Local and state roundup: Deputy killed in ambush.
On Monday, a prominent local law enforcement officer was gunned down in an apparent morning ambush just moments after pulling into the parking lot of the courthouse annex in Baytown where he worked. Assistant Chief Deputy Constable Clint Greenwood had told county officials last week that he felt threatened by a man he’d once targeted in a corruption investigation. “It’s a hit, no doubt,” said one top federal official assisting with the investigation. “He basically got ambushed.” The killing sparked a massive manhunt that shut down portions of the neighborhood surrounding the courthouse, as deputies combed the area while helicopters circled overhead. Authorities said they were investigating several leads but have not made any arrests or identified a suspect. Baytown police released a video of a vehicle possibly linked to the slaying and a description of a man who was seen in the area at the time of the shooting. Police described him as a white or Hispanic man, with short hair and a medium to stocky build. He wore a dark jacket with some kind of patch on the sleeve. A Nissan Versa Note was believed to be shown leaving the scene. A reward of up to $65,000 was offered for tips leading to an arrest and charges. In the meantime, teams of veteran investigators from the Sheriff’s Office, Baytown police and the Texas Rangers have been questioning “personspeople whoof interest”have harbored— mostlya grudge against Greenwood. A funeral was held for Greenwood, a father of four, on Thursday.
State senate OKs bill to freeze tuition at public universities
The Texas Senate passed a bill Tuesday that aims to slow tuition increases at state public universities to ease the financial burden of a college degree. But critics say the move could hurt Texas campuses as they compete for faculty and top students with steep budget cuts proposed by the Senate for the next two years. The bill would freeze tuition for two years if passed by the House and signed by Gov. Greg Abbott. After that time, colleges and universities would have to meet certain performance measures before they could raise tuition — at most 1 percent above the rate of inflation. The Texas Senate also advanced two other higher education bills on Tuesday. One eliminates the requirement that universities must put some of each tuition increase toward financial aid. The other requires university officials and student heads of organizations to report sexual assaults to an administrator tasked with enforcing Title IX, the federal nondiscrimination law. The bill’s author, Houston Republican Joan Huffman, said the bill aims to better understand crime’s presence on college campuses and to prevent future cover-ups of campus rape.
State senators unanimously approve ‘Jenny’s Law’ named for jailed rape victim
Reacting to a tragic Houston case that touched off a national scandal, the Texas Senate on Wednesday unanimously approved legislation designed to prevent crime victims from being jailed to ensure they testify in court without proper legal protections. Called “Jenny’s Law” in honor of a mentally ill Houston rape victim, Senate Bill 291 was quickly approved without debate and sent to the House. In December 2015, Harris County prosecutors jailed a 25-year-old rape victim in order to secure her testimony against her attacker, a serial rapist. However, the victim suffered a psychological breakdown while testifying about her 2013 attack and was taken to a hospital for treatment. In July, she filed a federal lawsuit claiming that her constitutional rights had been violated.
Renowned spoken-word poet tapped for Houston’s laureate post
On Wednesday, Deborah Mouton, 32, was announced as Houston’s third poet laureate by Mayor Sylvester Turner. Mouton has a national reputation as a slam poet with urgent observations about racism, police brutality, history and love.