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Houston Matters Weekend for October 8, 2016

Posted on · Recently, News 88.7's Gail Delaughter noted how often she hears folks ask "why can't Houston be more like" a city where they used to live, particularly when it comes to transportation and mass transit. We talk about such examples with Gail, as well as the city's planning director Patrick Walsh, and Ryan Holeywell from the […]

Houston Matters

Judge Rules Texas Defied Court Order On Voter ID Law

Posted on · It seems as if the twists and turns in the saga over the state's voter ID law will never end. In the latest development, U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos Monday (Sept. 19, 2016) determined the state's voter education campaign is using misleading language to discourage eligible voters from going to the polls. When the […]

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Pensions, Voter ID, and Frost Town: Thursday’s Show (September 22, 2016)

Posted on · On Tuesday (Sept. 20, 2016), the Kinder Institute for Urban Research held a panel discussion on the future of Houston's pension system. The discussion came just a few days after Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner announced an "historic” pension reform plan. On this edition of Houston Matters, we discuss the mayor’s plan and what hurdles remain […]

Houston Matters

Answers to Your Property Tax Questions

Posted on · This is the time of year the Harris County Appraisal District sends out appraisal notices to property owners. Those valuations have been on the rise in recent years, prompting Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector Mike Sullivan to offer a series of property tax workshops to explain how those taxes are valued and collected. Sullivan joins us, […]

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Pet Peeves and Tax Assessment: Monday’s Show (March 21, 2016)

Posted on · Every few months, we offer you the opportunity to vent. It could be something about Houston, like the traffic or the weather. It could be something about your life. It could be something you just wished was a little bit different. It's your pet peeve — that one thing that sticks in your craw — […]

Houston Matters

The Pros and Cons of Letting Voters Register Online

Posted on · The Texas House Elections Committee recently considered bills to make Texas the 21st state to allow citizens to register to vote online. The committee left both bills pending after hearing criticism primarily from Harris County, including Tax Assessor-Collector Mike Sullivan, Ed Johnson from the County Clerk's office, and Alan Vera, who chairs the Ballot Security […]

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Online Voter Registration: Thursday’s Show (May 7, 2015)

Posted on · The Texas House Elections Committee recently considered bills to make Texas the 21st state to allow citizens to register to vote online. The committee left both bills pending after hearing criticism primarily from Harris County, including Tax Assessor-Collector Mike Sullivan, Ed Johnson from the County Clerk's office, and Alan Vera, who chairs the Ballot Security […]

Houston Matters

How to Dispute Your Property Appraisal

Posted on · Many homeowners in Harris County may still be reeling from a property appraisal notice they recently received in the mail. Officials say about 90 percent of Harris County saw an increase in their property value. Of course, that also means a hike in taxes. To discuss why home values have gone up, and how Harris […]

Houston Matters

Texas Vehicles Will Soon Have One Sticker to Rule Them All

Posted on · Beginning March 1, Texas will begin eliminating vehicle inspection stickers that are on the windshields of cars and trucks across the state. Instead of having two separate stickers — the inspection sticker and the registration sticker — there will just be one — the registration sticker. However, drivers will still have to get their vehicles […]

Houston Matters

Are Thousands of Texas Voters Being Disenfranchised?

Posted on · A report by the Texas Civil Rights Project describes what the organization considers defective and inadequate voter registration procedures at both state and local levels. According to the report, these practices effectively disenfranchise thousands of Texans. There are seven bodies charged with registering people to vote, but the Secretary of State’s office doesn’t have enforcement […]