Democrats won statewide offices and a surprise majority in the Texas House of Representatives in the November election, according to a Texas Tribune report. City and county officials across the state have said they expect less need to defend their authority against state Republicans.
The report recalls past clashes. After Denton voters banned fracking within city limits, the Republican-led Legislature made such bans illegal for cities. Gov. Greg Abbott overruled local COVID-19 mask mandates. Republican officials have also tried to stop Austin's light-rail line, which voters approved through a property tax increase.
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said, "I don't think we need to be on the defense the way we have in the past." Republican officials had vowed on the campaign trail to make it harder for localities to raise taxes, the report said, as cities and counties face financial strain.