The Texas Voice will feature the Weekend Newsbrief through the end of the legislative session to provide updates on issues we have previously written about and highlight interesting items that we haven’t devoted full-length articles to.
- Harris County Taxpayers Foot Lina Hidalgo’s Legal Bills, Pay for More Murals
- The Texas Democratic Party, Seeking a New Chairman, is Broke
- Majority of State Reps Sign on to School Choice Bill
Harris County Taxpayers Foot Lina Hidalgo’s Legal Bills, Pay for More Murals
Harris County Commissioners Court met Thursday and approved several items that raised the eyebrows of observers of county government.
One item on the agenda was to approve $672,402.29 in expenditures to three law firms that represented Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo in connection with an investigation involving the alleged bid-rigging of a COVID-19 outreach contract that was awarded to a company owned by a Democratic pollical consultant. The agenda item said that Hidalgo’s “role in the investigation has concluded,” making her eligible for reimbursement from taxpayer dollars.
The reimbursement will provide Hidalgo’s campaign with a significant infusion of cash. Hidalgo’s most recent campaign finance report showed her campaign in the red with $41,304.52 in cash on hand and $51,400 in outstanding loans. Hidalgo’s campaign had paid the legal bills that Harris County taxpayers will now be reimbursing.
Three of Hidalgo’s then-aides were indicted on criminal charges arising from the allegations. In April 2024, after being defeated for re-election in the Democratic Primary, then-Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg handed the cases over to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office.
Ogg’s decision to transfer the cases involving the Harris County Judge’s office to Paxton’s office was made with great fanfare, including a press conference that featured representatives from the Attorney General’s office and the Texas Rangers.
Paxton’s office suddenly dropped the cases against Hidalgo’s former aides earlier this year, providing very little explanation for the decision. Houston attorney Dan Cogdell, who represented Hidalgo’s former Chief of Staff Alex Triantaphyllis, also represented Paxton against criminal securities fraud charges that had been brought against him as well as during his impeachment trial.
Holly Hansen of The Texan reported that another agenda item, to pay $200,896.91 for legal fees related to the representation of an unnamed Harris County employee, was related to legal bills incurred by former Hidalgo aide Aaron Dunn.
Despite having approved a large property tax increase last year, Harris County Commissioners continued to prioritize expenditures on public art projects. One agenda item sought approval to spend $272,727 for four murals for the purpose of reducing violent crime. A separate agenda item sought an additional $65,000 for the development of another mural.
The Texas Democratic Party, Seeking a New Chairman, is Broke
The Texas Democratic Party, reeling after another statewide loss that saw President Trump win traditionally Democratic counties along the Texas-Mexico border, finds itself in a precarious financial position.
According to campaign finance data reported by the Texas Democratic Party to the Federal Election Commission, the Party’s federal account ended the month of January with $25,861.96 on hand and $113,374.46 in outstanding debts.
Texas Democrats are also seeking a new leader, with longtime Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa having announced that he will step aside later this month. The State Democratic Executive Committee will meet to elect Hinojosa’s successor on March 29.
Efforts to build Democratic infrastructure in Texas during the most recent election cycle occurred primarily outside of the Texas Democratic Party. Liberal Megadonor George Soros spent over $10.6 million to help Democrats’ efforts in Texas last cycle, donating to organizations such as Planned Parenthood Texas Votes, the Texas Organizing Project PAC, the Texas Majority PAC, and Democratic Party organizations in El Paso, Cameron, and Hidalgo counties.
The Republican Party of Texas also faced its own share of fundraising woes during the last election, with the Texas GOP falling far short of fundraising and organizational goals set by Republican Party of Texas Chairman Abraham George.
The Texas Voice previously published an analysis discussing the donors and organizations that funded Republican victories across Texas last year. The biggest spenders included the Judicial Fairness PAC, Texans for Lawsuit Reform, The Texas Defense PAC, Associated Republicans of Texas, and Governor Greg Abbott’s campaign.
Majority of State Reps Sign on to School Choice Bill
House Bill 3, the priority school choice bill filed in the Texas House, now has 75 co-authors in addition to its bill author, State Representative Brad Buckley. Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows has expressed support for school choice legislation.
State Representative Jared Patterson posted photos on X showing an “impromptu happy hour” hosted by Governor Greg Abbott to celebrate a majority of Texas House members signing on to House Bill 3.
“This week, Governor @GregAbbott_TX hosted an impromptu happy hour at the Governor’s Mansion to celebrate the Texas House Members who signed on to HB 3, our version of school choice. The bill now has 75 co-authors, and when combined with the bill’s author @BradBuckleyDVM and the Speaker @Burrows4TX, it now has more than enough votes to pass the Texas House this session, tweeted Patterson.
In a statement, Governor Abbott said, “For the first time in our great state’s history, the Texas House has the votes to pass a universal school choice program. This is a remarkable achievement for the countless parents, students, and educators across Texas who want school choice expanded to all Texas families. This truly was a team effort. I thank Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, Speaker Burrows, Chairman Creighton, Chairman Buckley, and members of both the Texas House and Senate for fighting for parents’ right to choose the best education path for their child. This session, Texas will usher in a new era where families have the opportunity to choose the learning environment that meets the unique needs of their children. I will continue working closely with both chambers of the Texas Legislature to get the biggest launch of any universal school choice program in the nation to my desk, where it will be swiftly signed into law.”
