Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo caused a stir during Thursday's Commissioners Court meeting.

According to The Daily Caller, the Democratic judge disrupted proceedings when commissioners indicated they would not support her proposal for a tax increase to fund child care and education training programs previously covered by COVID-era funding. The confrontation escalated when Hidalgo encouraged children in attendance to approach commissioners and ask how they planned to vote on the measure.

The tension began after Commissioner Tom Ramsey stated he would vote against putting the proposal on the next ballot, citing concerns about the county's budget capacity to support such programs. Hidalgo immediately responded by calling for children present at the meeting to come forward and question each commissioner about their voting intentions.

Decorum Breaks Down as Emotions Run High

Commissioner Adrian Garcia attempted to restore order by calling a point of order, stating that the debate was proceeding improperly since a motion had been made without being seconded. Hidalgo initially denied making a motion before withdrawing her statement and allowing proceedings to continue.

When Commissioner Lesley Briones began to speak, Hidalgo interrupted by loudly encouraging children to "come on down" to the front of the courtroom. "Come on, come on, come on because this is not about politics. This is about kids!" Hidalgo shouted, as captured in footage from KHOU11's YouTube channel.

Briones tried to continue her remarks while reminding the judge about courtroom decorum. The disruption created confusion as some children began to leave their seats in response to Hidalgo's calls, while commissioners attempted to maintain the formal structure of the meeting.

Commissioners Challenge "Half-Baked" Proposal Amid Budget Concerns

The situation deteriorated further when Briones attempted to present her arguments against what she described as a "half-baked" proposal. Hidalgo continued interrupting, holding up signs about the proposal and shouting over Briones' remarks.

"Education is truth telling! Don't give the kids this example of making things up. This has been going on for four years," Hidalgo exclaimed while waving signs in front of Briones' face. Commissioner Ramsey eventually stepped in to address Hidalgo's behavior, but his calls for order went unheeded.

The contentious debate occurred against the backdrop of Harris County's estimated $270 million deficit, according to Houston Public Media. Commissioners expressed reluctance to put forward a tax increase given the county's current financial challenges, despite Hidalgo's insistence that the programs were essential for families with young children.

Judge Expresses Disappointment Before Abrupt Recess

As the meeting descended into chaos, Hidalgo attempted to make a motion before withdrawing it once again. She then delivered an impassioned statement expressing her disappointment with the commissioners' decision.

"I'm so disappointed, obviously. On behalf of the thousands of families in Harris County whose babies, zero to four, will stop receiving crucial education and to think those families and their children will lose access to childcare and education because of political decision making," Hidalgo stated. She argued there was "absolutely no reason" why they couldn't put the issue before voters.

Hidalgo defended the proposal by noting that the program had been evaluated and that officials had been working on it for four years. She emphasized that, unlike Travis County, Harris County had implemented the program before considering putting it to voters for approval through a bond election.

Fiscal Reality Clashes With Educational Priorities

Before commissioners could fully respond to her remarks, Hidalgo abruptly called for a 10-minute break. During this recess, she reportedly spoke with journalists about her disappointment regarding the commissioners' decision not to advance the tax increase proposal.

The tax increase would have funded child care and education training programs that were initially supported by temporary COVID-era funding. With that funding now expired, the county faced difficult decisions about which programs to continue supporting through its regular budget.

According to the Houston Chronicle, Hidalgo used the break to express her frustrations to reporters gathered outside the courtroom. The meeting highlighted the ongoing tensions between fiscal constraints and desired social programs in Harris County, which continues to grapple with significant budget shortfalls.