Author Archives: Charles Kuffner

Judge Hidalgo will run again in 2026

Posted on May 31, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

In case you were wondering. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said Thursday she plans to seek a third term in office in 2026. Hidalgo told the Chronicle during a live virtual event that she is “really excited” to run for … Continue reading →

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A brief overview of flying taxis

Posted on May 31, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

This was written by the executive director of the Oklahoma Aerospace Institute for Research and Education, and it answers at least one of my questions about our flying taxi future. In the near term, once eVTOLs are certified to fly … Continue reading →

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A couple of followups on the runoffs

Posted on May 30, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Sen. Molly Cook gets some deserved attention. State Sen. Molly Cook appears to have narrowly defeated state Rep. Jarvis Johnson in the Senate District 15 primary runoff for the second time this month, setting the stage for her to hold … Continue reading →

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Whiny loser election redo set for next May

Posted on May 30, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Pending appeal, of course. One of Harris County’s 2022 judicial races could be back on the ballot in May 2025 after a visiting judge from Bexar County ordered a redo earlier this month. Voters are set to go back to … Continue reading →

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True The Vote continues to be trash

Posted on May 30, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Item one. True the Vote, the right-wing conspiracy theorist group that spread lies of ballot stuffing in the 2020 election is focused on perpetuating a new lie ahead of 2024: the myth of non-citizens voting in elections. The group, which … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of May 27

Posted on May 30, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance wishes everyone a happy unofficial start to summer as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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Primary runoff results: Harris County

Posted on May 29, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

So this happened: That was quite the storm, though after what we’ve already experienced just this month it’s not as impressive as it might have been. It was even worse in North Texas, where some polls stayed open until 9 … Continue reading →

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Primary runoff results: Statewide

Posted on May 29, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Unlike Harris County, most of the races of interest here were on the Republican side. We’ll start with the race against House Speaker Dade Phelan, which the Speaker has won by a narrow margin. Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan, the … Continue reading →

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Houston will get some World Baseball Classic games

Posted on May 29, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Very cool. Houston will be one of four host cities for the World Baseball Classic when the international tournament is next played in 2026, Major League Baseball announced on Thursday. Minute Maid Park will host group stage games and a … Continue reading →

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We’re just not allowed to have close elections anymore

Posted on May 28, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

That’s my takeaway from this. A judge’s decision to order a new election in a close Harris County race from 2022 is putting election officials statewide on notice: Any type of error — large or small — has the potential … Continue reading →

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Firefighter settlement officially approved

Posted on May 28, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

The legalities are mostly over, but there are still a bunch of items to handle. A state district court judge has signed off on a settlement between the city of Houston and the firefighter union, clearing one obstacle for a … Continue reading →

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Lone Star Rail revival

Posted on May 28, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe now is finally the time. Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai and Travis County Judge Andy Brown have jointly launched a committee of political heavyweights to explore the decades-old idea of connecting Austin and San Antonio via passenger rail. The … Continue reading →

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Primary runoff day is tomorrow

Posted on May 27, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth reminds voters that Tuesday, May 28, is Election Day for the Primary Runoff Elections. Voters can cast their ballots in person at one of the more than 300 vote centers in Harris … Continue reading →

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More on the senior living situation

Posted on May 27, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I look forward to seeing what the city does about this. Reyes and his neighbors at Independence Hall are among thousands of low-income and disabled seniors in Houston left to rely on their landlords for an organized response to last … Continue reading →

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Another “extremely active hurricane season” forecast

Posted on May 27, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Buckle up. With the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season starting in less than 10 days, the nation’s top weather agency on Thursday released its most pessimistic forecast to date, giving this year an 85% chance of having an unusually high number … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for May 26

Posted on May 26, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

“It’s hard to believe today, when the vast majority of Americans support it, but just 20 years ago the issue of same-sex marriage divided the country and drove voter turnout.” “We were robbed of a Daisy Jones & The Six … Continue reading →

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Final EV totals for the May 2024 primary runoffs

Posted on May 26, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Here are your final EV totals for the May 2024 primary runoffs. I’ll go ahead and break out a chart, as per tradition: Party Mail Early Total ============================== Dem 11,534 16,421 27,955 GOP 662 1,861 2,523 Again, one must remember … Continue reading →

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Uvalde parents sue Daniel Defense again

Posted on May 26, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I’m rooting for them. Several Uvalde families are suing Daniel Defense, the gun company whose AR-15 style rifle an 18-year-old gunman used to kill 19 children and two teachers and injure several others at Robb Elementary two years ago, lawyers … Continue reading →

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Last Astroworld wrongful death suit settled

Posted on May 26, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Not unexpected, at least to me. The family of the youngest concertgoer killed at the 2021 Astroworld Festival has settled with rapper Travis Scott, Apple, LiveNation and other companies on the heels of similar agreements in other fatality lawsuits, a … Continue reading →

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A holiday weekend HISD roundup

Posted on May 25, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

This will be a basic linkdump. I’ll start here. The Houston ISD Board of Managers appears to have moved forward late Thursday with the termination of Herod Elementary School Principal Jessica Berry, who declined to resign in the district’s recent … Continue reading →

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HART trouble

Posted on May 25, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Not great. Harris County paused its Holistic Assistance Response Teams on Wednesday after Commissioners Court failed to reach an agreement on whether to pay the vendor operating the program. At issue is a $270,000 payment to Disaster Emergency Medical Assistance … Continue reading →

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Not just Fertitta wants a hockey team here

Posted on May 25, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Do tell. Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta has company when it comes to bringing a pro hockey franchise to Houston. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman confirmed Tuesday that the league has received interest from other parties about a team in Houston. “Tilman … Continue reading →

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Uvalde parents sue DPS officers

Posted on May 24, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I hope they can get this to a courtroom. I fear that “qualified immunity” will stop them beforehand. Relatives of 17 children killed and two kids injured in Texas’ deadliest school shooting are suing Texas Department of Public Safety officers … Continue reading →

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The HD146 runoff

Posted on May 24, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve avoided writing about this for as long as I could, but it needs to be talked about. That Senate Bill 14 would pass was not in doubt. The legislation, which would bar gender-transitioning care for children and teens, had … Continue reading →

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Is anyone still defending Mike Miles?

Posted on May 24, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Anna Eastman is out. As a former Houston ISD parent and school board member, I initially encouraged Houstonians to be open to the state takeover and its potential benefits for our kids. I know firsthand that many things in HISD … Continue reading →

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Dispatches from Dallas, May 24 edition

Posted on May 24, 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 election news; deaths and their aftermaths in the Tarrant County Jail; Dallas city charter updates; … Continue reading →

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You say “de-REY-cho”, I say “de-REH-cho”

Posted on May 23, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

If only we could have called the whole thing off. A heat dome in Mexico contributed to Houston’s rare derecho event on May 16, when deadly and destructive winds whipped Southeast Texas, leaving eight dead and much of the nation’s … Continue reading →

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On “bold things” for mobility

Posted on May 23, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. Mayor John Whitmire started a noontime discussion about transportation in the region by saying he was “fired up” about the opportunity to improve the city’s mobility and infrastructure. […] 2. “I am … Continue reading →

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That other high speed rail line update

Posted on May 23, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Keep on moving. Transportation planners in North Texas continue their efforts to bring high-speed rail to the area, a system that would link Dallas and Fort Worth via Arlington and push south to Houston. The North Central Texas Council of … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of May 20

Posted on May 23, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance wishes everyone affected by the recent storms a full and fast recovery as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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Of course no one likes the Texas Medical Board’s proposed abortion guidance

Posted on May 22, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

This was never a viable path forward. It was and is doomed to fail. When Sarah Harrison addressed the Texas Medical Board at a virtual hearing Monday, she added her name to the growing list of Texas women who have … Continue reading →

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The senior living situation

Posted on May 22, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

This story hit me in a couple of ways. Ever since the power went out Thursday night from the devastating storm that hit Houston, Brian Cotten has been living on water and peanut-butter sandwiches in his sweltering apartment at a … Continue reading →

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Debris collection time

Posted on May 22, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Today, the City of Houston’s Solid Waste Management Department (SWMD) will initiate the first pass of storm debris collection for single-family homes and neighborhoods affected by the Derecho Storm on Thursday, May 16, 2024. Several city departments, … Continue reading →

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Primary Runoff early voting, Day One: First of two runoffs

Posted on May 21, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t plan to follow the early voting totals on a day by day basis for the primary runoffs. I’ll at least have the final totals in addition to Day One, and I may have one more in there if … Continue reading →

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