Comptroller backs down in legal fight with Harris County over claims of defunding police
Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar has backed down in his legal battle with Harris County over claims of defunding local law enforcement. The comptroller recently rescinded his finding that the county defunded law enforcement, which would have violated Texas law. Despite his ruling, Hegar said county leaders admitted they defunded law enforcement. Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee said that’s not the case and claimed that the comptroller finally admitted that he was wrong. This comes after the county sued Hegar in February over his finding that the Precinct 5 Constable’s Office had funding reduced from $48 million down to $46 million. Hegar said the Comptroller’s Office will continue to monitor Harris County’s budget.
Houston Housing Authority launches affordable Housing Houston website
The Houston Housing Authority has officially launched its Affordable Housing Houston website which provides the public and potential clients quick information about apartment options offered through the HHA’s Public Facility Corporations partnerships. In addition to affordable apartment listings, the website will provide valuable resources to those needing to quickly navigate through the housing process. The site includes information on how to apply for affordable housing, property locations, an FAQ section, and testimonials from clients who have benefited from this service. It also includes an Area Median Income calculator that allows users to plug in their information to determine their eligibility for this housing program within seconds. Recent analysis shows that the cost of a new home in Texas increased by 43% between 2016 and 2022, and half of renters are spending nearly 30% of their paychecks on housing, jeopardizing their household budgets for food, medicine, and other necessities.
Since becoming fine-free, over 21,000 items have been returned to Houston public libraries
During its amnesty period in January-February, the Houston Public Libray system cleared accounts with balances as high as $1,000 and even received three books checked out from 1992. HPL became “fine free” earlier this year to encourage more residents to start utilizing library resources after seeing a decline in users, partly because of the financial barriers of overdue book fees. Houston City Council voted unanimously in January to make the transition joining many other libraries across the country. HPL held an amnesty period January 18 – February 17 to allow users to return overdue books and materials, and start over with a clean account. 3,098 customers had their overdue fines wiped during the amnesty period returning a total of 21,245 items – with a value of $425,000 worth of books and other items being returned. 850 of the 3,098 customers who returned during the amnesty period are actively using the library again.
NASA’s 1st moon crew in 50 years includes 1 woman, 3 men
NASA has named the four astronauts who will fly to the moon by the end of next year. They will be the first to fly NASA’s Orion capsule, launching atop a Space Launch System rocket from Kennedy Space Center no earlier than late 2024. They will not land or even go into lunar orbit, but rather fly around the moon and head straight back to Earth, a prelude to a lunar landing by two others a year later. The mission’s commander, Reid Wiseman, will be joined by Victor Glover, an African American naval aviator; Christina Koch, who holds the world record for the longest spaceflight by a woman; and Canada’s Jeremy Hansen. All are space veterans except Hansen.