Mayor John Whitmire, facing criticism over a delay in payouts for more than 300 city employees who accepted a buyout to retire, fired back during a recent Houston City Council meeting. He put the blame on the Houston Municipal Employees Pension Plan, which was overwhelmed with processing 1,052 early retirements.
Sherry Mose, chair of the pension plan, told Whitmire and the council during its Sept. 10 meeting that more than 700 of the retirees have been paid. The remainder will be paid by the end of September. The city offered early retirement to workers earlier this year to help address a budget shortfall.
Feeling scrappy? State Rep. James Talarico reminded supporters that living in a politically red state has taught them how to fight, pointing to Democratic icons like Barbara Jordan, Beto O’Rourke, and Wendy Davis.
Talarico, running for US Senate in 2026, wants to become the first Texas Democrat to win a statewide campaign since 1994.
A new Texas law that bans diversity, equity, and inclusion in K-12 public schools claims to be about parental rights, but civil rights groups that are suing to block its enforcement say it’s blatant government overreach.
