HOUSTON – For the first time in 36 years, State Rep. Harold Dutton (D-Houston) was forced into a runoff for his seat in State House District 142. That’s all that happened to them,” Dutton said, in reference to the voters of District 142. A candidate named Natasha Ruiz entered the Democratic primary hoping to defeat Dutton last March. “There is evidence that a person entered into the primary race, whose last name was not their last name,” Dutton said. “We, as elected officials, have to protect the integrity of the election process,” Dutton said, adding he also believes voters need to see accountability.

Moreover, a request for comment from the Harris County Attorney’s Office was not returned Tuesday. They are listed in sections 31.031(d) and 31.032(c) of the Texas Election Code. The letter states the following:“As per Director Ingram’s letter, the Secretary of State received documentation from the Harris County Clerk’s office on July 28, 2020. Longoria did address county commissioners during Tuesday’s meeting, however, to give an update on the Dec. 12 runoff elections. During that update, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo vowed to support Longoria on whatever she needed to run an election without errors.

HOUSTON Texas officials are warning residents to be aware of COVID-19 scams that try to trick you out of your money or personal information. Never provide your personal information (address, date of birth, banking information, ID numbers) to people you do not know. Remember, government agencies will never ask you for personal information or money. In addition to the economic payment scams previously reported, several other fraudulent schemes involve masks, personal protection equipment and other COVID-19 related items, according to a press release. This virus is bad enough without having to deal with crooks who will use it to obtain your money or personal information, Ryan said.

HOUSTON – Harris County Attorney Vince Ryan announced Monday that he is suing generic drug manufacturers over what he considers to be a “massive price-fixing scheme” that he said costs Harris County millions and the U.S. healthcare system billions in inflated drug prices. Ryan said the 43 companies named in the suit were part of an “overarching conspiracy to significantly reduce competition and increase prices of at least 181 generic drugs across the entire industry.” Ryan said that as a result of this, prices of generic drugs went up at unprecedented rates. “These manufacturers routinely and systematically sought out their competitors in an effort to reach agreements to allocate market share and maintain or raise prices,” Ryan said. Ryan said he is seeking both temporary and permanent injunctions against the companies and also reimbursement for the county. “For years, these manufacturers have leveraged the culture of cronyism within their industry to artificially inflate prices,” Ryan added.