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Fort Bend / Southwest • Volume 50 • No. 29 • $1.00 Visit www.FortBendStar.com
GHP: Commissioners vote along party lines to Area create citizens’ redistricting committee economy growing, but at a slowing pace By Ken Fountain
KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
In the latest salvo in Fort Bend County’s ongoing redistricting battle, county commissioners in a party-line vote last week approved a citizens’ committee to recommend changes to the county’s precinct maps in what would be an unusual mid-decade redistricting. Each of the commissioners, including Fort Bend County Judge KP George, will appoint two members to the committee. The move was the first ma-
Staff Reports Editor’s note: In its “Economy at a Glance” report for July, the Greater Houston Partnership – the regional chamber of commerce – examines the current state of Houston’s economy, including trends in employment, energy, construction, foreign trade, home sales, apartment leasing and vehicle sales. Houston’s economy has continued to grow through the first five months of 2025 – but at a slower pace than in previous years. This aligns with national trends as the U.S. economy grows but uncertainty and rising material costs are leading businesses to take a cautious posture. Examples of ongoing trends in Houston include: • Payroll employment is down since the start of the year, with tepid hiring and moderate losses in the professional service sector. • The unemployment rate remains low, but initial jobless claims are on the rise. • Readings from the Houston Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) suggest the economy is growing at a slower pace. • Local sales and use tax collections are up, indicating that spending has been robust. • International trade has declined in dollar terms, though container volume in Port Houston is up. • Low oil prices are depressing activity in energy. • Construction contracts and air travel are down compared to last year. • Home sales and apartment occupancy are up relative to 2024. • New vehicle sales are breaking records. Metro Houston added 29,600 jobs between May 2024 and May 2025. Total nonfarm payroll employment now stands at 3,471,300 jobs. This is down from the record high of 3,479,200 in December, meaning the region has lost 7,900 jobs since the start of the year. Metro Houston shed 41,800 jobs in January as is typical for that month, with temporary holiday employees being let go and annual employment contracts coming to an end. Job growth has been positive but muted since February, with the region averaging fewer than 9,000 new jobs per month. The slow pace of growth largely ref lects national trends. On a seasonally unadjusted basis, the U.S. added just 35,000 jobs year-to-date in May. The national job market has cooled during the past few months as uncertainty and increased costs have led businesses to be cautious and delay long-term hiring decisions.
SEE GHP PAGE 2
jor vote on redistricting since George – who is facing multiple legal and political challenges – in June announced his switch in political affiliation from Democratic to Republican. That gave Republicans the majority they needed to advance a redistricting bid after a Democratic majority – which then included George – pushed through a controversial map in 2021. Since March, the Commissioners Court has been embroiled in heated battles over redistricting after Texas Rep. Matt Morgan, a Republican whose 26th District
includes portions of Fort Bend County, sent a letter to the county saying many of Fort Bend’s voting precincts were illegal under state law because they had too few voters. Longtime Commissioner Andy Meyers, a Republican whose Precinct 3 was most impacted by the 2021 map, has led the charge to do a full redistricting based on Morgen’s letter and one by a Fort Worth-area attorney he hired who said that the 2021
SEE REDISTRICT PAGE 3
Fort Bend County commissioners voted along party lines on July 8 to form a citizens’ committee to advise on redistricting. Here, they are pictured during an earlier meeting. File photo
TRIAL PITS SOCIAL-MEDIA JOURNALIST AGAINST FORT BEND SHERIFF’S OFFICE Federal judge’s ruling expected soon
Justin Pulliam, a self-styled citizen journalist, accompanied by members of his legal team, exits the courtroom at the end of his federal First Amendment rights violation lawsuit trial against the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Department last week. Photo by Ken Fountain
By Ken Fountain KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
Following a three-day bench trial, a federal judge is expected to rule in the next week or so in a case pitting a self-styled citizen journalist’s right to report against the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Department duty to control an ongoing scene. At the end of the trial in the
Houston federal courthouse on July 10, U.S District Judge George C. Hanks, Jr., told attorneys for Justin Pulliam, the social media journalist, and the county to submit final briefs by this Thursday so that he can make a ruling as quickly as possible. The case is one of a growing number of cases involving people called “auditors” who document the actions of police and other governmental of-
ficials for often-lucrative use on social media platforms like YouTube. The U.S. Supreme Court has found that such people have the same First Amendment protections as journalists in traditional media outlets like newspapers and broadcasting. Pulliam, a Fort Bend County resident, has for many years been posting videos of encounters between county law enforcement officers and citizens
and posting them on a YouTube channel called “Corruption Report” and other platforms. The videos often depict Pulliam being confrontational with officers while in the course of their duties. Last fall, Hanks accepted the summary judgement ruling of a federal
SEE TRIAL PAGE 3
Whitbeck loses bid for lawsuit to be reheard By Ken Fountain KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
A Fort Bend County judge last week denied a motion by former Fort Bend ISD Superintendent Christie Whitbeck to have her breach-of-contract lawsuit against the district continue. In the lawsuit, filed last December, Whitbeck claimed she had been publicly disparaged by three ten-trustees in breach of a resignation agreement following her forced resignation in December 2023. The three trustees – Judy Dae, David Hamilton, and Sonya Jones – were sued in their official capacities, but Whitbeck and
her Houston attorney, Chris Tritico, later dropped the individual claims against them. Since Whitbeck’s resignation, both Dae and Hamilton left the board after not seeking reelection. In May, following the board elections, Jones announced her retirement, which she later attempted to rescind. In June, the board officially accepted her resignation and is now planning to replace her. On May 19, 434th District Court Associate Judge Argie Brame signed an order granting the district’s so-called “plea to the jurisdiction.” In that April 11 filing, the district
SEE WHITBECK PAGE 4
A judge last week dismissed former Fort Bend ISD Superintendent Christie Whitbeck’s motion to have her breach-of-contract lawsuit against the district continue. File photo