Editor’s Note: The State Bar of Texas is providing a daily collection of important links, blog posts, and media stories to keep its members and the public informed of the latest news and resources related to Hurricane Harvey relief and recovery efforts.
Important Harvey Links
If you are an attorney who has been adversely affected or wish to assist a colleague, please take a moment to complete the State Bar of Texas’ Hurricane Harvey assistance survey.
If you would like to donate money to the hurricane relief effort in Texas, you can give through the Texas Bar Foundation by clicking here.
If you are an attorney who wants to help by giving brief advice, limited-scope service, or full representation to Harvey survivors, please complete the form at texasbar.com/attorneyvolunteer.
State Bar Disaster Resources for Attorneys — Information on this page includes recovery plans, court closures, court orders, and other items.
State Bar Disaster Resources the Public — The State Bar of Texas legal hotline — (800) 504-7030 — helps people find answers to basic legal questions and connects them with local legal aid providers following declared disasters.
Latest Harvey News
Majority of Commissioner’s Court backs proposed flood control bond — A majority of the Harris County Commissioners Court on Wednesday said they would support a large bond issue, perhaps upwards of $1 billion, and a tax increase to pay for it. — Houston Chronicle
City Council sets hearings on proposed tax rate hike — Houston City Council set the ball rolling Wednesday on Mayor Sylvester Turner’s proposed 8.9 percent tax rate hike to help fund Houston’s recovery from Hurricane Harvey, in what would be the first hike from City Hall in more than two decades. — Houston Chronicle
State unlikely to move STAAR test dates for Harvey-displaced students — The Texas education commissioner said he was not likely to delay required state test administration dates for students displaced by Hurricane Harvey. — The Texas Tribune
Equipment blamed for release of Galveston wastewater sludge — Experts blame equipment failure for the release of about 135,000 gallons of wastewater sludge into Galveston Bay. — The Associated Press
Houston’s ‘flood czar’ says Harvey has brought the city to a decision point on flood control — Stephen Costello, the city’s chief resilience officer, expects to play a big role in how Houston spends it Hurricane Harvey recovery dollars. — The Texas Tribune
In Beaumont, faith and resilience on Pine Street (Audio) — It was the water, not the wind, that most affected southeast Texans in the path of Hurricane Harvey. Recovering from the flood won’t be easy. It will take weeks of cleaning, rebuilding, and, in one Beaumont neighborhood, faith. — Texas Standard