A federal appeals court sided with Texas Governor Greg Abbott in a case challenging the Biden Administration’s vaccine mandate for Texas National Guard members, ruling that the federal government’s attempt to punish noncompliance with the mandate was unconstitutional. The court ruled that the Texas militia, including the Guard, is not subject to punishment by the federal government because they have not been called into service by the President. The Texas Governor, as commander-in-chief of Texas’s […]
Governor Greg Abbott
Texas Supreme Court Denies Texas Governor and Attorney General Injunction in Harris County Mask Mandate Case
Today, the Supreme Court of Texas denied a petition for mandamus filed by Governor Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton in Harris County’s lawsuit challenging the Governor’s ban on mask mandates, allowing Harris County Elections Administrator Isabel Longoria to keep in place a policy stating election workers must wear masks in polling places during early voting. Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee, who represents Harris County and county officials in the lawsuit, stated: “I […]
Katy ISD Reviewing Its Options Amid Conflicting Executive Orders on Masking
By George Slaughter This week, both Harris and Fort Bend counties issued public health orders that require universal masking for all schools in those counties. The orders conflict with an earlier executive order from Gov. Greg Abbott that denies local authorities, including counties and school districts, the authority to set such a policy. Friday afternoon, the Katy Independent School District released a statement saying that its lawyers are reviewing the orders. Legal issues aside, the […]
Area Sees Record-Breaking Employment For March Following Governor’s Decision To End COVID Restrictions In Texas
Houston-area employers added a record-breaking 34,200 workers to their payrolls in March, the largest ever one-month gain in the month of March, and the not-seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate dropped slightly to 8.0 percent according to data released this morning by Workforce Solutions. Governor Greg Abbott’s decision to end all COVID-related restrictions as of March 10, and stabilization of oil prices at around $60 per barrel, appears to have jump started hiring in several crucial industry sectors […]