Texas
Texas officials accuse Harris County of slashing constables’ budgets — but they’re actually going up
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Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar threatened to dam Harris County from enacting its proposed $2.2 billion annual spending plan over accusations that officers within the state’s most populous county have reduce spending on its constables — regardless that these places of work would get massive boosts to their budgets.
Hegar claims the county has violated state legal guidelines handed final 12 months to cease cities and counties from chopping police spending within the wake of nationwide protests following George Floyd’s demise by the hands of a Minneapolis police officer.
In a letter despatched Monday and first reported by The Houston Chronicle, Hegar accused Harris County officers of flouting a type of new state legal guidelines when it ended a coverage final 12 months that allowed county businesses to “roll over” unspent funds to the following 12 months’s price range — an uncommon budgeting methodology not seen in most Texas cities and counties or on the state degree.
That led two county constables to complain to Gov. Greg Abbott’s workplace that Harris County officers had reduce the constables’ budgets as a result of greater than $3 million wasn’t allowed to roll over to the following price range 12 months, in response to Hegar.
“I urge the Harris County Commissioners Court docket to overview its budgetary help for its Constables Workplace and restore funding misplaced as a result of choice to finish ‘rollover’ budgeting,” Hegar wrote to Harris County Choose Lina Hidalgo in addition to county commissioners.
Republicans used Hegar’s accusation as a chance to bash Hidalgo, the county’s Democratic chief govt who’s seen as a rising star within the get together, as she faces a grueling reelection battle in November.
“The damaging actions taken by Choose Lina Hidalgo and Harris County signify a brazen disregard for the protection and safety of the Texans they’re sworn to guard,” Abbott stated in a information launch.
Hidalgo fired again — accusing Hegar and Abbott of spreading “outright lies,” stating that the county has solely boosted legislation enforcement funding since she took workplace in 2018 and vowing to “battle this difficulty in court docket.”
“The reality is, earlier than I took workplace, Harris County was not far more than a rubber-stamp for Abbott and his far-right agenda, and so they resent the change,” Hidalgo stated in an announcement. “We’re about two months away from my re-election and so they’re throwing the whole lot — together with outright lies — on the wall to see what sticks.”
On this 12 months’s proposed price range, Harris County commissioners plan to spend virtually $232 million to fund the county’s eight constable places of work — an almost 10% improve from the earlier fiscal 12 months. The 2 constables who complained to Abbott’s workplace that they had been shedding funds — Mark Herman and Ted Heap — would obtain 12% and seven.7% price range will increase below the plan in comparison with final fiscal 12 months, respectively. In addition they obtained price range will increase the earlier 12 months — together with the opposite constables.
A spokesman for Heap stated the constable was “happy” with Hegar’s transfer. Herman didn’t instantly return a name requesting remark.
Within the wake of protests over Floyd’s demise two years in the past, Abbott and Republicans within the Texas Legislature handed legal guidelines aimed toward punishing officers within the metropolis’s Democrat-controlled city areas in the event that they reduce spending on their police departments.
It’s unclear how these legal guidelines apply in Harris County’s case. One of many legal guidelines handed in 2021 requires counties to ask voters to approve proposed cuts to public security budgets. If a county strikes forward with these cuts with out calling an election, they’re not allowed to extend their budgets.
However that legislation didn’t take impact till January 2022 — 10 months after Harris County modified its price range coverage to finish rollovers. A spokesperson for Hidalgo stated county departments had virtually a 12 months’s discover earlier than the coverage took impact — and will request to maintain their unspent funds, which some constables did. Unspent funds now movement into the nation’s basic fund.
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Texas
Texas basketball: Longhorns open final stretch of non-conference play with a blowout win
Texas women’s basketball nonconference schedule
Texas women’s basketball nonconference schedule
Back at Moody Center for just the second time this month, No. 6 Texas crushed La Salle in a non-conference game on Tuesday night.
Senior forward Taylor Jones recorded her third double-double performance of the season, and Kyla Oldacre and Justice Carlton respectively scored 18 and 17 points in a 111-49 victory. With two games left until its Southeastern Conference opener, Texas is now 11-1.
The Longhorns will next host South Dakota State (10-2) on Sunday afternoon.
“We’ve got a monster on Sunday. South Dakota State is really good and well-coached. They’re always an NCAA tournament team. They win their league every year. So we’ve got to sharpen up a little bit and be ready on Sunday,” Texas coach Vic Schaefer said. “My concern on Sunday is that my kids are going to have one foot out the door ready for Christmas break, and sometimes you can do that against the three-name directional school. You (can’t) get away with that on Sunday.”
The 62-point win was the second-most lopsided victory of UT’s season, but the game was competitive in the first quarter. La Salle (6-6) even led twice before the first media timeout was called.
During that first quarter, Texas leaned on the depth it has often boasted about but not always used this season. Eleven Longhorns played in the first quarter, and Schaefer made his first substitutions less than three minutes into the game.
Reserve guard Jordana Codio, who had not played in a first half this season, gave UT a lead it wouldn’t relinquish when she sank a 3-pointer with 5:38 left in the frame. A junior, Codio finished with seven points over a career-high 17 minutes.
“That was the game plan,” Schaefer said. “Jordana’s had four really good days, she’s earned it. … She’s doing what Shay had to do her first few years. She’s over there on the men’s practice team, and she dominated our team. So she deserved the opportunity. She came in and did exactly what we needed, which was give us some juice.”
Texas exited the first half with a 19-12 advantage and then outscored La Salle by a 38-9 margin in the second quarter. The Longhorns’ lead swelled to as many as 67 points in the second half.
While playing just 14 minutes, Jones scored 13 points and grabbed 11 rebounds against the undersized Explorers. Jones and fellow post players Oldacre and Carlton led Texas to a 70-14 advantage in paint points. The Longhorns also got a combined 21 points and 11 assists from point guards Rori Harmon and Bryanna Preston while All-American forward Madison Booker had 10 points and six rebounds.
Aryss Macktoon and Ivy Fox each scored seven points to lead La Salle.
Before Tuesday’s game, members of the UT basketball team received rings to celebrate the championship they won at last season’s Big 12 tournament. Nine players remain from that team.
Texas
Texas electors cast ballots for Trump, Vance on Tuesday
Members of the Texas Electoral College met at the state capitol building in Austin on Tuesday to cast their 40 electoral votes for president.
The office of Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson reported all 40 electoral votes were cast for President-elect Donald J. Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
The vote, the secretary’s office said, reflects “the will of the Texas voters in the 2024 General Election.”
Nelson presided over the proceedings in the Texas House Chamber. In an address to the electors, Nelson emphasized the historical significance of their duty.
“Today, you join a distinguished line of Texans who have served as electors—a role vital to the strength of our democracy,” Nelson said. “This event marks the culmination of months of effort to ensure free, fair, and secure elections.”
The event was broadcast live through Texas House media and can be watched here.
Texas
Newly filed bill could make recreational marijuana legal in Texas — with these limitations
Americans vote on abortion, immigration, marijuana and voting rights
Abortion, immigration, marijuana and voting rights are key issues on ballots across the United States.
Texas may join several states in legalizing recreational marijuana if a bill is passed in the next legislative session.
If passed, the bill would let adults ages 21 and older possess, use and transport marijuana for personal use, up to 2.5 ounces. Up to ten ounces of marijuana could be possessed legally if stored in a secure location.
It would also require cannabis products to be clearly labeled and have child-resistant packaging, WFAA reports.
State Rep. Jessica Gonzalez (D-Dallas) filed the bill in November, to be considered during the next legislative session. The next session runs from Jan. 5 to June 2, 2025. If the bill passes, it will go into effect Sept. 1, 2025.
The bill would have limitations. Smoking marijuana in public would remain illegal, as would smoking in a vehicle on a public road.
Texas would join 24 other states in legalizing recreational marijuana. The Lone Star State established a medical marijuana program through the Compassionate Use Program in 2015 and is among the 38 states that allow it for medical use.
However, it’s unlikely that the new bill will be passed as Texas officials continue to tighten regulations on marijuana issues statewide.
Recreational marijuana bill filed after Texas AG files lawsuit against Dallas
Around the time Rep. Gonzalez filed the bill, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton added Dallas to the list of cities he is suing for the decriminalization of cannabis. The lawsuit came shortly after 67% of Dallas voters approved Proposition R, also known as the “Dallas Freedom Act.” The law amends the city’s charter and prevents police from arresting or citing individuals for possessing up to 4 ounces of cannabis, except in cases involving felony investigations tied to violence or narcotics.
The measure also prohibits officers from using the smell of cannabis as probable cause for searches or seizures and restricts city funds and resources from being used to test cannabis-related substances to determine whether they meet the legal definition of cannabis.
Before the vote, Dallas had been one of the largest U.S. cities that had not decriminalized cannabis possession.
Texas Lt. Gov. moves to ban sale of all THC products
Just weeks ago, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick launched an effort to pass Senate Bill 3, which would ban all forms of consumable tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) from being sold, according to a news release from his office. As president of the Senate, Patrick has a strong influence over which legislation is heard. The bill’s low number suggests it will be among the first to be debated in the next legislative session.
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