Political Roundup: Mixed Messages From State And Local Leaders As More Businesses Reopen

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While Gov. Greg Abbott’s plans for reopening Texas continue to unfold this week, local leaders continue to stress caution. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said of Monday’s order expanding the opening of businesses: “Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.” Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo notes “the virus hasn’t gone anywhere,” and that “we may be in the eye of the hurricane.”

In the meantime, the numbers reveal a mixed message. Hospitalizations have largely flattened, but the state passed 50,000 coronavirus cases Tuesday — nearly 10,000 in Harris County — and a new daily record for positive tests was reached on Saturday.

In the audio above, Houston Matters host Craig Cohen discusses the continued response to the COVID-19 pandemic and other developments in national, state, and local politics in our weekly political roundup with the help of:

• Renée Cross from the Hobby School of Public Affairs at UH
• Mark Jones of Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy