Redline sheet

Harris County planned $500 a month for 18 months to about 1,900 households with $20.5M in federal ARPA money.

The Attorney General sued in April 2024; the Texas Supreme Court blocked payments on June 14, 2024, citing "serious doubt" about constitutionality.
Status: Commissioners ended the program on June 12, 2025 and moved about $20M to rental aid, homelessness and food programs.

Houston sued in July 2023 to stop the law; San Antonio and El Paso joined. A Travis County judge ruled it unconstitutional on Aug. 30, 2023.

Bars city ordinances in fields the state already regulates (labor, agriculture, finance, natural resources and more) and lets residents and businesses sue cities over them.
Status: The 3rd Court of Appeals reversed on July 18, 2025, finding the cities had not shown a concrete injury. The law is in force; the cities say they may sue again once it is used against a real ordinance.

Harris County sued; a district judge blocked the law, but the Attorney General's appeal stayed that ruling.

Abolished the elections administrator office in Harris County.
Status: Harris County dropped its lawsuit before Texas Supreme Court arguments (Dec. 2023).

Harris County runs Houston's elections.

Lets the Secretary of State put counties over 4 million people (only Harris) under state oversight for up to two years, with possible removal of officials.
Status: In effect.

Houston ISD's elected board was replaced.

The Texas Education Agency installed a board of managers in 2023 (Superintendent Mike Miles) and on June 2, 2025 extended the takeover to at least June 1, 2027.
Status: Takeover in effect.

Applies to this city, as one of the Texas cities over 250,000 people. The law followed Austin's 2020 police budget cut.

A city over 250,000 people that cuts police funding below prior years has its property-tax revenue frozen, cannot raise utility rates or annex land, must allow de-annexation votes and loses sales tax to the state police.
Status: In effect since Sept. 1, 2021. Applies to all seven cities on this site.

Austin repealed its camping ban in 2019; Austin voters reinstated it in 2021 with 57%.

Makes public camping a Class C misdemeanor statewide; cities cannot opt out.
Status: In effect. Houston and San Antonio were exempt because their bans were already as strict.

Harris County, which runs Houston's elections, offered drive-thru and 24-hour voting in 2020.

Bans drive-thru and 24-hour voting, limits early voting to 6 a.m.–10 p.m., and makes sending unsolicited mail-ballot applications a state jail felony for officials.
Status: In effect.

Cities set their own property tax rates each year.

Cities and counties need voter approval to raise property tax revenue more than 3.5% in a year.
Status: In effect since 2019.