First 100 days key for new Democrats

The midterm elections resulted in sweeping and historic changes to Harris County government. For the first time in nearly half a century, Democrats control every administrative office, a majority of the Harris County Commissioners Court and the entirety of the judiciary. With this unprecedented level of control, Democrats are in a unique position to enact policy reforms that could dramatically affect the direction of our county and the lives of millions of residents. While it’s important to remember that these are independently elected officials with separate agendas and goals, there are clearly areas that have broad public consensus and demand immediate attention. Over their first 100 days, Harris County Democrats are in a unique position to make many of these a reality.

First and foremost, flood mitigation has to be at the top of any list. Harris County has taken good initial steps to improve flood control infrastructure, and the passage of flood control bonds was badly needed. Those steps, however, are only the beginning of what needs to be done. Development changes that prohibit growth and expansion in the floodplain, and ideas from experts like Rice University’s Raj Makand to impose a moratorium on new municipal utility districts until the region has a comprehensive plan for flood mitigation should be considered. Infrastructure development in Harris County — everything from toll road expansion to affordable housing construction should be factored into flood control efforts. Flood mitigation needs to be the county’s top priority.

Similarly, Harris County is in desperate need of comprehensive reform in its criminal and family judicial systems. Bail reform, led by Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis and with the vocal support of District Attorney Kim Ogg and Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, had been stymied by Commissioner’s Court and the current roster of criminal judges. Settling the ongoing legal dispute and developing a fair and just bail system should be the top criminal justice issue.

Additionally, injecting transparency and ethics into our criminal and family court system needs to become a priority. While Harris County has a strong public defender system, it can only work if it’s allowed to actually represent indigent clients. The practice of judges appointing lawyers (who might be political allies and contributors) to defend indigent clients should be prohibited, with the public defender’s office responsible for indigent defense. The culture of pay-to-play by judges must end. Similarly, family courts cannot continue to merely appoint political allies and contributors to serve as appointed lawyers through its ad litem system. The corruption that existed in the system has to be eliminated, not merely replaced with a new set of players.

The need for ethics and transparency is also required at the Commissioner’s Court itself. Unlike Houston City Council or the Texas Legislature, Harris County government remains largely shrouded in secrecy. The lack of broad transparency and proforma meetings results in a policy process that is largely kept behind closed doors. Commissioners have wide latitude in how business is conducted within their precinct, but that should be governed by a strong ethics policy that requires lobbyists to register and places limits on campaign contributions. A strong government requires one grounded in ethics and transparency.

Access to the ballot box and the integrity of voting process remains a major concern to all voters. Harris County needs a transparent and error-free voter registration process that works to actively register voters. Texas is eliminating straight-ticket voting in 2020 and Harris County needs to start preparing for the longer lines and logistical strains that surround the longest electoral ballot in the country. This means expanding the number of early voting locations throughout the county, as well as extending the hours of operation. Harris County also needs to follow other Texas counties and create Election Day voting centers that allow voters to cast a vote at location throughout the county — not just at a precinct.

Part of the improving voting means replacing the outdated machines. The current click-wheel electronic voting system is outdated and slow in handling our long ballot. Harris County needs to invest in modern, verifiable voting machines that can provide confidence in the electoral process while allowing voters to cast their ballots quickly and efficiently. County government has historically worked to make voting more difficult and cumbersome, and these reforms would be a good first step in reversing that.

Finally, Harris County should also revisit initiatives around the expansion of early child care. In 2013, the well-meaning pre-K training initiative “Early to Rise,” which called for a ballot initiative to expand pre-K training programs, was strongly opposed by outgoing County Judge Ed Emmett and the Republican majority of Commissioner’s Court. While that initial plan was limited in scope, the idea of a regional approach to expanding early child care is one that needs to be explored. Research indicates that investing in early education initiatives are the best way to mitigate the effects of poverty and improve long-term educational outcomes. A countywide program may be the smartest long-term investment that Harris County could make.

This election cycle has given Harris County Democrats a unique opportunity to implement fundamental changes to county government. The choices they make and actions they take will give many Houstonians — and Texans — a glimpse of progressive governance.