Texas Scorecard by Erin Anderson May 26, 2023
“The public’s trust in elections in Harris County must be restored.” — State Sen. Paul Bettencourt Republican legislation inspired by a series of election fiascos in Harris County is drawing threats of lawsuits from local Democrat officials—before it’s even been signed into law.
Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee announced Wednesday the county plans to sue the state over two bills passed this week by Texas lawmakers: one that eliminates their elections administrator position and another that subjects the county’s elections office to state oversight.
County Judge Lina Hidalgo, County Commissioner Rodney Harris, and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner—all Democrats like Menefee—also backed the legal challenges.
Both bills are written with population limits that currently apply only to Harris County.
Senate Bill 1750 abolishes the unelected position of county elections administrator and transfers the administrator’s duties to elected officials, but only in counties with a population of more than 3.5 million.
Senate Bill 1933 gives the Texas secretary of state administrative oversight of local elections offices where there are recurring problems, including authority to petition for removal of elected election officials. The bill applies to counties with a population of more than 4 million.
More:
https://texasscorecard.com/local/harris-county-democrats-threaten-to-sue-texas-over-republican-election-legislation/
