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Urgent Updates
Is there yet another update in the Harris County mail-in
ballot lawsuit?
Of course, it’s been one more day. Last Friday (September
18), a three-judge panel of Houston’s Fourteenth Court of Appeals issued its
opinion in State of Texas v. Chris Hollins. (It’s hard
to keep up – the controversy here is to whom the Harris County clerk can send
mail in ballot applications. He wants to mail one to every registered
voter, and the attorney general argues that he can’t. Keep in mind that
this is the application for a ballot, not the ballot itself.) The
panel rejected the attorney general’s argument that Hollins can’t send out
the ballots, but the Texas Supreme Court has said he can’t send anything
until it can hear the case.
The attorney general issued a press release following the
decision:
“Attorney General Ken Paxton today announced that he would seek full review in the Texas
Supreme Court of Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins’ unlawful plan to send
every voter in Harris County an application to vote by mail. The Supreme
Court temporarily blocked Hollins’s plan earlier this week, ordering Hollins
not to send any unsolicited applications to vote by mail until the Supreme
Court’s review is complete. Hollins may not, under the Supreme Court’s order,
send any application to vote by mail until the Supreme Court authorizes him
to do so following full review.”
The Texas Supreme Court will make the ultimate decision.
Further Updates
What’s the latest from Washington on future stimulus efforts?
According to the National League of Cities (NLC), last week
saw significant and growing bipartisan support in Congress to provide
additional assistance to cities – assistance that will be critical to
mitigating the long-term effects of the pandemic on the nation's economy. The
release of the “Problem Solvers Caucus” March to Common Ground is affirmation that leaders in
Washington are hearing the voices of mayors and city leaders. President
Trump encouraged congressional Republicans to "go for the much higher
numbers" in the next coronavirus stimulus package, showing signs that a
deal could be on the horizon.
To that end, NLC is continuing to urge congressional negotiators to build on
the Problem Solvers Caucus’ renewed commitment to bipartisanship.
How has COVID-19 impacted our state’s prosperity and
opportunities in the future?
Listen to Margaret Spellings, former U.S. Secretary of
Education and President and CEO of Texas 2036, a data-driven long-term planning non-profit,
discuss what their research shows are the most important issues facing our
state today and tomorrow. She’ll discuss issues like health, broadband,
workforce, education, and government performance, and recommend ways cities,
businesses, and all Texans can work together to make sure our state is the
best place to live and work for years to come.
Register here to hear Secretary Spellings’ keynote
session at the virtual 2020 TML Annual Conference, and view more than 30
other 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
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