Police Chief Troy Finner resigned on Tuesday following new revelations about his knowledge of 260,000 uninvestigated cases.
Houston
Sugar Land to Ban Smoke Shops
The City Council is considering amending the development code to remove “tobacco, hookah, and vapor retail store” as a permitted use, effectively banning any new stores, lounges, or bars that primarily sell tobacco-related products from opening.
Pastors, Residents Speak Out Against Sexually Explicit Books at Fort Bend ISD Board Meeting
Books like What Girls Are Made Of by Elena K. Arnold feature sexual imagery as well as jokes about abortion.
Harris County Voters Seek Criminal Investigation of Huffman Superintendent’s Electioneering
Liberty Justice Center is again helping Texans petition their district attorney to investigate school officials for illegal election interference.
Tax Hikes and New Fees for Houston
The ideas floated to close the budget deficit are a trash fee and asking voters to increase the maximum allowable revenue the city can collect under its long-existing property tax cap.
MOST RECENT
Houston Police Officers Demoted, Mayoral Committee Will Review Suspended Cases
Both Mayor Whitmire and Chief Finner promised that there will be accountability once the review is complete.
Houston Budget Faces $160m-plus Shortfall
Houston Finance Director Melissa Dubowksi told city council members to expect a shortfall of at least $160 million in the upcoming fiscal year 2025 budget.
Harris County District Attorney Ousted by Soros-backed Challenger Sean Teare
Incumbent District Attorney Kim Ogg lost by a nearly 50 point margin.
State Rep. Jacey Jetton Unseated by Matt Morgan
The impeachment of Attorney General Ken Paxton was a featured issue in this race.
Fort Bend ISD Library Books Feature Sexually Explicit, Anti-Religious Themes
Five books in Fort Bend ISD school libraries contain sexually explicit and anti-Christian material.
George Soros Funds Harris County District Attorney Challenger
Soros is turning his attention to the Harris County District Attorney’s race between incumbent Kim Ogg and Sean Teare.
Houston Makes Progress on Deal with Firefighters
A tentative agreement has been announced to end the city’s 8-year labor dispute with the Houston Professional Firefighters Association.
Fort Bend ISD Audits Bond Program
The Board of Trustees voted to approve an audit after $133 million in cost overruns from their $1.2 billion May 2023 bond package.
Houston Police Crisis Over Closed Sexual Assault Cases Worsens
Police Chief Troy Finner has announced that the true number of all wrongly closed cases is 264,000.
Former Katy ISD Coach Gets Jail Time for Sexual Contact with Student
Paetow High School football coach Lonnie Teagle was accused of “spanking” teenage girls at school.
ARCHIVE
Sheila Jackson Lee Tells Voters Wrong Election Date in TV Ad
A new campaign ad tells voters to vote on December 7, instead of December 9.
Harris County Drops Challenge to Law That Abolished Elections Administrator
The law’s author says elected officials are already doing a better job administering elections than the county’s appointees.
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo Faces Another Investigation by Texas Rangers
Hidalgo is accused of using her elected office to participate in political advertising and misusing government property, services, and personnel.
Polling Shows State Sen. John Whitmire Still Leads in Houston Mayoral Race
State Sen. John Whitmire is leading U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee 42 percent to 35 percent according to the latest poll.
Houston Hosts Its Fifth Gun Buyback Event
Harris County has already held four other events and collected more than 4,000 firearms.
Israeli Student Says She was Targeted By a Dickinson High School Teacher
The student’s English teacher wrote on the board “No Justice, no Peace. Justice for Palestine.”
Houston Teacher Accused of Having Sex with Student in Classroom
Christopher Williams was Eastwood Academy’s “Teacher of the Year” in 2020.
Judge Lina Hidalgo Used Encrypted Messaging App for Harris County Business
The WhatsApp encryption hides communications from everyone except the sender and receiver—meaning in some cases, even law enforcement cannot review the records.
Spring Branch ISD Board Meeting Shut Down as Hundreds Protest Closing Charter Schools
Faced with a $35 million deficit, the board of trustees is looking to close three charter schools to save money.
Texas Rangers Launch Investigation Into Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo’s Office
The investigation is tied to the 2022 federal indictments against three of Hidalgo’s high-level staffers over misuse of information and tampering with a government record.