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Texas judge temporarily blocks state from dissolving Harris County elections chief position
The Harris County Election's office is guilty of working hard to help people to vote. The Texas GOP wants to get rid of this office in order to suppress the vote in Texas' largest county
Link to tweet
https://www.texastribune.org/2023/08/15/harris-county-elections-changes-ruling/
A Travis County District judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked a new law passed by Republicans to abolish Harris County’s chief election official position, finding that the law is unconstitutional.
The Texas attorney general’s office appealed the ruling soon after. Nonetheless, Harris County officials said the ruling by Travis County District Judge Karin Crump was a “win” for the county and “local officials across the state.” The law would have forced the county to eliminate the elections department and transfer election duties to the county clerk and the tax assessor-collector when it took effect Sept. 1, weeks before early voting for the county’s November municipal elections begins.
Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee filed the lawsuit in Travis County District Court last month and argued that the law, Senate Bill 1750, violates the Texas Constitution because it was used by the Legislature to single out one county. Menefee asked Crump to prevent the law from taking effect.
Crump agreed and in her ruling added, “Not only will this transfer lead to inefficiencies, disorganization, confusion, office instability, and increased costs to Harris County, but it will also disrupt an election that the Harris County EA [elections administrator] has been planning for months. The Harris County Clerk and the Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector have had no role in preparing for the November Election.”
The Texas attorney general’s office appealed the ruling soon after. Nonetheless, Harris County officials said the ruling by Travis County District Judge Karin Crump was a “win” for the county and “local officials across the state.” The law would have forced the county to eliminate the elections department and transfer election duties to the county clerk and the tax assessor-collector when it took effect Sept. 1, weeks before early voting for the county’s November municipal elections begins.
Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee filed the lawsuit in Travis County District Court last month and argued that the law, Senate Bill 1750, violates the Texas Constitution because it was used by the Legislature to single out one county. Menefee asked Crump to prevent the law from taking effect.
Crump agreed and in her ruling added, “Not only will this transfer lead to inefficiencies, disorganization, confusion, office instability, and increased costs to Harris County, but it will also disrupt an election that the Harris County EA [elections administrator] has been planning for months. The Harris County Clerk and the Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector have had no role in preparing for the November Election.”
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