Mayor Sylvester Turner on Wednesday announced the appointment of 45 people to a task force that will review Houston Police Department policies in what will be a closely-watched effort to consider reforms.Laurence “Larry” Payne, a former staffer of Mayor Kathy Whitmire and U.S. Rep. Mickey Leland, will chair the committee, which includes activists, academics, business leaders, law enforcement officials and clergy.Among them: Bishop James Dixon II of the NAACP; Hispanic Chamber of Commerce CEO Laura Murillo; former criminal district court judge Marc Carter; George Rhyne of the Texas Anti-Gang...…Mayor Sylvester Turner on Wednesday announced the appointment of 45 people to a task force that will review Houston Police Department policies in what will be a closely-watched effort to consider reforms.Laurence “Larry” Payne, a former staffer of Mayor Kathy Whitmire and U.S. Rep. Mickey Leland, will chair the committee, which includes activists, academics, business leaders, law enforcement officials and clergy.Among them: Bishop James Dixon II of the NAACP; Hispanic Chamber of Commerce CEO Laura Murillo; former criminal district court judge Marc Carter; George Rhyne of the Texas Anti-Gang...WW…

The Texas Republican Convention remains on track to take place in downtown Houston next month, and the state party is not planning to impose a mask requirement on attendees, despite a recent surge in local COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.On a call with party members earlier this week, Texas GOP chairman James Dickey said he does not interpret Harris County’s mask order to cover the convention, which is set to take place July 16-18 at the George R. Brown Convention Center. The mandate compels businesses to require their customers to wear face masks.Assistant Harris County Attorney Robert...…The Texas Republican Convention remains on track to take place in downtown Houston next month, and the state party is not planning to impose a mask requirement on attendees, despite a recent surge in local COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.On a call with party members earlier this week, Texas GOP chairman James Dickey said he does not interpret Harris County’s mask order to cover the convention, which is set to take place July 16-18 at the George R. Brown Convention Center. The mandate compels businesses to require their customers to wear face masks.Assistant Harris County Attorney Robert...WW…

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateHouston Police Chief Art Acevedo’s voice cracked several times and his eyes welled as he railed against the death of George Floyd beneath a policeman’s knee and implored protesters to demonstrate peacefully with him.“I will not allow anyone to tear down this city, because this is our city,” Acevedo shouted on Sunday to the group of mostly black Houstonians surrounding him at one of many protests in the wake of video showing Floyd’s fatal encounter with police in Minneapolis. “Pay close attention! Because these little white guys...…This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateHouston Police Chief Art Acevedo’s voice cracked several times and his eyes welled as he railed against the death of George Floyd beneath a policeman’s knee and implored protesters to demonstrate peacefully with him.“I will not allow anyone to tear down this city, because this is our city,” Acevedo shouted on Sunday to the group of mostly black Houstonians surrounding him at one of many protests in the wake of video showing Floyd’s fatal encounter with police in Minneapolis. “Pay close attention! Because these little white guys...WW…

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateCity Council on Wednesday unanimously approved Mayor Sylvester Turner’s $5.1 billion budget for the next fiscal year, slightly increasing funds for the Houston Police Department even as some cities are under pressure to cut law enforcement spending amid nationwide protest over police violence and the death of George Floyd.As the council took up budget, chants of “Black lives matter” and “No justice, no peace” could be heard from protesters outside City Hall. Dozens of police reform advocates had asked city council the day before...…This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateCity Council on Wednesday unanimously approved Mayor Sylvester Turner’s $5.1 billion budget for the next fiscal year, slightly increasing funds for the Houston Police Department even as some cities are under pressure to cut law enforcement spending amid nationwide protest over police violence and the death of George Floyd.As the council took up budget, chants of “Black lives matter” and “No justice, no peace” could be heard from protesters outside City Hall. Dozens of police reform advocates had asked city council the day before...WW…

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateMayor Sylvester Turner’s police reform task force will recommend sweeping changes to the city’s police oversight board and a blanket ban on no-knock warrants for nonviolent offenses, according to draft copies of the recommendations shared with the Houston Chronicle.The 45-person group, a month after police officers in Minnesota killed former Houston resident George Floyd, also will suggest more stringent rules for investigating police misconduct and new policies that would require the Houston Police Department to publicize...…This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateMayor Sylvester Turner’s police reform task force will recommend sweeping changes to the city’s police oversight board and a blanket ban on no-knock warrants for nonviolent offenses, according to draft copies of the recommendations shared with the Houston Chronicle.The 45-person group, a month after police officers in Minnesota killed former Houston resident George Floyd, also will suggest more stringent rules for investigating police misconduct and new policies that would require the Houston Police Department to publicize...WW…

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateDuring Troy Nehls’ recent bid for the Republican nomination in one of Texas’ battleground congressional districts, the Fort Bend County sheriff prominently displayed his support for President Trump across his campaign website.“In Congress, I will stand with President Trump to defeat the socialist Democrats, build the wall, drain the swamp, and deliver on pro-economy and pro-America policies,” Nehls said under the top section of his issues page, titled “Standing with President Trump.”Within two days of Nehls’ , that section , along...…This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateDuring Troy Nehls’ recent bid for the Republican nomination in one of Texas’ battleground congressional districts, the Fort Bend County sheriff prominently displayed his support for President Trump across his campaign website.“In Congress, I will stand with President Trump to defeat the socialist Democrats, build the wall, drain the swamp, and deliver on pro-economy and pro-America policies,” Nehls said under the top section of his issues page, titled “Standing with President Trump.”Within two days of Nehls’ , that section , along...WW…

The city on Monday blamed the Texas General Land office for the sluggish pace of repairs under its federally funded Hurricane Harvey home repair program, telling a Travis County state district judge the agency was “slow-walking” Houston’s recovery through bureaucratic maneuvers.“The fact that the GLO did not us give us clear guidance at the beginning as it relates to what it wanted, the fact that the GLO is wanting items that go well beyond what HUD requires, and the fact that the GLO has consistently moved the targets in terms of what they're expecting from the city has caused significant...…The city on Monday blamed the Texas General Land office for the sluggish pace of repairs under its federally funded Hurricane Harvey home repair program, telling a Travis County state district judge the agency was “slow-walking” Houston’s recovery through bureaucratic maneuvers.“The fact that the GLO did not us give us clear guidance at the beginning as it relates to what it wanted, the fact that the GLO is wanting items that go well beyond what HUD requires, and the fact that the GLO has consistently moved the targets in terms of what they're expecting from the city has caused significant...WW…

The incoming chairman of the Harris County Republican Party has walked back his decision to decline the post, according to party officials, despite facing continued blowback over a social media post that displayed a Martin Luther King Jr. quote next to a banana.“Reversing a prior announcement, County Chair-elect Keith Nielsen has now confirmed that he plans to take office as scheduled on August 3, so there will not be a County Chair vacancy to be filled,” Chairman Paul Simpson, who Nielsen defeated in March, wrote in an email to party members Friday.Simpson in his email linked to , which...…The incoming chairman of the Harris County Republican Party has walked back his decision to decline the post, according to party officials, despite facing continued blowback over a social media post that displayed a Martin Luther King Jr. quote next to a banana.“Reversing a prior announcement, County Chair-elect Keith Nielsen has now confirmed that he plans to take office as scheduled on August 3, so there will not be a County Chair vacancy to be filled,” Chairman Paul Simpson, who Nielsen defeated in March, wrote in an email to party members Friday.Simpson in his email linked to , which...WW…

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateIn Houston, the largest medical campus in the world has exceeded its base intensive care capacity. In the Rio Grande Valley, elected officials pleaded last week for military intervention to avoid a “humanitarian crisis.” And in several major cities, testing sites are overrun, with appointments disappearing in minutes and hundreds waiting in line for hours.Eight weeks ago, the White House lauded Texas as a model for containing the COVID-19 pandemic.Now, Gov. Greg Abbott’s plan to reopen the economy has unraveled as the state...…This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateIn Houston, the largest medical campus in the world has exceeded its base intensive care capacity. In the Rio Grande Valley, elected officials pleaded last week for military intervention to avoid a “humanitarian crisis.” And in several major cities, testing sites are overrun, with appointments disappearing in minutes and hundreds waiting in line for hours.Eight weeks ago, the White House lauded Texas as a model for containing the COVID-19 pandemic.Now, Gov. Greg Abbott’s plan to reopen the economy has unraveled as the state...WW…

Mayor Sylvester Turner and the Texas Republican Party began facing calls on Tuesday from elected officials and the country’s largest medical society to cancel the July state Republican convention, which would be one of the city’s first major indoor gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic.Turner swiftly rejected the idea, telling council members that he would “leave it up to the political personalities of the political convention, and the people who are going to be attending, to make wise decisions.”Yet, a review of the mayor’s recent updates to his COVID-19 executive order shows that he...…Mayor Sylvester Turner and the Texas Republican Party began facing calls on Tuesday from elected officials and the country’s largest medical society to cancel the July state Republican convention, which would be one of the city’s first major indoor gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic.Turner swiftly rejected the idea, telling council members that he would “leave it up to the political personalities of the political convention, and the people who are going to be attending, to make wise decisions.”Yet, a review of the mayor’s recent updates to his COVID-19 executive order shows that he...WW…