Not everybody who is upset with property taxes wants them abolished. A new group that started in Houston wants to increase appraised values on commercial property.
Houston
Posted in
Politics
Houston Church Opts Not to Defect From Denomination
In a narrow vote Sunday, the congregation of the First Presbyterian Church in Houston opted not to leave a national Presbyterian church over a debate about the church’s views on homosexuality.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Pregnant Inmates Find Help to Stay Out of Jail
A new Harris County Jail program is helping pregnant inmates and young mothers transition back into society. Its goal is to ensure they learn how to be good mothers and to avoid going back to jail.
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Criminal Justice
Video: Pregnant Inmates Find Help to Stay Out of Jail
Mentoring Moms, a program at the Harris County Jail, teaches inmates who are pregnant or have young children how to find jobs, beat addictions and be better parents.
Posted inState Government
The Fight Over Payday Lending, From the Capitol to the Campaign Trail
In Texas, where payday and auto-title lending is a $4-billion-a-year industry with some 3,500 businesses, there are no limits on fees or loan sizes. Texans take out larger loans and pay higher fees than consumers in the nation as a whole.
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Politics
House Race Draws Focus to Vietnamese Voters
A Democratic state representative who is the only Vietnamese-American ever elected to the Texas Legislature will face the winner of a Republican primary that has two Vietnamese-American hopefuls.
Posted in
Economy
Houston Tightens Building Code to Boost Energy Efficiency
The Houston City Council on Wednesday approved changes to its building code requiring that new homes be more energy efficient.
Posted in
Demographics
Share of Foreign-Born Texans Growing
A growing percentage of Texans are originally from foreign countries, including one in four in the state’s most populous county, Harris, according to new census data.
Posted in
Beneath the Surface
Groundwater Pumping Takes an Unexpected Toll on the Texas Gulf Coast
Unlike the rest of the state, the Texas Gulf Coast has been working for decades to reduce dependency on groundwater because pumping has caused the land to sink.
Posted in
Energy
Prop 6 Seeps Into Republican Politics
This year’s vote on water funding has some implications for conservative candidates in Texas. It’s the best opportunity to fund water projects without raising taxes, but also controversially pulls from the state’s savings account.
