Author Archives: Charles Kuffner

Fifth Circuit partially upholds ruling that ordered library books back on shelves in Llano County

Posted on June 10, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

This is a lot. Eight books dealing with subjects including racism and transgender issues must be returned to library shelves in a rural Texas county that had removed them in an ongoing book banning controversy, a divided panel of three … Continue reading →

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Mayor Whitmire wants to get rid of ShotSpotter

Posted on June 10, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Fine by me. Mayor John Whitmire revealed plans to scrap the city’s $3.5 million ShotSpotter program, positioning Houston as the latest city government to abandon the controversial gunshot detection technology after a brief experiment. “I think it is a gimmick,” … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for June 9

Posted on June 9, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

“No one has ever sold out a hundred shows at Madison Square Garden, and I don’t think anybody ever will.” Cool story about Dat Nguyen, College Football Hall of Famer at Texas A&M, first Vietnamese-American to play in the NFL, … Continue reading →

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A closer look at the HISD bond proposal

Posted on June 9, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

From the Houston Landing, which put together five highlights from the proposal. 1. Elementary and middle schools to see the biggest upgrades All schools will see some level of investment under the bond plan, but elementary and middle schools will … Continue reading →

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Uvalde parents sue FedEx and UPS over gun shipment

Posted on June 9, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Very interesting. The lawsuit alleges that FedEx was used to ship the AR-15 style rifle used in the shooting, and UPS was used for the shipment of a bump stock, which was found at the scene. According to the lawsuit, … Continue reading →

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National attention on the Allred-Cruz race

Posted on June 9, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Things are a little different now than they were in 2018. Also, Dems have very few even remotely realistic pickup opportunities this cycle, so. With more than four months left before Election Day 2018, Democrat Beto O’Rourke had campaigned in … Continue reading →

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June HCAD special election runoff early voting Day Five: The pace of the mail ballots

Posted on June 8, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I’ll get right to it, here’s your Day Five EV report for the June HCAD runoffs. I’ve said before in these recaps that I don’t often have much to say about them because there’s not much of a basis for … Continue reading →

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Another statewide improvement effort

Posted on June 8, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Let a thousand flowers bloom, I say. A team of Democratic strategists unveiled a new group Thursday that aims to turn Texas blue by building up the party’s campaign infrastructure over multiple elections — offering a more practical outlet, in … Continue reading →

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All Texas Republicans vote against bill to protect contraception

Posted on June 8, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

The headline speaks for itself. The U.S. House passed a bill Thursday that would prevent states from banning birth control, though nearly the entire Republican delegation from Texas voted against it. The bill, which faces far more hurdles passing through … Continue reading →

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June HCAD special election runoff early voting Day Four: Keep those mail ballots coming in

Posted on June 7, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I haven’t been giving a day-by-day update on the early voting numbers for the HCAD runoff elections – it’s a little harder to say something interesting when there are no similar elections to compare the current one to. But here … Continue reading →

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Harris County settles sexual misconduct lawsuit against Precinct 1 Constable’s office

Posted on June 7, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

An ugly chapter. Harris County commissioners on Tuesday agreed to pay four women $1.5 million, settling a civil lawsuit that alleged an array of sexual misconduct and exploitation during so-called “bachelor party” stings while working as rookie Precinct 1 constable … Continue reading →

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HISD reports improvements on high school end of course exams

Posted on June 7, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Good. More Houston ISD students met or exceeded grade level on the English I, English II, Algebra I and biology end-of-course exams that are required for high school graduation, according to figures released by the district. HISD saw a 3 … Continue reading →

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Dispatches from Dallas, June 7 edition

Posted on June 7, 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, we have a short post due to the weather, which is one of the major items in … Continue reading →

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Firefighter deal details released

Posted on June 6, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Just in time for the start of budget talks. A proposed settlement between Mayor John Whitmire and the city’s firefighters union could result in major changes to the Houston Fire Department beyond the deal’s $1.5 billion cost. Under the terms … Continue reading →

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Paxton asks SCOTx to dismiss the disciplinary lawsuit against him

Posted on June 6, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I’m just surprised it took him this long. State Attorney General Ken Paxton is asking the Texas Supreme Court to reverse an appeals court ruling that kept active a disciplinary proceeding and potential future punishment for his effort to overturn … Continue reading →

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“Like ‘Succession’ with turkey legs and jousting”

Posted on June 6, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

All right, I guess I should watch that HBO doc on the Texas Renaissance Festival and its founder, George Coulam. To label George Coulam eccentric is such an understatement that it’s like calling Houston summers hot. Yes, it’s true, but … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of June 3

Posted on June 6, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance says “GUILTY! GUILTY! GUILTY! GUILTY! GUILTY! GUILTY! GUILTY! GUILTY! GUILTY! GUILTY! GUILTY! GUILTY! GUILTY! GUILTY! GUILTY! GUILTY! GUILTY! GUILTY! GUILTY! GUILTY! GUILTY! GUILTY! GUILTY! GUILTY!GUILTY! GUILTY! GUILTY! GUILTY! GUILTY! GUILTY! GUILTY! GUILTY! GUILTY! GUILTY!” as it … Continue reading →

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A look at recent trends in early, mail, and Election Day voting

Posted on June 5, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve noted before how I completely overestimated Election Day voting totals in the November/December 2023 and March 2024 races, based on recent past data from similar elections. I’ve tentatively concluded that even for races where a lot of Election Day … Continue reading →

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Harris County seeks a new direction for HART

Posted on June 5, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Hopefully a solid reset and restart. Possibly even with the same vendor, if they can make the best offer and no other questions come up. Harris County officials on Tuesday began making new plans to extend a program that sends … Continue reading →

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Shepherd-Durham project back on track

Posted on June 5, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

First, I got this in my inbox, from the Mayor’s office. Mayor John Whitmire and the Memorial Heights TIRZ have reached a compromise on the design of the Shepherd Durham Phase II project that maintains the terms of the Federal … Continue reading →

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June HCAD special election runoff early voting Day One: Yeah, we’re doing this again

Posted on June 4, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Current mood: here to tell you that more voting starts today in houston — jen rice (@jen_rice_) 1:39 PM – 3 June 2024 Here’s your Day One report for the runoff. It’s fair to say that the voters, fresh off … Continue reading →

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Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee says she has pancreatic cancer

Posted on June 4, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I wish her all the best for a full and speedy recovery. U.S. Rep Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston, is undergoing treatment for pancreatic cancer, the congresswoman shared in a Sunday statement on social media platform X. “My doctors have confirmed … Continue reading →

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Runoff endorsement watch: One for two

Posted on June 4, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron revisited their HCAD endorsements for the runoff, with one needing a change since their first choice finished third last month. For the Place 2 runoff, voters have a choice between two qualified candidates, Kyle Scott and Melissa Noriega. … Continue reading →

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One year of the HISD takeover

Posted on June 3, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

It’s been a year since HISD was officially taken over. Where do we stand on the things that matter, the schools’ and students’ performances? Early data is mostly positive, with a lot of caveats. According to early data, HISD appears … Continue reading →

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Another Speaker contender

Posted on June 3, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I suspect this list will get longer. Whether they all make it to the actual vote for Speaker is another story. State Rep. Shelby Slawson announced Thursday she is running for Texas House speaker, becoming the second member to challenge … Continue reading →

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Houston janitors win new contract

Posted on June 3, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Good for them. Houston janitors agreed Saturday to ratify a new union contract with building contractors that will see wages for full-time workers reach $15. Full-time janitors will see their wages increase to at least $15 during the course of … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for June 2

Posted on June 2, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

For no particular reason, you should watch this video. You’re welcome. Sure has been a rough couple of years for ol’ Rudy Giuliani. That sound you hear is my heart breaking for him. “But regardless of how swiftly Trump and … Continue reading →

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County Clerk announcement on HCAD runoff early voting

Posted on June 2, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth announces that early voting for the June 15 Uniform Runoff Election begins on Monday, June 3, and runs through Tuesday, June 11. During early voting, 26 vote centers will open from 7 … Continue reading →

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HISD asks for $4.4 billion in bonds

Posted on June 2, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

That sure is a lot. Houston ISD unveiled a $4.4 billion bond proposal, the largest in HISD history and likely the largest package any Texas school district has taken to voters. Much of the bond, $2.05 billion, would go to … Continue reading →

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Here’s your state flood plan

Posted on June 2, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

We have a lot of people living in flood-prone areas. That’s not going away. More than 5 million Texans, or one in six people in the state, live or work in an area susceptible to flooding, according to a draft … Continue reading →

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SCOTx upholds abortion ban in Zurawski lawsuit

Posted on June 1, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t know if the Supreme Court intended to bury the news of this stinker of a ruling on a Friday, but boy howdy if that was their intent did they ever pick the right Friday to do it on. … Continue reading →

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Metro Chair seeks to nullify 2019 election

Posted on June 1, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I’m so mad about this I’m having a hard time seeing straight. Metro is beginning to steer in a different direction under Mayor John Whitmire and his appointed chair of the transit agency, pulling away from a planned expansion of … Continue reading →

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“Venice of the South” sounds like an optimistic outlook to me

Posted on June 1, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Just a reminder, Galveston is going to be mostly under water in the not too distant future. In a city that once built a 17-foot seawall to keep Mother Nature in check, Galveston is slowly but steadily bracing itself against … Continue reading →

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Early voting for the HCAD runoffs starts Monday

Posted on May 31, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I mentioned this yesterday, and I will say it again before Monday. Early Vote Centers will be open from Monday, June 3, 2024 – Tuesday, June 11, 2024 (Mon-Sat: 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. Sun: 12 p.m. – 7 p.m.) … Continue reading →

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