HOUSTON – Key takeaways
1. Harris County officials responded to a lawsuit filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton over the county’s Uplift Harris program.
2. The Uplift Harris program is a $20.5 million investment program that provides $500 a month grants to struggling families for household needs.
3. Paxton filed a lawsuit against Harris County, claiming that the program is unconstitutional.
Harris County officials responded to a lawsuit filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton over the county’s Uplift Harris program.
The $20.5 million investment program introduced in 2023 is meant to help struggling families through a $500-a-month grant to support household needs.
Paxton filed a lawsuit against Harris County earlier this week over the program, calling it “plainly unconstitutional.”
Speaking Wednesday afternoon, several Harris County officials, including Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, and Pct. 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis, fired back at Paxton’s claims, accusing the lawsuit of being entirely political and alleging there is no legal conversation surrounding the program.
“We’ve seen these types of programs in St. Paul, Minnesota, to Cook County, Illinois, to San Antonio and El Paso right here in the state of Texas,” Menefee said. “These programs have a real impact and the reports and the data that comes from these studies show that families who participate in these local government pilot programs spend the money on necessities, we’re talking food, utilities and other basic needs and they experience lower rates of unemployment, higher rates of housing and food security, and a higher sense of self-determination.”
Menefee also said all the money funding the program comes from federal dollars and not from state money.
“One of the main questions I’ve been getting from residents about this lawsuit is why the heck does Ken Paxton care? This is not state money, this is federal money and we are trying to help people,” he said.
Commissioner Rodney Ellis also spoke and gave his definition of what the program is about.
“We are talking about seniors who choose between meals and medication. Workers who put in 40 hours or more a week and still don’t have enough to make it out of poverty. Parents who worry about whether they are going to make rent or keep the lights on. Children who are growing up in poverty. It’s about people living under the crushing weight of poverty and are just striving for a moment to breathe and the chance to make their lives better. This is what Uplift Harris is about,” Ellis said.
County Judge Lina Hidalgo also stressed the feedback they received about the program and the signs that it is much needed.
“We had more than 82,500 people apply for this program, the need is enormous,” she said. “I ask that Mr. Paxton come down and meet with some of these families and tell them straight to their face and see what it was that they were going to use those dollars for and tell them never mind it’s not arriving anymore.”
Menefee said the attorney general’s office is currently working to schedule a hearing on the matter. He said his office will be representing the county in the proceedings.
“After that, my guess is this case is going to go to the Texas Supreme Court,” Menefee said.
Menefee questioned what the problem is with Harris County doing a program like this when other Texas cities have done similar programs.
“If it wasn’t a problem when San Antonio did it, if it wasn’t a problem when Austin did it, if it wasn’t a problem when El Paso County did it, it shouldn’t be a problem when Harris County does it,” he said.