After Mayor John Whitmire announced an executive order to change the city’s policy on contacting Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a few council members introduced a new ordinance to comply with the order.

What this means: Council members Alejandra Salinas, Edward Pollard and Tiffany Thomas introduced a bill that would reduce the Houston Police Department’s cooperation with ICE by no longer requiring officers to contact ICE solely for a civil administrative warrant unless there is a jailable criminal offense.

The ordinance would also require additional details in HPD’s quarterly ICE transparency reports, including the reasons for jail bookings and whether the city contacted ICE about a victim or suspect.

What they're saying: In a joint statement, council members Salinas, Pollard and Thomas said: “For more than a year, Houston families, workers and advocates have demanded that City Hall limit HPD’s cooperation with ICE. Our new Prop A immigration ordinance builds on the measure we successfully fought to pass earlier this year.”

Looking ahead: The proposed ordinance will be discussed in mid-November or early December.

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center is growing the Texas Medical Center through two new advanced cancer care facilities, which will contribute nearly 2 million square feet to its campus, according to a Nov. 5 news release.

Long story short: Both facilities are key initiatives in UT MD Anderson’s $2.5 billion philanthropic campaign, “Only Possible Here, The Campaign to End Cancer.”

Together, they will address the heightened demand for cancer care across the state by providing spaces for patient care operations, as well as incorporating emerging technologies into its practices.

The breakdown: With an anticipated opening date of 2032, Inspiration Tower is positioned to become the institution’s largest patient care facility, as well as the largest cancer-focused clinical facility in the nation. It alone will encompass 1.4 million square feet, according to the release.

The neighboring Prism building will serve as a 292,000-square-foot hub for radiation oncology and diagnostic imaging.

Something to note: Upon completion, the two facilities will be located at the corner of Fannin Street and Holcombe Boulevard.

Houston City Council unanimously approved a handful of public safety grant applications, including funding for cold case investigations, law enforcement overtime and drone detection capabilities.

What this means: The Houston Police Department will apply for federal funding through the Prosecuting Cold Cases Using DNA Program to support specialized DNA testing and forensic genetic genealogy.

This will be the city’s fourth time applying for this grant, which previously helped the city solve 16 cold cases, city officials said. The grant is for $750,000.

The city is also jointly applying with Harris County for nearly $3 million through the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant for overtime spending, equipment, technology and training. If awarded, HPD and the sheriff’s office would receive approximately $1.48 million each.

The city is also applying for funding to help law enforcement detect, track and mitigate unauthorized drones, especially during major events.

Also of note: The city is submitting the grant applications through HPD, and if approved, the grant periods will end in 2029.

The Harris County Commissioners Court is scheduled to discuss several key initiatives during its Nov. 12 regular meeting, including disaster recovery, artificial intelligence and violence prevention.

Latest update: Commissioners are expected to discuss a one-year spending deadline extension granted by the Texas General Land Office for federally funded Hurricane Harvey recovery and flood mitigation projects. The new deadlines are February 2028 and March 2029.

Another detail: Additionally, the court will consider a new county AI policy developed by the Universal Services department, which recommends implementation in May 2027 to allow for department training.

One more thing: The court will also consider adding 24 jobs to expand two violence prevention and interruption programs, HART and RISE.

Democrats saw decisive wins up and down the ballot in Texas and across the nation in the Nov. 3 election, flipping the Lone Star State to Democratic control for the first time in a generation.

The big picture: Texas has had a Republican governor, state Senate and state House since 2003. Next year, the state will be led by a Democratic governor, with a Democratic lieutenant governor presiding over the Senate and House lawmakers likely electing a Democrat to lead the chamber—however, the senators themselves will remain majority-Republican.

More details: How much power Lt. Gov.-elect Vikki Goodwin will have over the Texas Senate is largely up to senators, who will approve the chamber's new rules when the legislature convenes in January.

Sam Hooper, a legislative attorney and consultant, said he was "hopeful" that the election results would lead to "a more collegial Senate" and cooperation among lawmakers of both political parties.

The majority-Republican Senate and majority-Democrat House will have to find a balance, as bills cannot become law without approval from both chambers.