Jones, a Democrat elected to the Texas House in 2022 and previously served on the Houston City Council, joins a slate of candidates running to fill the solidly blue seat.

Tensions flared and the debate turned personal as Republicans said their bill empowered parents and denied predictions that the ban will endanger children.

Lawmakers and other community leaders will hold An emergency town hall Friday at Emancipation Park in Houston's Third Ward to respond to a rise in crimes at the University of Houston campus.

There seemed to be some passive aggressiveness during the deadly weather update Friday morning between Mayor John Whitmire and Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo after they made their first joint press conference.

Weeks after the committee issued four subpoenas without disclosing what they were for, it moves forward with its investigation into an unnamed lawmaker.

A rally involving Democratic state lawmakers was interrupted Saturday by a group calling for justice for a man killed by Houston police last April. It lead to heated moments on the steps of city hall, but ended with a common goal.

The committee would not say who was being issued the subpoenas or for what purpose.

Jones said in a new statement that she was outraged at the allegations the former employees made about her son, who works in the office, which she said are false.

Senate Bill 14 would ban doctors from providing kids with transition-related treatments that medical groups recommend for children with gender dysphoria.

The Texas Legislature has nine lawmakers who are openly LGBTQ, all Democrats. At the same time, some Republican lawmakers are pushing a slate of bills aimed at drag queens, transgender children and how sexuality is discussed in schools.

Voters elected Christian Manuel Hayes to House District 22 in Beaumont, Venton Jones to HD-100 in Dallas, Salman Bhojani to HD-92 in Tarrant County and Suleman Lalani to HD-76 in Fort Bend County.

The first day of early voting for the May 24th primary runoff election saw Texas House District 147 Democratic primary candidates Danielle Keys Bess and Jolanda Jones hitting polling locations as they prepared for a third battle on the ballot for the seat once held by Garnet Coleman.

They were separated by a difference of 202 votes in unofficial returns, which means the election is eligible for a recount if Keys Bess petitions for one.