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Texas Supreme Court Rules State Republican Party Can’t Force Hot-Spot Houston to Host In-Person Convention

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner had ordered the event—which had been expected to draw about 6,000 people—to be canceled as city deals with raging coronavirus pandemic.

An appeal by the Republican Party of Texas that would have allowed the group to host an in-person, mask-free convention in coronavirus-stricken Houston this week has been dismissed by the Texas Supreme Court. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, a Democrat, had ordered the event to be canceled over coronavirus concerns last Wednesday; but the state GOP’s executive committee announced it would sue Turner, Houston First City Corp., and the City of Houston in response. A Harris County judge denied the party’s petition, and the party appealed, sending the case to the Texas Supreme Court. The court ruled that though the party has the right to hold a convention, “those rights do not allow it to simply commandeer use of the Center.” Party officials have said they have plans to host a convention virtually. Houston has become an epicenter of the pandemic, with local officials demanding Gov. Greg Abbott allow another lockdown in the region.