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Above is a Tweet by Republican State Rep. of Tom Oliverson. Rep. Oliverson is in Harris County. He is here retweeting defeated and always bitter Alexandra Mealer.

Already they are talking about removing Democratic Harris County DA nominee Sean Teare. This though Mr. Teare has not even been elected and the election is 8 months away.

Ms. Mealer was part of shameful, anti-democratic lawsuits to overturn the 2020 election. She got as far with that as she did with running for Harris County Judge.

Rep. Oliverson's comment here should be taken as a clear threat. It is a threat to democracy and our safety. 

The refusal of Republicans to accept election results undermines the basic foundations of our society. It strips vulnerable populations of their voice and power at the ballot box. It mocks the service of those who fought confederates and fascists. It seeks to make Texas a one-party state with no accepted political opposition.   

There is no public safety without democracy.  You're not safe without a true prospect of representation, or with elected representatives who must always look over their shoulder at the prospect of removal by authoritarian Republicans.  

Rep. Oliverson and Ms. Mealer would take your democracy and your safety. They are threatening you right out in public view. Take them at face value and fight back.  

Please sign my Change.org petition to make the pledge to show up for freedom in 2024 no matter what.

The Houston Democracy Project works daily to inspire, organize and strengthen pro-democracy coalitions in Houston and Harris County.  

Please share word of the Houston Democracy Project and support the effort with your contribution. If you have a question about the Project or a suggestion, please send an e-mail to [email protected].

The Harris County and Texas primary was this past Tuesday. The runoff is on May 28. 

Here is the Houston Democracy Project primary wrap-up---

We must be relentless in pressing the Democrats who advanced on March 5th to do all they can to boost November turnout & to make clear to the people of Harris County the implications of a Republican victory in 2024.

Republicans are open is saying they intend to suspend civil liberties and conduct mass round-ups and deportations of migrants. Those round-ups would surely involve Houston.

This commitment to big turnout must involve state legislators in safe seats, unopposed judges, our Harris County Commissioners and the County Judge.

We must hold Harris County from Republicans, defeat Ted Cruz and defeat Trump in Texas.

More than voting will be required to keep us safe. We must be prepared to be on the streets, discuss self-defense and organize ourselves outside of standard political channels.  

As for our elected officials and well-funded non-incumbents, they can work everyday to drive every Democrat possible to the General Election ballot box. We must demand that they do so.

That's my wrap-up: All the winners must fight us all the time. We can't let up in insisting that they deliver.  

Please sign my Change.org petition to make the pledge to show up for freedom in 2024 no matter what.

The Houston Democracy Project works daily to inspire, organize and strengthen pro-democracy coalitions in Houston and Harris County.  

Please share word of the Houston Democracy Project and support the effort with your contribution. If you have a question about the Project or a suggestion, please send an e-mail to [email protected].​         

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I went to the March meeting of the Houston LGBTQ+ Political Caucus this evening.

A topic of discussion was the newly-created elected position Harris County Appraisal District Board of Directors.  

A candidate for Position 1--the are 3 places--is Kathy Blueford Daniels. You see Ms. Blueford Daniels above.

Ms. Blueford Daniels was one of the wrongly-deposed HISD School Board members as part of the anti-democratic state takeover of HISD.

​Here is the link to Community Voices for Public Education. They are doing a great job leading the opposition to the takeover.  

The new position was created by the Texas Legislature in the most recent session.

Ms. Blueford Daniels cares about issues related to democracy and would be a good choice for the new office.

​Share word with folks you know about the May 4th election for this position. Don't let Republicans win it in a low-turnout election.

The Houston Democracy Project works daily to inspire, organize and strengthen pro-democracy coalitions in Houston and Harris County.  

Please share word of the Houston Democracy Project and support the effort with your contribution. If you have a question about the Project or a suggestion, please send an e-mail to [email protected].
           

A few Election Day Houston Democracy Project notes:

* I'm the featured speaker at the Humble Area Democrats March meeting on 3/11. There is a social half-hour at 6:30 PM & the program starts at 7. The location is Los Cucos, Fall Creek--9520 N. sam Houston Parkway E. in Humble. I'll be talking about the Houston Democracy Project!       

* The Houston Democracy Project is featured weekly on the Egberto Willies Politics Done Right broadcast and webcast. You can hear it each Thursday from 6 AM to 7 AM on KPFT 90.1 FM and also watch it later on Egberto's website.   Please tune in!

* Please like the Facebook page of the Texas Grassroots Alliance.  The Houston Democracy Project is an active member of the Alliance. I'm taking part in a series called Texas Grassroots Alliance Livestream which is giving voice to progressive and pro-democracy organizers across the state. 

* Please take part in the John Cornyn Houston Office Protest. We are at 5300 Memorial Dr each Tuesday from 11:30-1. We are 369 weeks and going strong. We show up visibly and open for democracy at a busy corner. It's important for people to see others like themselves willing to stand up for democracy even as the political climate in Texas and the nation worsens.   

* Please sign my Change.org petition to commit to showing up as needed as we confront anti-democratic threats in 2024 and 2025. Here is the link to sign. Sign and share the petition.       

The Houston Democracy Project works daily to inspire, organize and strengthen pro-democracy coalitions in Houston and Harris County.  

Please share word of the Houston Democracy Project and support the effort with your contribution. If you have a question about the Project or a suggestion, please send an e-mail to [email protected].

There have been ups & downs today about the fate of anti-immigrant SB 4 in Texas.

This is the law that would empower all local law enforcement across Texas to check the immigration status of everyone they encounter.

The far-right 5th Circuit green-lighted the bill over the weekend. But the U.S. Supreme Court has now stayed the law until March 13.    

​The bottom line is that the Supreme Court is a wrecking ball and nobody knows what they'll do & Donald Trump is clear as day that he intends to use local police as well as National Guard for mass round-ups and deportations of migrants.

We must press our elected officials to inform and prepare the public for the prospect of mass round-ups, ask hard questions about what role the Houston Police Department would play is such circumstances and strengthen our own networks of activism and community protection.

The Houston Democracy Project works daily to inspire, organize and strengthen pro-democracy coalitions in Houston and Harris County.  

Please share word of the Houston Democracy Project and support the effort with your contribution. If you have a question about the Project or a suggestion, please send an e-mail to [email protected].

There were two rank & file led actions over the weekend in Houston that merit notice. 

On Sunday, 3/3, there was a vigil at the Rothko Chapel to recall the life of the non-binary student Nex Benedict. Nex Benedict was killed in Oklahoma because they were different from how lousy people thought they should be.

There were maybe 80 people at the vigil. It was organized by Ethan Michelle Ganz & Meghan Fairbanks. It was a great call to action.  

Above on the left is a picture I took of the vigil.

There was also over the weekend the ongoing effort by Steve Norris of Brazoria County at Hermann Park. Steve is at Hermann Park each Saturday from noon to one urging people to protect democracy and not vote for Donald Trump. You can find Steve near the roundabout that features the statue of Sam Houston. It is near the big reflecting pool.

Above on the right is a picture of the most recent outing. Steve is 2nd from the left. 

These actions are notable for the following reasons:

*They are led by rank & file citizens without institutional involvement. We must show up for ourselves.

*Both events say that in addition to voting, we will have to do other things as well to defeat the right. There are many ways to fight back and to advocate. 

*Both events are willing to take on the physical risk of showing up. The Nex Benedict vigil had security. All was peaceful.

I've been out with Steve twice and it has been calm and friendly. It'll likely stay that way. But being in public means accepting some risk. It is helpful for people to see others just like themselves willing to be out in the open. 

*It gives people hope and encouragement to see others taking action.

Another good way to show up is the John Cornyn Houston Office Protest. The protest is each Tuesday, 11:30-1, 5300 Memorial Drive. It has been taking place for 369 weeks.   

All of us are capable in some way of advocating for our freedom. Thanks to the leaders and to everyone who showed up over the weekend in Houston. There is a lot of trouble on the way. We will have to show up and fight back.         
          
The Houston Democracy Project works daily to inspire, organize and strengthen pro-democracy coalitions in Houston and Harris County.  

Please share word of the Houston Democracy Project and support the effort with your contribution. If you have a question about the Project or a suggestion, please send an e-mail to [email protected].

Donald Trump says he'll use local police to conduct his mass round-ups and deportations of migrants.

Here is some of what it says in Axios:

​"We have to deport a lot of people, and they have to start immediately," Trump said during his interview in Eagle Pass, Texas, on Fox News.....Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity that he would give "immunity" to police "to give the job they have to do" and said the officers understand who the migrants are....It's going to be the local police are going to turn them over, and we're going to have to move them back to their country," he added...."

​This would be a big deal in Houston/Harris County. 

Some local questions these plans raise are: 

* Would the Houston Police Department take part? How would they be able to say no under pressure from the State of Texas and a Trump Justice Department?  

* Mayor Whitmire intends to invite Texas Department of Public Safety police to Houston. Police troops under state command would clearly do Greg Abbott's and Donald Trump's bidding. Should we be inviting these people into our city?  

*Would Democratic elected officials help establish safe houses for migrants and be willing to be on the streets to monitor violations of civil rights?     

*How would the people of Houston/Harris County resist? 

The Trump people are serious about everything that are saying.  We should right now be thinking about the challenges ahead. We must demand that our elected officials are ready to respond and ready to protect the people they represent.      

(What are your thoughts and questions on these possible migrant round-ups and how local officials should respond? Please leave a comment with your ideas.)      

The Houston Democracy Project works daily to inspire, organize and strengthen pro-democracy coalitions in Houston and Harris County.  

Please share word of the Houston Democracy Project and support the effort with your contribution. If you have a question about the Project or a suggestion, please send an e-mail to [email protected].

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​I had a brief conversation today with County Attorney Christian Menefee today. 

Above is Mr. Menefee talking this afternoon to a resident of Harris County. 

I told Mr. Menefee the following:

* Trump & the Republican Party are weaponizing first responders to become deportation squads and suppressors of civil liberties.

* Our current political solution may have to be resolved in the streets as well as at the ballot box.

* He is one of the few elected officials I have some measure of trust in.

What I did not get to was asking him what his plans are to campaign for the full Democratic slate in Harris County in 2024, as we work to hold the county from Republicans and defeat authoritarian Ted Cruz.

Mr. Menefee and I know each other a bit. He listened. He was out in public at the busy West Gray Multi-service Center and people were coming at him. He was not likely to offer some detailed thought.

There is a lot of trouble ahead. Press your elected officials every time you see them. Share with them your concerns about democracy and the safety of your family in this political climate. Get them to consider about subjects and possibilities that people in institutional positions might not want to think about.

Don't wait on politicians and official responses.  Our freedom is up to each of us.         
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The Houston Democracy Project works daily to inspire, organize and strengthen pro-democracy coalitions in Houston and Harris County.  

Please share word of the Houston Democracy Project and support the effort with your contribution. If you have a question about the Project or a suggestion, please send an e-mail to [email protected].