Texas
Harris County to vote on means for labor groups to represent employees for salary, policy talks
Harris County commissioners will vote Thursday on whether to formalize a process allowing labor organizations to advocate for higher salaries and discuss workplace policies and grievances for county employees.
If passed, the policy would be the first of its kind for a Texas county. Some Texas cities and school districts have adopted similar policies, including the city of Austin and Houston’s school district — represented respectively by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, and the Houston Federation of Teachers.
It would allow county employees to be represented by a labor union of their choosing, but would give county commissioners the final say over all personnel policies and salaries.
Nearly 20,000 people work for the county, making it the sixth-biggest employer in Harris last year.
“It gives them a voice to advocate for good jobs, wages and benefits, working conditions and other needs so that they can enjoy life and dignity,” said Commissioner Rodney Ellis, who proposed the policy to the five-member commissioners court, which includes County Judge Lina Hidalgo.
State law prohibits public employees from collectively bargaining for contracts or going on strike, but does not keep them from being represented by labor organizations. Ellis said his proposal creates a communication process for a labor organization to discuss such issues with county representatives.
“This policy just gives workers a true voice, a real seat at the table,” he said.
Local police and firefighter departments in Texas are allowed to unionize and collectively bargain. Both departments in Houston have recently celebrated big wins: The Houston Police Officers’ Union last year secured a nearly 37% salary increase for police officers, and a year before, the Houston Fire Department negotiated a $1.5 billion settlement and labor contract for firefighters.
County employees would not be required to join the labor organization, but those who do would vote on which association would represent them. An association would need at least 50% of employee support to be chosen outright. If none receive half the vote, associations receiving at least 20% of employee votes would advance to a runoff.
Harris County, with nearly 5 million residents, is the third most populous county in the country, and Ellis said he hopes other Texas counties will adopt similar policies.
“Harris County workers keep the county running,” said Ellis, whose precinct includes both of Houston’s airports, along with several sports stadiums and universities. “They fix the roads, keep our parks clean and safe. They respond during emergencies. They make sure government works. They are the essential cog that keeps the third-largest county in the country operating.”
Commissioner Lesley Briones said she plans to vote in favor of the policy.
“It is a win for our employees and for our community,” Briones said. “By empowering workers’ voices and creating a pathway for employee-centered input, we build trust, strengthen our organization, and deliver better results for the Harris County families we serve.”
Ellis said if commissioners approve the initiative, among the first concerns he expects employees to bring up include salaries and the county’s remote working policy, which currently allows employees to work outside of the office but does not guarantee the option.
Ellis said he’s hopeful he will have the support of the rest of the commissioners court, but Commissioner Tom Ramsey told Fox 26 last week that he’s skeptical of the idea.
“We have many issues to focus on in Harris County, we don’t need the distraction of trying to set up a union,” said Ramsey, the court’s lone Republican.
Ellis reiterated that his proposal doesn’t establish a union.
“It professionalizes employees’ (process) to have to be informed of their ability to receive representation before grievance disciplinary meetings,” he said. “This does not allow for collective bargaining.”
The College Station Regional has played out almost exactly as projected, and Sunday night’s final comes down to the two teams most expected to be here. Texas A&M vs. USC, with a Super Regional berth on the line.
Texas A&M reached the final in the smoothest way possible, taking care of business early with wins over Lamar and Texas State to secure a 2–0 start. USC’s path was far more chaotic. After dropping their opener to Texas State, the Trojans fought through the losers’ bracket, eliminating Lamar before surviving a wild rematch with the Bobcats.
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USC jumped out to an 8–0 lead, but Texas State clawed back with a four‑run fourth inning to tighten the game. The Trojans ultimately pulled away again late, setting up a scenario where they’ll need two wins Sunday night to advance, while the Aggies need just one.
A&M enters the matchup with a significant storyline. Head coach Michael Earley confirmed that ace Aiden Sims is out for the remainder of the postseason after re‑aggravating his injury. Trying to push him further, Earley said, would risk long‑term damage to his career. That leaves the Aggies searching for someone to step up on the mound in the biggest game of their season.
First pitch between the Aggies and Trojans is scheduled for approximately 8 p.m. CT, with the game streaming on ESPN+.
Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Jarrett Johnson on X: @whosnextsports1.
This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M, USC set for College Station Regional Final showdown
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, D-Ky., on Sunday said the Texas Senate race is “in play” for Democrats after state Attorney General Ken Paxton beat incumbent John Cornyn in last week’s Senate Republican primary.
“Texas is in play. Democrats have never run against a candidate like Ken Paxton that is so corrupt that his own party impeached him,” Beshear told NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” adding, “This is someone who does not have the character … to serve as AG or even as dog catcher.”
The Kentucky governor referred to the GOP-controlled Texas state House’s impeachment of Paxton in 2023 on bribery and corruption charges before the state Senate acquitted him. The state Senate trial also touched on allegations that Paxton engaged in an extramarital affair while serving as attorney general.
Last year, his wife, who is also a state senator, announced that she had filed for divorce from the attorney general “on biblical grounds” and “in light of recent discoveries.”
Paxton did not testify at his impeachment trial, but he denied any wrongdoing and characterized the misconduct and corruption allegations as false and politically motivated. After his wife announced their divorce, Paxton wrote in a post on X that the two “decided to start a new chapter in our lives” after “countless political attacks.”
Beshear on Sunday said that if elected, Paxton is a person who “would use his office to enrich himself, that would be a rubber stamp for the president, and would do nothing for the people of Texas. He has shown that as AG.”
Beshear pointed to Paxton’s opponent, Texas state Sen. James Talarico, who won the Democratic primary in the state earlier this year as a better candidate for Senate.
Talarico “is spreading his message about being there for American families, about putting them ahead of the politics, about bringing down prices, expanding access to health care, making sure they feel safe in their community,” the Kentucky governor said. “Those things that make life just a little bit better and a little bit easier as the Trump administration is making things so much harder.”
Beshear accused Paxton of attacking Talarico early in the race because he “knows he has nothing to offer.”
“And so what does he do? He simply attacks his opponent over and over,” Beshear added.
Earlier on “Meet the Press,” former Vice President Mike Pence was asked if he supported Paxton and responded indirectly, saying, “If I was voting in Texas, I could never vote for the Democrat nominee.”
Pence added that he was confident the GOP could keep control of the Senate after November’s elections.
“I think in many respects Republicans have lost our way, but Democrats have lost their mind, and I think the reason why we’re going to hold the Senate.”
In Beshear’s interview, the governor also discussed remarks former first lady Jill Biden made last week about concerns she had about former President Joe Biden’s poor debate performance against Trump two years ago.
“I think it’s fair to look back now, given that Joe Biden did drop out, and say he shouldn’t have run for re-election in the first place,” Beshear said. “You can both compliment him for things he did that helped your state and your people, but also be able to look back and know that was a decision that should have been made differently.”
Also in his interview, Beshear was asked if he himself was considering running for president in 2028.
“I haven’t ruled it out,” he said. “But I haven’t sat down and had that conversation with my family. I’m trying to fire up Democrats to be a voice of reason in the chaos. It is so important that we win right now.”
The Texas A&M Aggies started the season with varying expectations. After a disappointing season last year, this year was a critical chance for the Aggies to once again have another shot at putting it all together.
Earning a top-16 seed and hosting a regional, the Aggies stormed a comeback to take their opening game, leading to their winners bracket matchup against the Texas State Bobcats, who took down the higher-seeded USC Trojans.
Looking to be 2-0 after their second game, head coach Michael Ealrey’s squad found themselves in a close game with the Bobcats. A five-run sixth inning would change the tune of the game, and instead of being a nail-biter, it quickly turned into a blowout.
How One Error Changed Everything
The Aggies were in a close game against the Bobcats, which is a scary place to be against a team that can hit the ball as well as they do. In the fifth inning, Chris Hacopian would get an RBI to give his team a two-run cushion, and he would prove to be the catalyst once again an inning later.
With the bases loaded and two outs in the inning, Hacopian would hit a ground ball to Justin Vossos, the Bobcats’ shortstop. It looked like a routine play, one that would get his team out of the jam, but he would bobble the grounder. Hacopian, to his credit, shot out of a cannon out of the batter’s box and would beat out the play, extending the inning and scoring Terrence Kiel II.
With a three-run lead, the Aggies smelled blood in the water, and they took advantage of the mistake. The next batter, Nico Partida, would be hit by a pitch to score another. Jake Duer would follow that up with a two-RBI single, and Ben Royo would get an infield single of his own to cap off the five-run inning.
From that point on, the Aggies never looked back and would end up winning the game, 17-2, completely breaking the game wide open and dominating their way to a 2-0 start.
What This Means Now For the Undefeated Aggies
The Aggies are the only perfect team in their regional, and have advanced to the regional final for the first time in two years. Because of that, Earley and his squad get the massive advantage of only being tasked with playing one game on Sunday night.
With the Bobcats now heading to the losers’ bracket, they will get a rematch against the Trojans at 3 p.m. CT, with the loser eliminated from postseason play and the winner facing the Aggies at approximately 8 p.m. CT.
Since the Aggies are the only undefeated team left in the bracket, they will get a minimum of two chances to punch their ticket to the super regionals.
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