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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton says local governments can’t stop or delay evictions

August 8, 2020 By The Texas Tribune Leave a Comment

Aviator at Brooks 8010 Aeromedical Rd, taken, July 25 for stock photo SA Heron. — In a nonbinding opinion, Attorney General Ken Paxton said Friday that local governments can’t delay or ban eviction proceedings, even under emergency declarations during crises like the coronavirus pandemic. *Photo by Andrea Moreno | Heron contributor*

By Juan Pablo Garnham, The Texas Tribune

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton advised Friday that local Texas governments’ attempts to delay evictions for renters grappling with the COVID-19 recession amounted to rewriting state law — something they can’t do, he said in nonbinding legal guidance.

“While local officials do possess certain emergency powers … statewide eviction procedures far exceed the requirement that those powers be exercised ‘on an appropriate local scale,’” Paxton said in a letter. “Government Code does not authorize local governmental entities operating under a declared disaster to independently rewrite state law as it applies to their jurisdiction to prohibit, delay, or restrict the issuance of a notice to vacate.”

Paxton’s letter, issued in response to a question from Republican state Sen. Brandon Creighton of Conroe, seems to chide local officials like Austin Mayor Steve Adler, who last month extended the eviction moratorium in the city until Sept. 30. Travis County Judge Sam Biscoe extended his ban until the same date. In other counties, like Harris and Dallas, some justices of the peace have decided to not hear evictions. It is unclear if Paxton’s opinion will influence those judges.

Adler said in a statement that his orders were lawful and “do not amend statewide eviction procedures,” but rather aim to “reduce person-to-person contact to slow the spread of COVID-19.”

Hector Nieto, a spokesperson for Travis County, said officials there are reviewing the opinion.

Paxton’s opinion could have weight if someone were to sue a local government over its eviction moratorium.

“I can’t say I’m shocked that the state attorney general would side with landlords. Nothing he has done to date shows us that we could expect something different,” said Sandy Rollins, executive director of the housing advocacy group Texas Tenants Union. “A lot of tenants are facing eviction in Texas by zero fault of their own, and putting protections that are normal in almost every other state should be allowed in this pandemic.”

According to CityLab, 39% of renters in Texas weren’t certain they could pay their rent in August, but most eviction moratoriums enacted during the pandemic’s initial blow to the economy have expired. That includes moratoriums at national, state, county and city levels. The Texas Supreme Court lifted its statewide moratorium in mid-May. A provision included in the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, which delayed evictions for tenants of federally backed housing, expired in late July.

“We think that it is really important that there is a consistent process, and we think that this opinion supports our thoughts the local ordinances were beyond city authority,” said David Mintz, vice president of government affairs for the Texas Apartment Association. “As we’ve done throughout, we will continue to work with our members so that they do as much as they can to avoid evictions, and we still think that the biggest need is rental assistance to help people that need it.”

Disclosure: Steve Adler, a former Texas Tribune board chairman, has been a financial supporter of the Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

This article is republished with permission from The Texas Tribune. Read the original post here.

The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.

Texas’ June unemployment rate falls to 8.6%, but experts warn unemployment could worsen next month

July 19, 2020 By The Texas Tribune Leave a Comment

Stock image of closed businesses by Texas Tribune. — Since March, millions of Texans have filed for unemployment benefits since losing their jobs, being furloughed or having their hours cuts. *Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune*

By Meena Venkataramanan, The Texas Tribune

Texas’ June unemployment rate fell to 8.6%—a drop from the 13% May jobless rate, according to a Friday morning U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report.

While it’s an improvement from April’s record-high 13.5% unemployment rate, June’s figure shows the devastating financial toll on Texans as the coronavirus pandemic upends the economy. Before the pandemic began, the unemployment rate in February was 3.5%. Almost 3 million Texans have filed for unemployment benefits since mid-March.

Economists warn that the decrease in the state jobless rate may not indicate sustained economic stabilization, given that Texas businesses were open for most of June before Gov. Greg Abbott closed down bars, capped restaurant occupancy at 50% and limited outdoor gatherings of more than 100 people. Economists say that may prompt anincrease in the July unemployment rate.

“The figures for June will not capture the impact of the governor reclosing bars and limiting social gatherings,” Richard Murphy, an assistant professor of economics at the University of Texas at Austin, wrote in an email.

Texas coronavirus hospitalizations and deaths have continued to hit record highs over the past several weeks as hospitals around the state are being overwhelmed with patients. For the majority of June, Abbott allowed almost all businesses to operate with at least 50% capacity.

“So we’ll have to really see how the COVID-19 growth rate really stabilizes, or does it go up or comes down even,” said Venkatesh Shankar, a marketing professor at Texas A&M University. “That also drives the unemployment statistics.”

Some things could help the economy, though. Shankar also said that the price of oil has stabilized at $40 per barrel after suffering a crash earlier this year.

“The unemployment rate could also go down because there are more jobs to be done in the oil and gas industry now than two months ago,” Shankar said.

If Abbott’s July 2 mask mandate slows the virus’ spread, that could also lift consumer spending and create jobs.

“The key to all of this lasting through this pandemic is figuring out: How can we interact with each other and with businesses in a safe way, whether it’s wearing a mask or other safety precautions?” said Pia Orrenius, senior economist for the Dallas Federal Reserve. “I think that has to be the secret to keeping the economy alive while protecting everyone from the virus.”

But so far, it’s too early to tell what impact the mask mandate has on the public health crisis or the economy.

“If people follow that, there could be more productivity and more work without the cases rising, so it should help, but since the mandate is only recent, we’ll have to see how many people follow that and how quickly it helps,” Shankar said. “So it should help, all else being equal.”

Sarah Zubairy, an associate professor of macroeconomics at Texas A&M University, said the ongoing coronavirus spread will inevitably affect the pace of economic recovery.

“We can not have a sustained economic recovery until we have the virus spread under control,” she wrote in an email.

Shankar encouraged Texans to follow public health guidelines, emphasizing their benefits to the Lone Star State’s economy.

“I think regulations like wearing masks, social distancing, disinfection, cleanliness, all of them should help stabilize the economy,” he said. “So there’s still ways to go and work to be done before employment rates can be brought down and economic growth can come back to normal levels.”

Reese Oxner contributed to this story.

Disclosure: Texas A&M University and the University of Texas at Austin have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

This article is republished with permission from The Texas Tribune. Read the original post here.

The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.

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Gov. Greg Abbott orders Texans in most counties to wear masks in public

July 2, 2020 By The Texas Tribune 1 Comment

Gov. Greg Abbott’s latest order requires Texans living in counties with 20 or more positive COVID-19 cases to wear a face covering over the nose and mouth while in a business or other building open to the public, as well as outdoor public spaces, whenever social distancing is not possible. *Photo by Ricardo B. Brazziell | Pool | American-Statesman*

By Patrick Svitek, The Texas Tribune

Gov. Greg Abbott issued a nearly statewide mask mandate Thursday as Texas scrambles to get its coronavirus surge under control.

The order requires Texans living in counties with 20 or more positive Covid-19 cases to wear a face covering over the nose and mouth while inside a business or other building open to the public, as well as outdoor public spaces, whenever social distancing is not possible. But it provides several exceptions, including children who are younger than 10 years old, people who have a medical condition that prevents them from wearing a mask, people who are eating or drinking and people who are exercising outdoors.

The mask order goes into effect at 12:01 p.m. Friday.

The order represents a remarkable turnaround for Abbott, who has long resisted such a statewide mask requirement, even as the coronavirus situation has gotten worse than ever over the past couple weeks in Texas. When he began allowing Texas businesses to reopen this spring, Abbott prohibited local governments from punishing people who do not wear masks. As cases began to rise earlier this month, he clarified that cities and counties could order businesses to mandate customers wear masks.

In recent days, though, Abbott had held firm against going further than that, saying he did not want to impose a statewide requirement that may burden parts of the state that are not as badly affected by the outbreak.

Abbott on Thursday also banned certain outdoor gatherings of over 10 people unless local officials approve. He had previously set the threshold at over 100 people. The new prohibition also goes into effect Friday afternoon.

Abbott’s latest moves come ahead of Fourth of July weekend, which has raised concerns about larger-than-usual crowds gathering while the state grapples with the virus spike.

Abbott also released a video message Thursday, saying the latest coronavirus numbers in the state “reveal a very stark reality.”

“Covid-19 is not going away,” he said. “In fact, it’s getting worse. Now, more than ever, action by everyone is needed until treatments are available for Covid-19.”

In the video, Abbott reiterated his resistance to returning the state to the roughly monthlong stay-at-home order he issued in April. He said Texans “must do more to slow the spread without locking Texas back down.” He also said his latest announcement is “not a stay-at-home order” but “just recognizes reality: If you don’t go out, you are less likely to encounter someone who has Covid-19.”

“We are now at a point where the virus is spreading so fast there is little margin for error,” Abbott said.

Abbott’s announcement came a day after the number of new daily cases in Texas, as well as hospitalizations, reached new highs again. There were 8,076 new cases Wednesday, over 1,000 cases more than the record that was set the prior day.

Hospitalizations hit 6,904, the third straight day setting a new record. The state says 12,894 beds are still available, as well as 1,322 ICU beds.

Abbott has been particularly worried about the positivity rate, or the share of tests that come back positive. That rate, presented by the state as a seven-day average, has jumped above its previous high of about 14% in recent days, ticking down to 13.58% on Tuesday. That is still above the 10% threshold that Abbott has long said would be cause for alarm amid the reopening process.

First-time offenders of Abbott’s order will receive a written or verbal warning. Those who violate the order a second time will receive a fine of up to $250. Every subsequent violation is punishable also by a fine of up to $250. The order specifies that no one can get jail time for a violation.

After listing several exceptions to the mask requirement, Abbott’s order specifies at least one group of people is not exempted from the order: “any person attending a protest or demonstration” with over 10 people who cannot socially distance. Like other states, Texas has seen massive protests following George Floyd’s death.

Democrats and local officials had been demanding Abbott institute such a requirement, and the state party said his new order was “far too little, far too late.”

“This is unacceptable,” party spokesman Abhi Rahman said in a statement. “Governor Abbott continues to lead from behind rather than implementing preventive measures to stop the spread of the coronavirus.”

When asked at a Thursday afternoon press conference about Abbott’s new order, San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg simply said “It’s about time.”

“We will count this one as a good step that the governor is taking,” Nirenberg added.

This is Abbott’s latest set of moves aimed at trying to get the virus surge under control in Texas. Six days ago, he ordered bars closed and reduced the permitted restaurant occupancy to 50%, among other things.

This article is republished with permission from The Texas Tribune. Read the original post here.

The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.

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Early voting starts Monday for the primary runoff in Texas. Here’s what you need to know.

June 28, 2020 By The Texas Tribune Leave a Comment

Texas early voting stock image — Texas has open primaries, meaning you don’t have to be a registered member of either party to cast a ballot in a primary runoff. *Photo by Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune*

By Valeria Olivares, The Texas Tribune

On July 14, Texas will hold its 2020 runoff elections to decide the final spots for Democrats and Republicans on the November general election ballot. There are 35 congressional, legislative and state board nominations up for grabs. You can view the full ballot here and find polling locations here.

With early voting starting Monday, this is what you need to know.

Who can vote in the runoffs?

Texas has open primaries, meaning you don’t have to be a registered member of either party to cast a ballot in a primary runoff. You can check your voter registration status here. But you can only vote in one party’s primary, and which one might depend on how you voted in the first round of the primaries in March. People who voted in the March 3 primary are only able to vote in that same party’s runoff election, as they have affiliated themselves with that given party for that calendar year. Those who did not participate in the March primary are able to vote in either primary runoff election.

What’s different this year?

The primaries were originally scheduled for May, but Abbott delayed them until July because of the coronavirus. Abbott also doubled the length of the early voting period for the July primary runoff elections in a move to aimed at easing crowds at the polls during the pandemic. Early voting runs from Monday through July 10.

“It is necessary to increase the number of days in which polling locations will be open during the early voting period, such that election officials can implement appropriate social distancing and safe hygiene practices,” Abbott wrote in a May proclamation.

How did the coronavirus affect mail-in voting?

The pandemic has stirred a legal fight over mail-in voting in Texas. Democrats sued the state hoping to expand voting by mail as a safer alternative to in-person voting during the pandemic, but the Texas Supreme Court ruled in late May that a lack of immunity to the coronavirus alone does not qualify a voter to apply for a mail-in ballot.

“We agree with the State that a voter’s lack of immunity to COVID-19, without more, is not a ‘disability’ as defined by the Election Code,” the court wrote in May.

Texas voters can qualify for mail-in ballots if they are 65 years or older, have a disability or an illness, are confined in jail, according to the Texas secretary of state’s office. Those who will not be in the county where they registered on election day and throughout the early voting period also have the option to request a ballot by mail.

What is being done to make the polls safe?

State leaders have largely left it up to local officials to set up safety precautions, but the Texas secretary of state’s office has some recommended guidelines for voters and county governments. The eight-page document suggests that voters bring their own hand sanitizer and wear face masks, bring their own marking devices — like pencils with erasers — and consider voting curbside if they have symptoms of COVID-19. (Voters unable to enter polling places are allowed to ask a poll worker to bring a ballot to their cars parked curbside. The state recommends that voters call ahead before requesting this option.)

Local voting officials have stocked up on sanitizer and protective gear while also considering plastic shields for check-in stations at polling places. The state has also recommended that they place markings on the floor to help people maintain social distancing in lines and place voting booths at least 6 feet apart.

What’s on the ballot?

The stakes in the runoff races vary widely, from contests where the winner is likely destined to lose in November to races in which a victory in July will almost certainly mean a congressional seat in November. Here are some of highlights of statewide interest:

A Democratic U.S. Senate runoff between retired Air Force pilot MJ Hegar and state Sen. Royce West of Dallas. The winner will be an underdog in a quest to unseat incumbent U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas.
Fifteen U.S. House runoffs. That includes a tense runoff in a heavily Republican Panhandle district featuring former agriculture expert and lobbyist Josh Winegarner and retired Navy rear admiral and former White House doctor Ronny Jackson. In another GOP race, former U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions will try to return to Congress in a new district, facing Waco businesswoman Renee Swann. Both parties are also trying to pick candidates in a handful of swing seats across the state.
Republican state leaders are paying close attention to a State Board of Education runoff, hoping to help public school speech pathologist Lani Popp defeat Robert Morrow, a self-described performance artist known for his racist and sexist antics.
Fourteen Texas House runoffs as Democrats and Republicans prepare to vie for control of the chamber in November.

“Early voting starts Monday for the primary runoff in Texas. Here’s what you need to know.” was first published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.

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Gov. Greg Abbott orders Texas bars to close again and restaurants to reduce to 50% occupancy as coronavirus spreads

June 26, 2020 By The Texas Tribune Leave a Comment

Gov. Greg Abbott at a press conference at the state Capitol in Austin on Monday, June 22, 2020. Photo by Ricardo B. Brazziell/Pool/American-Statesman

By Patrick Svitek | The Texas Tribune

Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday took his most drastic action yet to respond to the post-reopening coronavirus surge in Texas, shutting bars back down and scaling back restaurant capacity to 50%.

He also shut down river-rafting trips and banned outdoor gatherings of over 100 people unless local officials approve.

“At this time, it is clear that the rise in cases is largely driven by certain types of activities, including Texans congregating in bars,” Abbott said in a news release. “The actions in this executive order are essential to our mission to swiftly contain this virus and protect public health.”

Bars must close at noon Friday, and the reduction in restaurant capacity takes effect Monday. Before Abbott’s announcement Friday, bars were able to operate at 50% capacity and restaurants at 75% capacity.

As for outdoor gatherings, Abbott’s decision Friday represents his second adjustment in that category this week. Abbott on Tuesday gave local governments the choice to place restrictions on outdoor gatherings of over 100 people after previously setting the threshold at over 500 people. Now outdoor gatherings of over 100 people are prohibited unless local officials explicitly approve of them.

Abbott’s actions Friday were his first significant moves to reverse the reopening process that he has led since late April. He said Monday that shutting down the state again is a last resort, but the situation has been worsening quickly.

Abbott put Texas under what was effectively a stay-at-home order for most of April, shutting down all but businesses considered essential by the state. After letting that order expire at the end of April, he moved forward with a phased reopening of the state that was one of the earliest and quickest in the country. By early June, Abbott had permitted almost all business to open at at least 50% capacity.

But cases have climbed rapidly in recent weeks. On Thursday, Texas saw another record number of new cases Thursday—5,996—as well as hospitalizations—4,739. The hospitalization number set a record for the 14th straight day. There has also been rapid rise in the state’s positivity rate, or the ratio of tests that come back positive. The rate, presented by the state as a seven-day average, has gone up to 11.76% — where it was at in mid-April and above the 10% threshold that Abbott has said would cause alarm for the reopening process.

Abbott specifically cited the positivity rate in explaining his actions Friday.

“As I said from the start, if the positivity rate rose above 10%, the State of Texas would take further action to mitigate the spread of COVID-19,” he said.

On Thursday, he announced the state was putting a pause on any future reopening plans, though none were scheduled and the announcement did not affect businesses that were already allowed to reopen. Earlier in the day, Abbott sought to free up hospital space for coronavirus patients by banning elective surgeries in four of the state’s biggest counties: Bexar, Travis, Dallas and Harris.

“We want this to be as limited in duration as possible. However, we can only slow the spread if everyone in Texas does their part,” Abbott said. “Every Texan has a responsibility to themselves and their loved ones to wear a mask, wash their hands, stay six feet apart from others in public, and stay home if they can.”

This article is republished with permission from The Texas Tribune. Read the original post here.

The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.

Gov. Greg Abbott urges voluntary measures to curb coronavirus spread but says closing Texas will be the ‘last option’

June 22, 2020 By The Texas Tribune Leave a Comment

Gov. Greg Abbott speaks about the categories of medical surge facilities during a press conference at the Texas Department of Public Safety on Tuesday, June 16, 2020. *Photo by Ricardo B. Brazziell/Pool/American-Statesman*

By Patrick Svitek, The Texas Tribune

Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday struck a newly urgent tone about rising coronavirus numbers in Texas but said “closing down Texas again will always be the last option.”

“To state the obvious, COVID-19 is now spreading at an unacceptable rate in Texas and it must be corralled,” Abbott said during a news conference at the Texas Capitol in Austin.

Abbott promised Texas has strategies to address the rising numbers “without having to return to stay-at-home policies.” However, he stopped short of introducing any new policies, instead emphasizing long-established voluntary guidelines encouraging people to stay home if they can, use hand sanitizer, keep six feet of distance with others and, if they cannot, wear a mask.

He also said the state was stepping up enforcement of places like bars where large crowds have gathered, “surging testing in areas that may be hotspots” and working with hospitals to ensure they have capacity for coronavirus patients. He continued to describe capacity as “abundant.”

At the same time, Abbott held open the possibility that Texans could see new restrictions to get the virus under control. He said so while speaking in front of three poster boards showing the rapid rise of daily new cases, hospitalizations and the positivity rate, or the ratio of confirmed cases to tests.

“In each of these three categories, there’s been pretty much a doubling of the numbers in those three categories,” Abbott said. “If we were to experience another doubling of those numbers over the next month, that would mean we are in an urgent situation where tougher actions will be required.”

Abbott spoke a day after Texas saw another record number of hospitalizations—3,409—marking 10 consecutive days of record-high hospitalizations. Saturday saw the highest number of new daily cases yet—4,430.

The positivity rate, presented by the state as a seven-day average, has increased to 8.8%, on par with where it was in late April.

Discussing the guidelines to slow the spread of the virus, Abbott was particularly emphatic about masks.

“I know that some people feel that wearing a mask is inconvenient or is like an infringement of freedom, but I also know that wearing a mask will help us to keep Texas open,” Abbott said.

At the same time, Abbott continued to resist the idea of a statewide mask mandate, saying there needs to be flexibility for different parts of the vast state. He has restricted local governments from mandating individuals wear masks but recently clarified that they can order business to requires customers to wear masks.

This article is republished with permission from The Texas Tribune. Read the original post here.

The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.

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Monday is your deadline to register to vote in the Texas primary runoff

June 12, 2020 By The Texas Tribune Leave a Comment

Early voting for the primary runoffs starts June 29. *Photo by Eddie Gaspar | The Texas Tribune*

By Bobby Blanchard | The Texas Tribune

Texans who want to vote in the upcoming Texas primary runoff election on July 14 have until Monday, to register.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott delayed the upcoming primary runoffs from May to July after the coronavirus pandemic hit the state of Texas.

Voters participating in the Democratic primary will decide the outcome in two statewide races. Most notably, state Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, is facing decorated Air Force veteran MJ Hegar in the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate seat. Whoever wins will go on to face U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, in the fall. The other statewide Democratic primary runoff is for a seat on the Texas Railroad Commission, a regulatory agency that oversees the oil and natural gas industry.

Both Republican and Democratic voters will choose the winners in a handful of congressional and legislative runoff races.

Here’s how to register to vote:

First, you should check if you are already registered to vote at your current address. You can do so here with your Texas driver’s license number and date of birth, your first and last names, and the county where you reside, or with your date of birth and Voter Unique Identifier, which you can find on your voter registration certificate.
If you are not registered to vote, print out your voter registration application here and mail it to the voter registrar in your county. Your application must be postmarked by Monday.

Early voting starts June 29. Voters who voted in the Republican primary in March cannot cross parties and vote in the Democratic primary — and vice versa. But if you didn’t vote in the March primary you can still vote in the primary runoffs. See the primary runoff ballot here and add key Texas 2020 election dates to your calendar here.

This article is republished with permission from The Texas Tribune. Read the original post here.

The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.

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Did your child get free or reduced-price school lunches? You may be eligible for $285 in food aid.

June 2, 2020 By The Texas Tribune Leave a Comment

Students grab lunch at North Side Independent School District in San Antonio. *Photo by Jennifer Whitney for The Texas Tribune*

By Stacy Fernandez | The Texas Tribune

Starting Monday, June 1, low-income Texas families can apply for $285 in federal aid per child to make up for the free and reduced-price meals they missed while schools were closed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Families that were on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in March don’t need to apply for the program known as Pandemic-EBT, short for electronic benefits transfer. These benefits were automatically deposited on their Lone Star Card — the debit-like card Texas uses to distribute SNAP aid — earlier this month.

Other families, including those that enrolled in SNAP after March, have through the month of June to submit applications for the food benefits program.

Here’s what parents and guardians need to know when applying for the benefits.

Who is eligible?

Schoolchildren up to 21 years old who received free or reduced-priced meals at school this school year are eligible for the program.

Although families who receive SNAP automatically got benefits for children 5 to 18 years old, they also have to apply for benefits in June if they have eligible children under 5 years old or between the ages of 19 and 21.

Infants and toddlers are not eligible for Pandemic-EBT. If Congress were to pass the HEROES Act — another multitrillion-dollar coronavirus relief bill — toddlers would be eligible for Pandemic-EBT, and benefits would extend through the summer, said Rachel Cooper, a senior policy analyst with Every Texan, a left-leaning think tank previously known as the Center for Public Policy Priorities.

How much money will my family get?

The program will pay out a lump sum of $285 per eligible child, or about $5.70 to cover both breakfast and lunch for each canceled day of school. Guardians of two kids who missed out on school meals would receive $570 in benefits, guardians of three kids would get $855, and so on. This is a one-time payment.

Once approved, families will get one Texas Pandemic-EBT card in the mail preloaded with funds. The card works just like a debit card but can only be used for food.

Pandemic-EBT follows the same rules as SNAP. Families can’t use either benefit for hot and prepared food, like a hot sandwich meant to be eaten immediately, alcohol or tobacco products. Benefits cannot be used at restaurants.

How do I apply?

School districts should send out a link to the application in the first week of June.

The application is straightforward. Parents and guardians will fill out details like the child’s name, address and school ID, Cooper said.

When will I get my benefits?

Families should get their Pandemic-EBT cards in the mail within seven to 10 days of submitting their applications as long as the information provided on the online application matches the records submitted by the Texas Education Agency and Texas Department of Agriculture.

If the information doesn’t match, officials will follow up with both departments, which may delay when a family gets its card, said Elliott Sprehe, a spokesperson for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, the department that oversees Pandemic-EBT.

The commission said it will process orders as they come in, once it has a list of the children who get free or reduced-price school meals.

Does Pandemic-EBT affect my ability to get other benefits like unemployment or SNAP?

No. The school meal benefit will not affect eligibility for other benefits.

How long do I have to spend the benefits?

Unused benefits expire after a year.

Is my child still eligible if the school district has continued to provide meals?

Yes, Pandemic-EBT is an additional benefit, not a replacement for programs like grab-and-go school meals or summer meals.

Do you have to be a citizen to get Pandemic-EBT?

No, any child is eligible for the program, regardless of their immigration status or that of their caregiver.

While immigrant families may worry that applying for benefits will hurt their chances to become legal residents under the public charge rule — which penalizes immigrants who’ve used public benefits for a certain period of time — Pandemic-EBT does not count toward that rule.

Does my child qualify if they get free meals at their day care?

Maybe. If the child attends Head Start or a pre-K program that participates in the National School Lunch Program, they are eligible for the food benefits program.

Are kids in charter and private schools eligible?

Yes, as long as the school provided meals through the National School Lunch Program and/or School Breakfast Programs.

“Did your child get free or reduced-price school lunches? You may be eligible for $285 in food aid.” was first published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.

Disclosure: The Center for Public Policy Priorities, now called Every Texan, has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

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Analysis: Rising property values — and taxes — during an economic slump

May 29, 2020 By The Texas Tribune Leave a Comment

Row of single-family homes in Texas — Property taxes can’t go up too much without voter approval; just how much is too much is a matter of legal debate. *Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune*

By Ross Ramsey | The Texas Tribune

Texans can now eat in shopping mall food courts, go bowling, drink in bars, eat in restaurants, watch rodeos, get their hair fixed — and get steaming mad about their property taxes.

One of those activities was never interrupted. But between the pandemic and the economic slump, property owners’ annual anguish over property appraisals and taxes has shifted.

Local governments that rely heavily on property taxes to pay for everything from public schools to police to parks are squeezed — but so are their taxpayers.

For many Texas property owners, this year’s appraisals seem to be coming from another time and place. They are, in a way: The values on the books for this year’s taxes don’t reflect the pandemic, diving oil prices, or sagging state and national economies.

This year’s taxes are supposed to be based on commercial, industrial and residential property values at the beginning of the year. In some places hit hard during the last two or three months, those values were higher then than they are today. Even if they’re not, it can be jarring to see a rising value at the same time that one in eight working Texans is unemployed.

Pleas for help are falling short.

Gov. Greg Abbott won’t freeze property values because of the pandemic, and the attorney general said, in a nonbinding opinion this year, that local appraisers cannot refuse to hear property value protest hearings in person, where health concerns might be an issue. Values have risen in what was a booming real estate market in parts of Texas. The appraisals are in. People who think those values are too high are protesting, a process that runs into July. And the local governments that base their budgets partly on the results are trying to figure out how to pay for the things they’re already doing.

Some, like Galveston County Judge Mark Henry, asked the state to freeze this year’s appraisals at last year’s levels (as did others across the state). “Texans need the government to get out of the way of a robust economic recovery, and sending taxpayers a bigger bill does the opposite,” he wrote.

Abbott declined. The governor doesn’t have much to do with it anyway; Henry and local officials like him control property taxes. They can’t freeze values, but they set the tax rates that determine the size of everyone’s property tax bills.

Appraised values are only part of what makes your property taxes rise and fall; the biggest step is the next one, when local governments set their property tax rates. Your tax bill is the value multiplied by the rate. The value, ideally, is an accurate estimate of what a property is worth. The rate has more to do with how much money the government is trying to raise. It’s possible, even when values drop, for tax rates to rise enough to increase property tax bills.

And in an economic environment where another big piece of local and state government income — sales taxes — is diving, those local governments are in a financial squeeze.

Sales taxes are sliding with the economy, but they amount to only a fraction of local government revenue; property taxes make up the lion’s share. According to the state comptroller, local governments raised about $1 in sales taxes for every $7 in property taxes in 2018. And school districts were the biggest dependents, gathering almost 55% of all property taxes collected.

Few are shedding tears for them, but some of those governments are looking for ways to make up their lost revenue and looking at their current budgets to see what they would cut if the money isn’t available.

Property taxes can’t go up too much without voter approval; just how much is too much is a matter of legal debate. Under normal circumstances, a new Texas law says a city can’t raise property taxes more than 3.5% without voter approval, but in disasters, that trigger rises to 8%.

Lawyers for local governments are arguing with the governor and the attorney general about whether the current situation is a disaster. According to one definition in state law, “‘Disaster’ means the occurrence or imminent threat of widespread or severe damage, injury, or loss of life or property resulting from any natural or man-made cause,” and includes a list of terrible things that includes epidemics.

Cities are starting their budget machinery now, even as Texans argue with government appraisers about their property values. City officials in Dallas have asked their staff what an 8% increase in property taxes would produce — a signal that they’re at least considering the idea.

It sets up a summer — and one that leads right into a hot general election — with the kinds of questions that often fuel both economic and political debates.

How far can a local government raise taxes without asking voters for permission? How likely are voters stuck in a bad economy to approve tax increases? And what — and who — will those voters be thinking about on Election Day in November?

This article is republished with permission from The Texas Tribune. Read the original post here.

The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.

Disclosure: The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

Texas Supreme Court extends moratorium on evictions until May 18

April 29, 2020 By The Texas Tribune Leave a Comment

By Juan Pablo Garnham | The Texas Tribune

The Texas Supreme Court extended the moratorium on eviction procedures until May 18, offering a few more weeks of relief to renters otherwise expected to cough up payments at the beginning of the month.

Trials, hearings and other procedures are suspended, but landlords could file for an eviction, according to the order.

The federal government has also halted evictions until August 23 for properties that are covered by federally backed mortgages. Local authorities have placed similar and sometimes stronger actions to stop evictions, as unemployment claims escalate and reach historic highs in Texas. In just a five-week span during March and April, 1,301,441 Texans applied for unemployment insurance, more than all of 2019. Previous to the crisis, housing affordability was already becoming a larger problem for thousands of low-income Texans.

Despite the orders to block evictions, some landlords have still reportedly forced tenants out. On Monday, around 50 residents of an apartment complex in Olmos Park, north of downtown San Antonio, were locked out of their homes, TV station KSAT reported. According to the Texas Property Code, locking out a tenant without an eviction procedure is illegal.

“This is the first flagrant violation we had of this, and we’ve asked the district attorney and other law enforcement to look into it and see what options we have against the company who did that,” Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff said to KSAT.

Texas Public Radio later reported that the “property manager said only 18 people had been locked out, and that most were suspected of selling drugs or were late on rent for as far back as February.”

On Tuesday, Judge Rogelio Lopez extended the eviction moratorium for Bexar County until June 1.

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Advocates said the extension by the Texas Supreme Court is “a common sense measure,” but warned that they are concerned about the long-term safety of vulnerable Texans.

“Our state and cities should not stop there,” said Christina Rosales, deputy director of the advocacy group Texas Housers in an email. “We have to make sure that cities and the state are providing protections for renters, such as an opportunity to catch up on back-rent, and citations for landlords who are breaking the law by locking out tenants during this time.”

The state orders don’t suspend rent payments, and Rosales said that officials need to plan for what might happen when the moratorium is lifted.

“We have to make sure there’s enough emergency aid to avoid the financial shock of two or three months of rent due all at once in order to keep people in their homes,” Rosales said.

Experts recommend calling 311 or local legal aid institutions to find if state or local protections apply to specific tenants.

This article is republished with permission from The Texas Tribune. Read the original post here.

The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.

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