Texas

AUSTIN, TX – State Rep. Sam Harless (HD 126) has formally requested an opinion from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton regarding whether elected constables in Harris County are entitled to the same compensation increases as the county sheriff under a new state law. File Photo (October 2025) The request centers on House Bill 4205, which was passed during the 89th Legislative Session and took effect on September 1, 2025. The law requires the Harris County Commissioners Court to apply any compensation or employment benefit increases uniformly across all police officers within the same class. It also prohibits budget reductions to any affected agency as a result of enforcing this parity. In the request dated October 9, 2025, Harless argues that the current 2025-2026 Harris County budge...

AUSTIN, TX – Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Lubbock County Sheriff Kelly Rowe as chair of the Texas Commission on Jail Standards, which oversees the care and treatment of county prisoners and the construction and operation of county jails. File Photo (September 2025) In addition to Rowe's appointment, Abbott also named Joe Fauth of Plantersville and Richard Kirkpatrick of Kingsville to the commission for terms ending January 31, 2031, and January 31, 2027, respectively. Patricia M. Anthony of Garland and Monica McBride of Alpine were reappointed for terms expiring January 31, 2031. Rowe, with over three decades in law enforcement, previously served as president of both the Sheriff’s Association of Texas and the Texas Jail Association. He also serves on multiple public safety b...

HARRIS COUNTY, TX – Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo issued a statement Monday condemning the overnight removal of the rainbow crosswalk in Montrose, calling it a crackdown on “beloved community art” and questioning the decision-making process behind its removal. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkWM-tkzjRG_oUyg1gfwSX2JHBzk1ACxQ “The state’s crackdown on beloved community art shows that they are willing to go further and further in limiting free speech and free expression,” Judge Hidalgo said. She emphasized that the rainbow crosswalk was originally painted as a memorial and did not symbolize harm or discrimination toward any group. Hidalgo also criticized METRO’s swift compliance with the state directive, noting the agency was given 30 days to act and could have pursued o...