Tag Archives: Texas

Former Mayor Parker “considering” a run for County Judge in 2026

Posted on May 2, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

The next election is always closer than you think. Former Houston Mayor Annise Parker has been talking to friends and supporters in recent months about making another run for elected office. Parker, a Democrat who led City Hall from 2010 … Continue reading →

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Here come the deepfakes

Posted on May 2, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Here already, and we’re not ready for them. A recent “deepfaked” ad targeting House Speaker Dade Phelan could inspire further legislation to crack down on doctored imagery in political ads. At the end of Monday’s hearing of the House Select … Continue reading →

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The problem with Texas’ anti-porn law

Posted on May 2, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s a good explanation of the issue from Slate. After a federal district court judge found that the law likely violated the First Amendment rights of the plaintiffs—led by the adult film trade association the Free Speech Coalition—the 5th Circuit … Continue reading →

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SCOTUS leaves anti-porn law in place for now

Posted on May 1, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

No emergency intervention, but the appeal on the merits is still ongoing. The Supreme Court refused on Tuesday to block a Texas law that seeks to limit minors’ access to pornography on the internet by requiring age verification measures like … Continue reading →

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Paxton sues over new federal LGBTQ+ protections in schools

Posted on April 30, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Oh, look, his favorite judge is available. Texas Republican leaders are pushing back on the Biden administration’s new rules that bar schools from discriminating based on sexual orientation or gender identity. On Monday, Gov. Greg Abbott said he would direct … Continue reading →

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Tarrant County DA still wants to prosecute Crystal Mason

Posted on April 29, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

What an asshole. Tarrant County District Attorney Phil Sorrells wants Crystal Mason’s illegal voting conviction reinstated, his office announced Thursday. Mason, a Tarrant County resident, was acquitted of an illegal voting charge last month. Sorrells’ office is now asking the … Continue reading →

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Bringing back black bears

Posted on April 29, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Cool. It’s difficult to visualize these days, what with the light pollution, overdevelopment and sprawl that have come to define the greater Houston area, but the ground we now stand on was once the domain of 5’ 6” black bears. … Continue reading →

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More on Amtrak and Texas Central

Posted on April 28, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Some good followup in the Chron on the question of Amtrak pushing the high speed rail line in Texas. With Amtrak taking the reins, for now, of a Texas bullet train project, here’s some of the issues that will determine … Continue reading →

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Texas Medical Board’s abortion guidance is a mess

Posted on April 27, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. Doctors who perform life-saving abortions may soon be required to document whether they first tried to transfer the patient to another facility to avoid terminating the pregnancy, a move some say goes … Continue reading →

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Ted Cruz may owe taxes on his podcast payments

Posted on April 27, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

This is a gift that keeps on giving. The peculiar payment scheme behind U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz’s popular podcast has raised ethical questions and drawn complaints about election law violations. Now tax experts say the deal involving a massive radio … Continue reading →

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Dispatches from Dallas, April 26 edition

Posted on April 26, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

This is a weekly feature produced by my friend Ginger. Let us know what you think. This week, in news from Dallas-Fort Worth, it’s all elections all the time, both the May 4 general election and the May 28 runoff. … Continue reading →

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SCOTUS hears the EMTALA case

Posted on April 25, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Hope for the best, but be prepared for the worst. The Supreme Court appeared split Wednesday in a case over whether a federal law requiring hospitals to provide appropriate stabilizing medical treatment for patients could in some cases overrule a … Continue reading →

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Seattle Children’s Hospital settles with Paxton

Posted on April 24, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Meh. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton will drop his quest to seize transgender patients’ information from a Seattle children’s hospital, according to a court settlement Paxton’s office announced on Monday. Seattle Children’s Hospital officials have said in sworn depositions that … Continue reading →

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Re-endorsement watch: Again for Jarvis

Posted on April 23, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron re-endorses Rep. Jarvis Johnson for the special election in SD15. The crowded Democratic race to replace current Mayor John Whitmire in the Texas Senate has narrowed to two candidates with starkly different backgrounds and philosophies of governance and … Continue reading →

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A brief history of May elections in Harris County

Posted on April 22, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

As previously noted, early voting begins today for the special HCAD and SD15 elections. I have said before that we are not used to voting in May in Harris County and that because of that and because of the annoyingly … Continue reading →

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Arlington nun mutiny update

Posted on April 22, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Things remain wild in Arlington, that’s all I can say. The story starts on Thursday with the Vatican attempting to impose its order on the situation. A Carmelite monastery that has engaged in a yearlong feud with Diocese of Fort … Continue reading →

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Paxton’s disciplinary lawsuit can continue

Posted on April 21, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

So says the same court that upheld the Sidney Powell dismissal. A Dallas appeals court ruled Friday that Attorney General Ken Paxton can face disciplinary action for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. A three-judge panel on the 5th … Continue reading →

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Second complaint filed over Ted Cruz’s podcast payments

Posted on April 21, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Bring ’em all on. The Campaign Legal Center (CLC), a money-in-politics watchdog group, has filed a complaint with the Senate Ethics Committee alleging that U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz violated the upper chamber’s ban on members taking honoraria for speeches or … Continue reading →

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Don’t hold your breath waiting for the WNBA to come back to Houston

Posted on April 21, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

The WNBA will be expanding from 12 to 16 teams by 2028. Houston is not on their list of potential new locations. The WNBA is looking to continue growing in the next few years. The league intends to reach 16 … Continue reading →

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Dispatches from Dallas: Special school edition for April 21

Posted on April 21, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

This is a special edition of the weekly feature produced by my friend Ginger, focused on school districts and the May election. Let us know what you think. Welcome to a special schools edition of Dispatches from Dallas. A number … Continue reading →

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Amtrak pushes for Texas Central

Posted on April 20, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I like the sound of that. Booming demand, Texas’s rapidly expanding population and growing political will have converged to create the right environment to move high-speed rail ahead, Amtrak leadership said Tuesday. Andy Byford, Amtrak’s senior vice president of high-speed … Continue reading →

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Sidney Powell’s disciplinary lawsuit stays dismissed

Posted on April 20, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

A bummer, and a black eye for the State Bar. A Dallas appeals court on Thursday upheld a decision not to discipline Sidney Powell, former lawyer for Donald Trump, for her role in seeking to overturn the 2020 presidential election, … Continue reading →

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Is Ted Cruz ever going to feel some pressure about abortion?

Posted on April 19, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

News item #1: Whatever happens in Arizona in November, we got a preview of the difficulty Republican candidates will have in states where high-stakes ballot initiatives literally put abortion on the ballot. Shortly after Arizona’s high court ruled that the … Continue reading →

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SD15 rounds two and three

Posted on April 19, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

If it weren’t for the HCAD elections on May 4, the SD15 special election would be the headliner. Molly Cook and state Rep. Jarvis Johnson both say they take every election seriously, and that includes their head-to-head matchup on May … Continue reading →

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Dispatches from Dallas, April 19 edition

Posted on April 19, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

This is a weekly feature produced by my friend Ginger. Let us know what you think. This week, in news from Dallas-Fort Worth: news about the upcoming election, including what we know and don’t know; the bond package here in … Continue reading →

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Good luck finding any info about those county appraisal board elections

Posted on April 18, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

As you know, I’ve written a bunch about the HCAD Board elections, including doing interviews with four of the candidates, so that you my readers and anyone else who stumbles across this page can hopefully know a little something about … Continue reading →

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The Chron covers the HCAD elections

Posted on April 18, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

At long, long last. Most Houston-area property owners likely are unaware that the amount of taxes they owe is decided, in part, by a group of local appraisers overseen by a little-known board of directors. But for the first time … Continue reading →

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Book ban law stays blocked

Posted on April 18, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Key portions of a law signed last year by Gov. Greg Abbott requiring booksellers to rate books for sexual content when selling to schools will not go into effect after the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday declined … Continue reading →

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Allred maintains his fundraising pace

Posted on April 17, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Gonna need to keep that going. U.S. Rep. Colin Allred raised over $9.5 million for his U.S. Senate campaign in this year’s first quarter, surpassing the campaign of his rival Sen. Ted Cruz. Notably, Allred has also raised more money … Continue reading →

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A brief robotaxi update

Posted on April 16, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Cruise is back on the streets, but with human drivers for the time being. Cruise has announced that it’s resuming tests for its fleet of self-driving taxis in Phoenix, Arizona , though not with passengers just yet. The autonomous vehicle … Continue reading →

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Trying again on judge shopping

Posted on April 15, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

If at first you don’t succeed… U.S. Senate leaders introduced legislation to end “judge shopping” — a practice that’s made a federal courthouse in Amarillo with a Trump-appointed judge a destination for conservative litigants challenging Biden administration policies. Senate Majority … Continue reading →

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Bastard cabbage update

Posted on April 15, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Because I still like saying “bastard cabbage”. There’s a war raging in Texas this spring — between wildflowers and bastard cabbage. Officials say bastard cabbage, also known by its proper name, rapistrum rugosum, poses a threat to the livelihood of … Continue reading →

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Chron overview of the HD139 runoff

Posted on April 14, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

While I hope that the Chron runs overviews of all of the primary runoffs, I really hope they run at least one freaking story about the HCAD special election. Angie Thibodeaux is an affordable housing consultant who wants to make … Continue reading →

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Fertitta still interested in an NHL team

Posted on April 14, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Also possibly a WNBA team. For the second time in more than a month, Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta has stated his interest in bringing an NHL team to Houston. Fertitta, in an interview Wednesday on CNBC’s “Power Lunch,” was asked … Continue reading →

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