The State of Texas: Conservative activists sue Harris County for requiring facial coverings

Plus, the Texas Supreme Court sides with Gov. Abbott on restricting jail releases, and Galveston beaches will partially reopen Monday.  [View in browser](  [Texas Monthly][Texas Monthly](    The State of Texas   April 24, 2020 In today's State of Texas: Conservative activists sue Harris County for requiring facial coverings, the Texas Supreme Court sides with Governor Abbott on restricting jail releases, and Galveston beaches will partially reopen soon. –Leif Reigstad  Editor's Pick   the culture ["It Seems Almost Impossible to Have the Same Spiritual Connection": Texas Muslims Prepare for a Remote Ramadan]( Mosques are exempt from Governor Greg Abbott's "stay at home" order, but many have opted to stay closed for the Muslim holy month. [Read Story]( By amal ahmed Quote of the Day "We are seeing a level of demand destruction and oil industry downturn that in the past occurred over a period of years now happening over a period of days." —Texas Railroad commissioner Ryan Sitton, during a hearing this week on the state of the oil and gas industry in Texas. [Read Texas Monthly's Loren Steffy]( for a more detailed look at the industry's uncertain future.  The State of Texas  Legal battle brewing over Harris County mask requirement A conservative activist filed a lawsuit Thursday challenging Harris County's requirement that all residents wear facial coverings while in public. Houstonian Steve Hotze, whose political action committee was once designated as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, alleged in the lawsuit that Harris County judge Lina Hidalgo's order violates the Texas Constitution and contradicts Governor Greg Abbott’s stay-at-home order, the [Houston Chronicle]( reports. Hidalgo's order, intended to stop the spread of COVID-19, will require Houstonians to cover their faces with scarves, bandanas, handkerchiefs, and homemade masks. The rule is set to take effect Monday and will be in effect for 30 days. Other Texas cities under similar orders include Austin, Dallas, San Antonio, and Laredo. Texas Supreme Court sides with Abbott on jail releases Governor Greg Abbott's order restricting jail releases during the COVID-19 pandemic was upheld by the Texas Supreme Court on Thursday, according to the [Texas Tribune](. Earlier this month, some Texas counties had tried to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spreading within incarcerated populations by releasing more inmates, but Abbott signed an order prohibiting judges from releasing jail inmates accused or convicted of violent crime who had not paid bail. A lower court judge had blocked the move, after Harris County judges and criminal defense groups sued Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton. The case was appealed to the state supreme court, where justices ruled that the Harris County criminal court judges who were listed as plaintiffs in the lawsuit were not negatively impacted by Abbott's order and thus did not have standing to sue. Galveston beaches will partially reopen Monday Galveston's city council decided Thursday to partially reopen its beaches, after they were closed on March 29 to prevent people from gathering there and potentially spreading COVID-19. The [Galveston Daily News]( reports the island's popular beaches will be open between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m., starting Monday. Not everyone on the council agreed, however. Galveston mayor Jim Yarbrough told the Daily News that the move is a "big mistake." Governor Abbott is reportedly expected to make an announcement Monday regarding loosening restrictions on public beaches.  #tmwanders   Old Baylor Park in Brenham, Texas by @butchwhitfieldphoto SPONSORED [The Bourbon Blog]( Learning about bourbon can easily become a lifetime pursuit. Luckily, bourbon basics are found in the Bourbon Blog, a go-to source for recipes, tips, guides, and more brought to you by Garrison Brothers Distillery. [Learn More](    being texan ["We Touch Everything That You Touch"]( Austin sanitation worker JohnMatthew Treviño wants you to bag your garbage and wipe down your lid handles. By texas monthly    Listen up For the Love of Willie Join us Saturday at 6 p.m. on KUTX for an hour of some of Willie's greatest songs and the stories behind them, hosted by our senior editor John Spong and the Willie Nelson biographer Joe Nick Patoski. (Need a reminder on the big day? 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