidalgo, commissioners changed how money will be used
HOUSTON โ The Harris Countyโs 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. โOur tolls should be spent on the people of Harris County,โ Hidalgo said.
Nearly 200 miles away from the eye of Laura, Houston area residents face hours of power loss
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.
Property owners demand relief from property tax appraisals
Now, some homeowners are calling on the Harris County Appraisal District to cut taxpayers some slack. Taxpayersโ plea for reliefโHereโs your stimulus check for $1,200; and hereโs your bill for $4,000 for your property tax,โ quipped retired southwest Houston homeowner Ed Hobson. โWe have to follow the state tax code.โBarnett 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.
New statewide โDo Not Hire Registryโ shows teachers whoโve had inappropriate relationships with students
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 โDo Not Hire Registryโ 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.