BEST OF THE BAYOU

Election challenges

Headshots of Alexandra del Moral Mealer and Lina Hidalgo.

Jon Shapley / Houston Chronicle

If you read one thing: In an 11th hour push ahead of a Friday deadline, more than a dozen unsuccessful Republican candidates filed lawsuits in Harris County challenging the results of the November election, including County Judge Lina Hidalgo's opponent Alexandra del Moral Mealer.

Didn't Mealer accept the election results already? Mealer, who lost her race by around 18,000 votes, conceded the contest the morning after the election. In interviews before the election, she also said would only consider challenging election results based on evidence rather than speculation.

So what evidence does Mealer present in her challenge? Mealer's petition accuses the county election administrator and Commissioners Court of suppressing the voting rights "of a not statistically insignificant number of Harris County residents residing or voting in high Republican turn-out locations."

However, Mealer's petition does not provide evidence of voters who were turned away or include names or personal statements of any voters who were impacted. And the allegation is disputed in a post-election report from the county election administrator released on Dec. 27.

What happens next? The petition asks the court to declare Mealer the winner of the county judge contest or order a new election.

But first, Mealer and the other candidates must prove in court there was intent to stop voters from participating in the election and that those efforts made a substantial impact on the outcome of the race, said Jeronimo Cortina, an associate professor of political science at the University of Houston.

Read the full story from Matt deGrood and Jen Rice here.

PICK OF THE DAY

A Houston teacher tackling dyslexia

''I no longer want to be part of a problem. I want to be the solution.'' - Tammy Spencer, founder of the Dyslexia School of Houston.

Houston Chronicle

Tammy Spencer launched the Dyslexia School of Houston in her own garage during the early days of the pandemic as classrooms closed and schools turned to online instruction, exacerbating challenges for many students with learning disabilities. The stakes for students with dyslexia are high. If they do not get a diagnosis or treatment, they may never become literate, Spencer said. Since its launch, enrollment at her school has increased to 50 students.

Read Anna Bauman's full story on the Dyslexia School of Houston here.

TEXAS TIES

Happy Texas Lege Week!

Texas Governor Greg Abbott, center, seated next to Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, left, and Speaker Dade Phelan prepares to sign a ''constitutional carry'' bill allowing Texans to carry handguns without a permit along with several other pieces of legislation.

Marvin Pfeiffer / San Antonio Express-News

If you read one thing: The Texas Legislature returns to Austin this week with Republicans fully in charge and a colossal budget surplus. Here are some of the top issues expected to play a role during this year's lawmaking session.

Property tax relief: With a projected $27 billion surplus, top Republicans have pledged to give some back to taxpayers. The question: How much, and how?

Infrastructure maintenance and expansion: House speaker Dade Phelan has singled out broadband internet and rural roads as areas badly in need of attention, calling the road quality "atrocious" in parts of the Permian Basin that are heavily used by oil and gas producers.

Border security spending: Texas has spent over $4 billion on border security in the past year and a half, nearly all of it on Gov. Greg Abbott's crackdown known as Operation Lone Star. That's compared to $800 million on border security in the state's most recent two-year budget. Lawmakers will have to decide on the future of the effort, and how to afford the steep cost.

Private school vouchers/school choice: Proponents of vouchers will have to win over Republicans in the House, which has routinely rejected the idea of using taxpayer funds for private schooling.

Reforms to the state power grid: Some Republicans, including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, want to incentivize more natural gas power plants in Texas. The state's electric grid runs predominantly on gas.

School safety/mental health/gun control in response to Uvalde shooting: In the wake of the tragedy, Democrats are pushing for new restrictions like raising the minimum age to purchase firearms. Republicans have largely balked at the idea and instead focused on hardening school security and bolstering mental health resources.

Election law changes aimed at Harris County: After a midterm marked by a slew of election administration mishaps in Texas' third-largest county, Republicans are considering laws that would give the state more oversight over future elections.

Bail reform: Republicans are set to take another crack at amending the Texas Constitution to give judges more leeway to deny bail outright for certain defendants.

Proposed legalization of casinos and sports betting: While casino and sports betting companies are making a big push in Texas, big hurdles remain in the Senate.

Read Jasper Scherer's full preview of the coming legislative session here.

STAY IN THE LOOP

Susan Barber / Houston Chronicle

🚧 Construction: It took 30-odd years for the Grand Parkway to go from idea to reality in northwest Harris County. It's taken less than 10 for officials to decide it needs to be widened from two-lanes in each direction to three. (from Dug Begley)

💲 Property taxes: Texas property tax bills finally went down in Houston, San Antonio and other parts of the state in 2022. More relief could be coming as the state's Republican political leaders vow to make it a priority during the legislative session this year. (from Jeremy Wallace)

💊 Jail deaths: At least two people died after overdosing on fentanyl in Harris County Jail last year, sparking outrage and questions over how the drug made its way into the facility. (Houston Public Media)

🔥 Fire safety: After four fire-related deaths, thousands of safety violations and more than a decade of damning state reports, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice is finally asking lawmakers to double the agency's fire safety spending starting in September. (The Marshall Project)

🚨 Border visit: Joe Biden made his first trip as president to the Texas-Mexico border Sunday. The trip and the fact that unlawful border crossings in El Paso are down 70 percent, according to the White House, have done little to quell critics of his handling of the border. (from Jeremy Wallace and Benjamin Wermund)

HOUSTON VS. ALL Y'ALL

Susan Barber / Houston Chronicle

🏈 Texans: The one time the city probably could've celebrated a Texans loss, the team pulled off a nail-biting win and then lost their No. 1 draft pick, while head coach Lovie Smith lost his job. Here's how Houston teams have lucked out with No. 2 draft picks in the past.

Solomon's report card: Grade: A. "You actually have to throw a game to throw a game, but the Texans were not about that life. They played to win and deserve credit for putting in the effort in the season finale. Of course, Indianapolis is horrible, which certainly helped."

🏀 Rockets: The Rockets started well in Sunday night's game, but it didn't last. The final score: Timberwolves 104, Rockets 96, extending Houston's losing streak to seven. Further reading: Midway through his second season, Jalen Green's quest to be "really special" is still a work in progress.

🏈 College Football Playoff: TCU has gone from Cinderella to a championship contender in the CFB title race, and they'll get their chance to prove themselves tonight. In usual fashion, Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale is betting big on their win. Meanwhile, Hypnotoad may be the real star of the show.

⚽ Dynamo: Since the Houston Dynamo finished 13th out of 14 MLS clubs in the Western Conference last year, failing to make the playoffs a fifth straight season, they've hired Ben Olsen as head coach and added several proven winners to hopefully add a little more scoring to next year's games.