Alabama IVF ruling highlights importance of state supreme court races in this year's US elections
The recent ruling in Alabama that frozen embryos are legally considered children has created a political firestorm after the decision halted treatment for many couples trying to have families through fertility treatments.
Texas AG Ken Paxton says caller made false report to police describing โlife-threatening situationโ at McKinney home
Attorney General Ken Paxton is speaking out after a false report was made to 911 by an unidentified caller describing a โlife-threatening situationโ at his familyโs McKinney home on New Yearโs Day.
Texas Supreme Court declines to revive billionaireโs defamation lawsuit against Beto OโRourke
Kelcy Warren, a Dallas pipeline billionaire, sued OโRourke in early 2022, saying the Democrat defamed him with critical comments about his companyโs windfall profits after the Texas energy-grid collapse in February 2021.
A unique Texas legal rule lets the attorney generalโs office supersede some judgesโ orders
Lawyers criticize a provision they say erodes the separation of powers between Texasโ executive branch and its courts. Itโs been used repeatedly this year as Texans try to block new state laws from going into effect
Texas high court allows law banning gender-affirming care for transgender minors to take effect
The Texas Supreme Court will allow the new state law banning gender-affirming care for minors to take effect on Friday, setting up Texas to be the most populous state with such restrictions on transgender children.
Texas high court allows law banning gender-affirming care for transgender minors to take effect
The Texas Supreme Court will allow the new state law banning gender-affirming care for minors to take effect on Friday, setting up Texas to be the most populous state with such restrictions on transgender children.
Texas Supreme Court lets state law eliminating Harris County elections chief stand, for now
The ruling means the November elections in the stateโs largest county will be overseen by two other county officials. Legislators targeted Harris Countyโs elections department after taking issue with the way the 2022 elections were run.
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.
Ken Paxtonโs whistleblowers ask Texas Supreme Court to take up their case as $3.3 million settlement in jeopardy
Lawyers for four former employees who accused the attorney general of firing them for reporting alleged crimes to authorities say Paxton wonโt agree to finalizing the deadline by the end of this legislative session.
Judge orders Texas to stop using expired lethal injection drugs, throwing Tuesdayโs execution of Robert Fratta in doubt
Fratta was convicted in the 1994 murder-for-hire of his wife. Lawyers are challenging Texasโ routine of extending the expiration dates of its lethal drugs, a practice begun when many pharmacies began refusing to provide doses for executions.
Texas Supreme Court says it canโt force the state to process deluge of applications for tax break expiring this year
The program, known as Chapter 313, provides companies with billions of dollars in property tax breaks. The court said it is up to the Legislature to make the call on what to do as the program is set to expire and the state is swamped with applications.
Election results for Texas Supreme Court, Criminal Appeals Court, and Greater Houston area judicial races on Nov. 8, 2022
The 2022 General Election is being held on November 8. You can find results for Texas Supreme Court, Criminal Appeals Court, and Greater Houston area judicial races on Tuesday night here.
Texas Supreme Court weighs whether to allow stateโs education agency to oust Houston school board
Among other issues, the court will consider whether a law that updated the education code last year has any bearing on TEA Commissioner Mike Morathโs attempt to replace HISDโs board members over low academic scores.
Republican effort to remove Libertarians from November ballot rejected by Texas Supreme Court
On Aug. 8, a group of Republican candidates asked the Supreme Court to remove 23 Libertarian opponents from the ballot, saying they did not meet eligibility requirements. The Republicans included Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and others in congressional and state legislative races.
Volkswagen argues that Greg Abbottโs choice of judges in lawsuit could tilt emissions case in Texasโ favor
Because the state is a party in Attorney General Ken Paxtonโs cases against the companies, Volkswagen lawyers have argued that allowing the Texas governor to appoint justices to a case for which the state stands to win a substantial amount of money would give โthe impression that the State has had undue influence.โ
For third time in recent years, U.S. Supreme Court halts a Texas execution over rules for religious advisers in the death chamber
John Ramirez was scheduled to die Wednesday. His last request to the state had been to let his pastor hold on to him as he died, something the state denied. The high court wants to hear oral arguments on the matter later this year.
Texas Supreme Court pauses San Antonio mask mandate for public schools
The Texas Supreme Court temporarily blocked San Antonioโs mask mandate for public schools Thursday โ the latest in the tug-of-war legal battle between local governments and the stateโs Republican leadership over mandatory face coverings.
Live COVID-19 updates: Texasโ back-to-school season marked by mask mandate battles, rural districtsโ closures
COVID-19 is surging again in Texas. Gov. Greg Abbott has tested positive. Hospitalizations are increasing faster than at any other time. Local officials and school leaders are rebelling against Abbottโs ban on mask mandates. Hereโs the latest.
Texas Supreme Court temporarily allows school mask mandates to remain
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Gov. Greg Abbott wanted the high court to disallow mask mandates in Texas school districts. Justices dismissed their request on a technicality, without issuing a ruling on their legal arguments.
Texas Supreme Court says House Democrats can be arrested and brought to the Capitol, siding with Republicans trying to secure a quorum
In a bid to block a voting restrictions bill, House Democrats for weeks have denied the lower chamber the number of present members needed to pass legislation. House Speaker Dade Phelan has already signed dozens of civil arrest warrants.
Live COVID-19 updates: Texas sending more relief medical workers to hospitals, adding new antibody infusion centers
COVID-19 is surging again in Texas. Gov. Greg Abbott has tested positive. Hospitalizations are increasing faster than at any other time. Local officials and school leaders are rebelling against Abbottโs ban on mask mandates. Hereโs the latest.
Siding with Gov. Greg Abbott, Texas Supreme Court temporarily halts mask orders in Dallas and Bexar counties
The ruling comes after several school districts and a handful of counties across the state defied the governorโs executive order that restricted local entities from instituting mask mandates.
GOP leaders say theyโve secured an extra month of funding for Texas Legislature to plug money vetoed by Gov. Greg Abbott
Funds amounting to at least $12.6 million will be transferred from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to the Senate, the House, and legislative agencies such as the LBB, the Legislative Council and the Legislative Reference Library.
As federal eviction moratorium expires, tenants and rent advocates scramble to obtain state and local rental relief funds
In the first phase of funding from the federal government for emergency rental assistance, Texas received about $2 billion. Now the state has to get those funds in the hands of Texans.
Texas Supreme Court may decide next plot twist in the Democratic walkout, and the fate of 2,100 state employees
The stateโs highest civil court has been asked to decide if Gov. Greg Abbott has the power to cut off funding for legislative staff, a move Abbott hoped would keep Democratic lawmakers from leaving the state and shutting down a special legislative session.
Academy sports chain can't be sued for selling gun used in Texas' deadliest mass shooting, state Supreme Court says
The gunman should not have been able to purchase an assault style rifle, but the store conducted the required federal background check, which didn't reveal his past assault conviction, the court said.
The Texas Senate has approved a new statewide appeals court. Critics contend it's another attempt to limit Democrats' power.
Despite federal moratorium, more Texas renters face eviction as state protection lapses
Texans behind on their rent are at an increased risk of losing their homes despite a federal moratorium on evictions, according to housing attorneys, because a Texas Supreme Court order aimed at forestalling evictions has expired.
Texas courts cleared for in-person trials, and local officials will decide whether to require face masks
Texas courthouses no longer need a state safety review before conducting in-person hearings, including jury trials. AdIn the year of the pandemic, much of the state court system has been put on pause, creating a backlog of cases that will likely take years to overcome. In 2019, there was an average of 186 civil and criminal jury trials per week, according to the Texas Office of Court Administration. From March 2020 through this January, there were 222 jury trials total. But Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association President Grant Scheiner asked judges to remain vigilant in hopes of preventing another surge of coronavirus infections.
Despite committeeโs recommendation, ending Texasโ partisan judicial elections looks unlikely
The Texas Supreme Court on Jan. 15, 2020. Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas TribuneTexas looks unlikely to change its controversial partisan election system for judges โ even after a commission studying the issue recommended ending the practice. And in Republican primaries, judicial candidates with Hispanic-sounding surnames have often fared poorly, owing, experts say, to a largely white electorate. Those who favor partisan judicial elections have pointed out that they may work better in rural counties, where voters are electing fewer judges and itโs easier to learn their qualifications. Aside from the bias of partisanship, one of the chief concerns about the stateโs partisan judicial selection system is the influence โ perceived or actual โ of donors who bankroll judgesโ campaigns. Huffman, a powerful figure in the Texas Senate, said earlier this month she had already begun drafting a constitutional amendment that would increase judicial qualifications.
Texas extends rental assistance program designed to avoid evictions until March 15
The Texas Supreme Court has extended its emergency eviction relief program for tenants behind on rent through at least March 15, lengthening the programโs expiration date by a month and a half. The move comes after Congress passed a stimulus bill Monday extending the federal moratorium on evictions through the end of January. The state created the Texas Eviction Diversion Program earlier this fall with the help of $171 million in CARES Act funding, the vast majority designated for rental assistance. But some housing advocates said the extension doesnโt go far enough to address the large number of struggling renters, even as the federal government extended its eviction moratorium. "There could be tens of thousands of evictions on the horizon in Texas later this winter,โ said Michael Depland, spokesperson for the advocacy group, Texas Housers.
Texas Supreme Court rules Alfred Dewayne Brown be compensated for his wrongful imprisonment
The Texas Supreme Court on Jan. 15, 2020. Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas TribuneSign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. More than five years after he was freed from Texasโ death row and nearly two years after prosecutors declared him innocent, the Texas Supreme Court ordered Friday that Alfred Dewayne Brown finally be compensated for his wrongful imprisonment. In 2015, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals tossed out Brownโs conviction and death sentence in the 2003 murder of a Houston police officer. But the Texas Comptroller, after receiving advice from the Texas Attorney General, denied Brownโs claim for the money. But Brownโs attorneys argued to the Texas Supreme Court, and the justices agreed, that the comptroller exceeded his authority by making such judicial determinations.
Thomas Reavley, oldest active federal judge, dies in Houston at 99
HOUSTON โ Thomas M. Reavley, the oldest active federal judge who served for 41 years on the 5th U.S. Reavley died on Tuesday in Houston, the Texas Supreme Court announced. He had served nine years on the Texas Supreme Court, the stateโs top civil court, before being appointed to the appeals court by President Jimmy Carter in 1979. โHe was a towering figure in Texas and a true champion of justice for the state and the country,โ said Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan L. Hecht. He married King in 2004 and the couple had said that before Florence Reavley died, she told them to get remarried.
Judge rejects GOP effort to throw out 127,000 Houston votes
(AP Photo/David J. Phillip)HOUSTON โ A federal judge on Monday rejected another last-ditch Republican effort to invalidate nearly 127,000 votes in Houston because the ballots were cast at drive-thru polling centers established during the pandemic. Another 20,000 or more voters had been expected to use drive-thru polling locations Tuesday, Hollins said earlier Monday. โI cannot in good faith encourage voters to cast their votes in tents if that puts their votes at risk,โ he said. Harris County offered 10 drive-thru locations as an option for its nearly 5 million residents amid worries of spreading the coronavirus. More than 40% of Harris County residents are Latino, and about one in five residents are Black.
Drive-thru voting locations to be limited to Toyota Center only in Harris County on Election Day
HOUSTON โ A federal judge issued an order to uphold Harris County drive-thru voting but stated that the tents being used to house most drive-thru voting centers will not qualify as โbuildings,โ which are required for Election Day polling locations. Instead of 10 drive-thru locations, the Toyota Center will be the only drive-thru voting center available in Harris County on Election Day because of the new order. In order to allow for drive-thru voting on Election Day while ensuring that all votes will be counted, the only drive-thru voting center on Election Day will be at Toyota Center. Woodfill said he would immediately appeal the decision, accusing Harris County officials of using their office to help Democrats win Tuesday. Harris County had originally offered 10 drive-thru locations as an option for its nearly 5 million residents amid worries of spreading the coronavirus.
Texas Supreme Court rejects Republican-led effort to throw out nearly 127,000 Harris County votes
A rejection of the votes would constitute a monumental disenfranchisement of voters โ drive-thru ballots account for about 10% of all in-person ballots cast during early voting in Harris County. The clerkโs filing with the Supreme Court in the earlier lawsuit also said the Texas secretary of stateโs office had approved of drive-thru voting. Since the first Republican challenge to drive-thru voting was filed on Oct. 12, the Texas secretary of state and Gov. Greg Abbott had both ignored requests from reporters and Harris County officials to clarify their positions on whether the process was legal. The county clerkโs office countered that the first challenge to drive-thru voting had already been denied, and the second filing came much too late.
Texas Supreme Court rejects Republican-led effort to throw out nearly 127,000 Harris County votes
A rejection of the votes would constitute a monumental disenfranchisement of voters โ drive-thru ballots account for about 10% of all in-person ballots cast during early voting in Harris County. The clerkโs filing with the Supreme Court in the earlier lawsuit also said the Texas secretary of stateโs office had approved of drive-thru voting. Since the first Republican challenge to drive-thru voting was filed on Oct. 12, the Texas secretary of state and Gov. Greg Abbott had both ignored requests from reporters and Harris County officials to clarify their positions on whether the process was legal. The county clerk's office countered that the first challenge to drive-thru voting had already been denied, and the second filing came much too late.
Pointing to pandemic and election controversies, Democrats make their case for Texas Supreme Court
Itโs notoriously difficult for judicial candidates, even those running for the stateโs high courts, to capture votersโ attention. Voters have the chance to choose four justices on the nine-member Texas Supreme Court, the stateโs highest court for civil matters, and three judges on its sister body, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. This year, though, the Texas Supreme Court has found itself in the spotlight far more than usual with major coronavirus-related decisions and an unusually long list of election-related cases. โOnce again, the all-Republican Texas Supreme Court steps into this election against the interests of voters and a functioning democracy,โ Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa said after the Harris County decision. The nationโs high court again overturned the Texas courtโs decision, and Moore has since been resentenced to life in prison and released on parole.
Texas Supreme Court allows drive-thru voting in Harris County to proceed
HOUSTON โ The Texas Supreme Court ruled Thursday that drive-thru voting can proceed in Harris County. The court denied a request by Republicans for an emergency motion aimed at stopping people from casting their ballots from their vehicles. Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins said in a statement posted on Twitter that he is happy with the result and he hopes this means that drive-thru voting will be available to Harris County voters in the future. The Court's decision to uphold the legality of Drive-Thru Voting as a safe and convenient way to vote underscores that this November, democracy is on the ballot. " (1/4) โ Harris County Clerk (@HarrisVotes) October 22, 2020This developing story will be updated.
Voters in Harris County may continue using drive-thru voting, Texas Supreme Court rules
By Wednesday, more than 73,000 people in Harris County had voted at drive-thru polling places, according to the clerkโs early voting totals. They claimed drive-thru voting is an expansion of curbside voting, and therefore should only be available for disabled voters. Such applications are required for mail-in ballots, but voting rights advocates and the Harris County Clerk said they have never been a part of curbside voting. The clerkโs filing to the Supreme Court also said the Texas secretary of stateโs Office had approved of drive-thru voting. The state Republican Party quickly moved to the Supreme Court, and a sister suit was filed by a litigious Houston conservative and the Harris County Republican Party.
Texas Supreme Court: Harris County cannot send mail ballot applications to all registered voters
HOUSTON โ The Texas Supreme Court on Wednesday reversed earlier decisions supporting Harris Countyโs plan to mail unsolicited mail-in ballot applications to all registered voters, most of whom do not qualify to vote by mail. On Aug. 25, Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins tweeted his plan to mail an application for a mail-in ballot to each of the countyโs more than 2 million registered voters. Two days later, the Texas Secretary of State threatened to sue Harris County if it did not โimmediately haltโ its plan. His office released a statement titled โTexas Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Voter Suppression" condemning the decision. Jones said whether or not Texas should allow anyone to vote by mail is a valid, but separate question.
Texas high court blocks Houston plan to offer mail ballots
AUSTIN, Texas โ The Texas Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that 2 million Houston voters cannot receive unsolicited mail ballot applications from local elections officials who are dramatically expanding ways to vote in November in the nation's third-largest county, a key battleground in Texas. Texas is one of just five states not allowing widespread mail-in voting this year. Mail voting in Texas is generally limited to voters who are 65 years old or older, or who have a disability. โOnce again, the all-Republican Texas Supreme Court steps into this election against the interests of voters and a functioning democracy,โ said Gilberto Hinojosa, chairman of the Texas Democratic Party. Houston is a stronghold for Democrats, but the surrounding county still includes GOP-held seats that are helping keep Republicans in power in Texas.
Early voting can start Oct. 13, as scheduled, Texas Supreme Court rules
Early voting in Texas can begin Oct. 13, following the timeline the governor laid out months ago, the Texas Supreme Court ruled Wednesday, rejecting a request from several top Texas Republicans to limit the timeframe for voters to cast their ballots. Greg Abbott ordered that early voting for the general election in Texas begin nearly a week earlier than usual, a response to the coronavirus pandemic. Abbott added six days to the early voting period through an executive order, an exercise of the emergency powers he has leaned into during the virus crisis. Abbottโs order to extend the early voting period has been the main way the state adjusted voting procedures during the pandemic. Abbott had also doubled the early voting period for lower-turnout primary runoff elections held in July.
Harris County canโt send mail-in ballots to all registered voters, Texas Supreme Court rules
The Republican justices sent the case back to a lower court in Harris County to issue an injunction blocking Hollins from sending the mailers. Turnout in Harris County, both major parties acknowledge, will have major impacts on races at the top of the ticket and the bottom of the ballot. In 2018, 17% of the Democratic votes for Beto OโRourke were cast in Harris County. Applications for mail-in ballots have already gone out to voters in Harris County who are 65 or older. Harris County voters could start dropping off completed absentee ballots in person starting Sept. 28.
Ask 2: When are the eviction protections scheduled to end?
As part of our Ask 2 series, the newsroom will answer your questions about all things Houston. Question: When are the eviction protections scheduled to end? Answer: The CDCโs agency order to temporarily halt residential evictions for failure to pay rent or late fees expires December 31, 2020. This nationwide eviction moratorium orders landlords and those with a legal right to pursue eviction to not do so in order to prevent the further spread of COVID-19. Moreover, the Texas Supreme Court recently issued an emergency order which states eviction citations must include CDC eviction moratorium information in addition to a copy of the required declaration form.
Texas courts must start telling tenants how a federal eviction moratorium can keep them housed
The Texas Supreme Court signed an order clarifying the federal eviction moratorium. Texans facing an eviction must be informed in court citations about how they can remain housed under a national eviction moratorium, the Texas Supreme Court ordered Thursday. Under the declaration, tenants also agree that they will pay rent eventually, as well as fees and penalties according to their leases or agreements with the landlord. On Sept. 9, the Texas Justice Court Training Center provided guidance for justices of peace, but advocates said that tenants still had trouble benefiting from the moratorium. โWith this order of the Supreme Court, it makes it very clear that the court must abate these situations.โThe Texas Supreme Court order also allows landlords to contest the declaration of the tenant.
Texans with disabilities are eligible for mail-in voting, but people must decide for themselves if they qualify
The Texas Supreme Court has ruled that a lack of immunity to the coronavirus is not in itself enough to qualify. During a typical year, Texas is one of only 16 states that doesnโt offer no-excuse mail-in voting, which allows voters to request ballots for any reason. Local election officials, who oversee the distribution of mail-in ballots, do not have the authority to verify a voterโs disability status. But election experts say itโs unclear whether the Texas attorney generalโs office would try to pursue the issue. Disability rights activists say theyโre worried the confusion may deter at-risk Texans from voting, or cause them to needlessly put their health at risk to show up in person at the polls despite being eligible for mail-in voting.
Texas Supreme Court again blocks Harris County from sending mail-in ballot applications to all voters
The Texas Supreme Court granted the Texas attorney generalโs request to halt the countyโs effort just before a separate order blocking the mailing was set to end. Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas TribuneThe Texas Supreme Court has once again blocked Harris County from sending mail-in ballot applications to all its 2.4 million registered voters ahead of the November election. The all-Republican court told Harris County to hold off on sending any unsolicited applications for mail-in ballots โuntil further orderโ and while the case makes its way through the appeals process. Paxton kicked the request up to the Supreme Court after the appeals court declined his request to block the lower court's ruling and instead set an expedited schedule to consider the appeal. The order in the Harris County case was the second issued by the Supreme Court on Tuesday that affects mail-in voting procedures.
Texas Supreme Court rules 3 Green Party candidates should be added back to November ballot
T-shirts for sale at the Green Party convention in Houston in 2016. Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas TribuneThe Texas Supreme Court has ordered three Green Party candidates to be restored to the November ballot after Democrats successfully sued to remove them. The Texas Green Party appealed the decision to the state Supreme Court, which ruled Tuesday that the secretary of state โshall immediately take all necessary actions to ensure these candidates appear on theโ November ballot. The Supreme Court did not give its rationale, but said a full opinion was forthcoming. In rejecting the GOP effort earlier this month, the Supreme Court said the party waited too long to raise the issue. The stateโs most populous county, Harris County, wrote to the Supreme Court on Monday saying that โit is too late to make changes,โ even if the court acted that day.
Court denies Paxtonโs appeal in Harris County mail-in ballot application case for now
HOUSTON โ Texas Attorney General Ken Paxtonโs appeal to last weekโs court ruling that allows Harris County to send mail-in ballot applications to all registered voters was denied Tuesday. According to the decision issued by the 14th Court of Appeals, Paxtonโs request for an injunction was denied because Paxton and Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins had reached a previous agreement in the Texas Supreme Court. In Texas, voters can cast their ballot by mail if:They will be away from the county of residence on Election Day and during the early voting period. โAs surely as night follows day, this case will ultimately be decided in the Texas Supreme Court,โ KPRC 2 legal analyst Brian Wice said. Wice went on to add that based on its batting average in these matters, โThe Attorney Generalโs office will be the prohibitive favorite.โThere are approximately 2.4 million registered voters in Harris County.
Analysis: In close elections, two opponents can be better than one
The all-Republican court rejected a Republican effort to erase 44 Libertarian candidates from the ballot. The theory operating here is that Libertarian candidates siphon more votes from Republicans than from Democrats. A related bit of political folklore is that Green Party candidates take votes that would otherwise go to Democrats. State Rep. Gina Calanni, a Democrat, beat a Republican incumbent by 113 votes in a 2018 race in which a Libertarian got 1,106 votes. For instance, state Rep. Jonathan Stickland, R-Bedford, won reelection by 1,428 votes; the Libertarian in his race got 1,644 votes.
Texas Supreme Court rejects Republicans' attempt to remove 44 Libertarians from the November ballot
But the Supreme Court dismissed the suit, finding that the Republicans missed the August 21 deadline to successfully boot people from the ballot. The available mechanism for seeking the Libertarians removal from the ballot for failure to pay the filing fee was a declaration of ineligibility, the court wrote in a per curiam opinion. In general, Libertarians are believed to peel votes away from Republicans, while the Green Party is thought to siphon votes from Democrats. In multiple cases citing the same lack of a filing fee paid, state and national Democrats were successful in removing some Green Party candidates. The Supreme Court suggested that at least some Libertarians may have made the same mistake, but said the GOP was too late in bringing its legal challenge forward.
Analysis: Voting in Texas could be as easy as a trip to the grocery store
The latest Texas battlefield is in the states biggest county, where state officials are working to stop Harris County officials from sending unsolicited applications for absentee ballots to all voters. While the lawyers argue, voters can always ask for their own absentee voting applications, decide whether they qualify to vote by mail, and proceed accordingly. Thats the argument Trump has adopted that election fraud is easier when voting by mail is the method. Texas already has limited absentee voting; the question is whether its open to everyone or not. Butt likened Harris Countys plan to distribute absentee applications to his companys response to the pandemic: allowing pickup orders and expanding home deliveries.
Texas Supreme Court stops Harris County from sending ballot-by-mail applications to ineligible registered voters
HOUSTON The Texas Supreme Court on Wednesday temporarily stopped the Harris County clerk from sending ballot-by-mail applications to all of the countys 2.4 million registered voters. The stay issued by the court comes just days after a lawsuit was filed by the Harris County Republican Party against Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins. Statement from HollinsOur offices top priority is to protect the right to vote and, during the time of COVID-19, to ensure that Harris County voters can cast their ballots safely. We look forward to sending applications to other eligible voters after we have our day in court. The stay that the Texas Supreme Court issued today simply affirms what we already agreed towe will have a hearing in Harris County District Court in the coming days and then proceed as planned.
Texas Supreme Court temporarily blocks Harris County from sending mail-in ballot applications to all its voters
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas TribuneThe Texas Supreme Court has temporarily blocked Harris County from sending mail-in ballot applications to all its voters for the November election. The decision Wednesday came in response to a lawsuit filed days ago by Republicans in the states largest county. Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins announced last month that the county would send applications to its more than 2.4 million registered voters, an effort to make it easier to participate in the election due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Harris County GOP lawsuit alleges that Hollins is a "rogue clerk who is abusing the application to vote by mail process and compromising the integrity of elections in Harris County." The uproar over the Harris County plan is the latest front in the battle over mail voting during the pandemic in Texas.