Democrats won statewide offices and a majority in the Texas House of Representatives in the November election. The Texas Tribune reports that city and county officials across the state have moved away from a defensive stance toward state Republicans, who had passed laws limiting local authority. Those laws include a ban on local fracking rules and a state override of local COVID-19 mask mandates.
Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker, a Republican, said the top request from local leaders is partnership. Travis County Judge Andy Brown said local leaders have many ideas for the legislative session that begins in January, including more money for transportation, indigent care and policing.
Democrats also flipped the Tarrant County Commissioners Court and won the county judge seat there. Democrats now control county government in all five of the state's largest urban counties. The report says the state laws limiting cities and counties remain on the books, and repealing some could take years and prove politically difficult.