Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo is beefing with Rodeo Houston officials after being kicked out of Tuesday night's Megan Moroney concert for not having the proper credentials.

Why it matters: In series of Facebook posts Tuesday and Wednesday, Hidalgo said she was "manhandled" by rodeo staff and security and questioned whether their response would be the same if she were a man.

Driving the news: Hidalgo, who had suite tickets Tuesday, attempted to gain dirt-level access despite not having the premium "chute" tickets priced at $425, Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo officials said in a statement to Chron.

• The rodeo had provided Hidalgo's office with $9,000 worth of floor tickets for the three previous shows, rodeo officials told ABC13, but they were unable to provide floor access for Moroney's performance because it was sold out.

What they're saying: "I have always been allowed on the dirt based on the county's relationship with the rodeo, regardless of wristband," Hidalgo wrote in a public letter Wednesday, saying she was with another elected official and her children, plus other guests.

• Rodeo committee members "then proceeded to block the kids and mom from entering, grabbed me, shoved me, and threatened to arrest me," Hidalgo said.
• "I want [rodeo] leadership to know that constituents of color and women, like me, deserve to be physically safe and to be treated with dignity," Hidalgo wrote. "I hope nobody else experiences behavior like this."
• Hidalgo posted on Facebook yesterday that she had received some security footage from the event but "as of now, we have not found any relevant footage."

The other side: Rodeo officials denied Hidalgo was shoved or threatened with arrest.

• "There were numerous law enforcement officers who were present and none saw any physical harm including 'manhandling,'" Rodeo Houston chairwoman Pat Mann Phillips and president Chris Boleman wrote in a joint letter yesterday, per Click2Houston. "Ultimately, when she would not go back to her designated seats in the suite, she was escorted out."
• "As Chairwoman of the Board, the idea that she was treated this way because she's a woman or Hispanic is absolutely false and insulting," Phillips wrote.

Friction point

Houston and other Texas cities could soon be on the vanguard of aviation, with innovative electric aircraft flying between major metros.

Why it matters: The U.S. is competing against China to lead in advanced air mobility.

The latest: The Federal Aviation Administration selected the Texas Department of Transportation this week for one of eight pilot projects nationally for regional flights linking Dallas, Austin and San Antonio — with Houston planned next.

• The projects will create one of the largest real-world testing environments for next-generation aircraft in existence, the FAA said in a statement.

How it works: Most of the U.S. projects involve the use of electric aircraft that can take off or land vertically — imagine giant, low-flying electric drones carrying passengers or cargo that take off like helicopters and fly horizontally like traditional planes.

• Some will also include electric or hybrid planes that take off and land conventionally or require only a short runway.

State of play: Operations in Texas cities could start later this year, Adam Hammons, a TxDOT spokesperson, tells Axios.

• TxDOT will initially use traditional helicopters and fixed-wing planes alongside electric aircraft to fly the planned routes. The flights will carry equipment and perform tests without carrying commercial passengers, Hammons said.
• In a second phase, operations will scale to medical and cargo logistics, such as transporting critical medical supplies or organs between rural facilities and urban medical centers in Austin and San Antonio.
• After the electric aircraft receive final federal certifications, the network will scale — in two to three years — to commercial passenger "air taxi" flights, Hammons says.

What they're saying

🎰 Fertitta Entertainment, owned by Houston billionaire and Italian ambassador Tilman Fertitta, is reportedly in talks to buy Caesars Entertainment in a deal valued around $7 billion. (Houston Chronicle)

🧠 The National Institutes of Health awarded the University of Houston $11.8 million to study early language development in Houston-area toddlers. (UH)

🎣 An angler was charged after Texas game wardens found weights inside his bass at a North Texas fishing tournament, officials say. (KHOU)

Rodeo Houston attendance appears to be lagging behind last year's record-setting 2.7 million attendees.

Why it matters: If the pace continues, total attendance might be the lowest since 2010.

By the numbers: Roughly 1.19 million people have been to the rodeo grounds through Wednesday, whether for the barbecue contest, rodeo and concert or just a day at the carnival.

• Through this time last year, there were 1.33 million people who had attended.

Yes, but: Several big names will be gracing the Star Stage in the second half of the rodeo.

The bottom line: Tickets are still available for the remaining rodeo days.

Our colleague Madalyn in San Antonio recently tried Haywire's viral Cowgirl Dinner.

How it works: The $30 special, offered through March 31 for Women's History Month, includes a 5-ounce steak with roasted garlic butter, a Caesar salad, fries and your choice of a dirty or lemon drop martini.

• You can select the Cowgirl Dinner experience while snagging your OpenTable reservation. Haywire's Houston location is in Memorial City.

Dig in: It's not a white tablecloth splurge, but the steak was flavorful and cooked to a perfect medium rare (for me).

• The Caesar was crisp and the fries golden and crunchy.
• My lemon drop martini was light and easy to sip, adding a bright citrus note that balanced the plate.
• We left full and satisfied, calling it a night by 10pm.

Six-word review: Satisfying mix of savory, creamy, salty.

The bottom line: It's a fun excuse to corral your friends for a night out. And yes, cowboys can order it too.