TML Coronavirus Update

Urgent Updates

Is there yet another update on vote by mail litigation?

Yes. The litigation over mail-in ballots in Harris County is proceeding at a frenzied pace as we approach the November election. We most recently reported just two days ago (on September 14) on State of Texas v. Chris Hollins. This is the lawsuit in which the attorney general is trying to block the Harris County Clerk from sending a mail-in ballot application to every registered voter in the county. The trial judge sided with the clerk, stating that he didn’t think the plan would confuse voters. On September 11, the attorney general asked a Houston court of appeals to overturn the decision, but the court refused. He then appealed to the Texas Supreme Court.

According to The Texas Tribune, “the Supreme Court granted the Texas attorney general’s request to halt the county’s effort…The all-Republican court told Harris County to hold off on sending any unsolicited applications for mail-in ballots ‘until further order’ and while the case makes its way through the appeals process.”

The attorney general issued the following press release after the order:

“Attorney General Ken Paxton today lauded the Texas Supreme Court for preventing Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins from sending over two million unsolicited mail-in ballot applications to all registered voters in Harris County. The court entered its order in response to a filing made earlier today by Attorney General Paxton on behalf of the State of Texas seeking emergency relief to prevent Hollins from sending the applications before the State’s lawsuit against Hollins is resolved.

‘I strongly commend the Texas Supreme Court for stopping the Harris County Clerk from sending millions of mail-in ballot applications, which would create voter confusion and jeopardize the integrity and security of our elections,” said Attorney General Paxton. “The Harris County Clerk knowingly chose to violate Texas election law and undermine election security. I thank the court for preventing the clerk from proceeding with his unlawful plans while this case continues.’”

Further Updates

How can we help our local hotels keep their doors open and rebound?

Hotels are fighting their way out of a halt in travel that has caused large-scale layoffs and temporary closures, and industry leaders don’t expect a turnaround until a proven COVID-19 vaccine is developed. Scott Joslove, President and CEO of the Texas Hotel & Lodging Association, said that in his 20 years in the business, he has never seen such dire impacts. Listen in on Joslove’s session “Hotels Are Your Partners in Economic Recovery” at the virtual TML Annual Conference and Exhibition on October 14 at 3:00 p.m. to hear what your city can do now to make a difference for your hospitality community and local economy.

Register here to hear Joslove’s presentation, and to view more than 30 other TML Annual Conference sessions related to disaster recovery and resilience.

Where can I find archived issues of the TML Coronavirus Updates?

TML Coronavirus Updates are archived by date here and by subject here