2pm Newscast September, 4, 2026

0:00to NPR. Live from News 88 7 in Houston. I'm Gail Delwater. A rest from Mr. Miner Marijuana possession of sharply increased under Mayor Whitmeyer. They're up by nearly 1,300%. That's according to HPD data used in public media got under a public records request. News 88 7's Dominic Anthony Walsh tells us voters could soon weigh on the importance of these kinds of cases. When voters in Houston heads of the polls in few months, their ballots will include a measure instructing the police department to make Mr. Miner cannabis possession its quote, lowest possible enforcement priority. That type of enforcement is on the rise under Whitmeyer. From an average of 35 arrests per year from 2021 through 2023, it's at about 440 per year since he took office. That's just wild. Katina Vollinger is executive director of Ground Game, Texas, which collected about 40,000 petition signatures to get the cannabis proposition on the ballot.

1:01If anything, that just makes the case even stronger of why we need these policies. According to the data, black people were the most likely to be arrested for marijuana-related crimes, comprising about 74% of all arrests over the past five years, despite making up less than 23% of the city's population. I'm Dominic Anthony Walsh, News 88 7. Representatives for Whitmeyer and the Houston Police Department didn't respond to a request for comment. And you can see the data at HoustonPublicMedia.org. Harris County commissioners are considering raising property taxes. They could vote at their meeting next week. The 8% increase would help bridge $180 million deficit in next year's budget. Some Democratic commissioners blame federal funding cuts, but Republican Commissioner Tom Ramsey says he thinks spending is out of control. A slight chance of rain tonight overnight low should be around 79 degrees.

2:0360% chance of rain tomorrow, tomorrow's high should be around 92. I'm Gail DeLotter, News 88 7. Support for NPR comes from NPR stations. Other contributors include RBC Wealth Management, where financial advisors aim to provide customized advice to bring their clients' ideas of performance to life. Learn more at rbcwealthmanagement.com.