Author Archives: Charles Kuffner

A closer look at Colony Ridge

Posted on March 12, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

There have been problems for awhile. Not the kind of problems that got the wingnuts all frothed up, but problems nonetheless. When the fast-growing Colony Ridge development outside Houston became a fixation of right-wing media last year, Texas’ Republican leaders … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters, The great state of Texas | Tagged Attorney General, Colony Ridge, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Ernest Bailes, Greg Abbott, Jay Knight, John Harris, Justice Department, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, Liberty County, Robert Nichols, TCEQ, Texas, Texas Department of Savings and Mortgage Lending, The Lege, Trey Harris | 1 Comment

There’s only one way forward after this primary

Posted on March 11, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

The worst people you know had a very good week last week. It’s likely to get better for them after the runoffs. These headlines capture the essence of it: ‘Disastrous’: A shaken Texas House prepares for rightward shift after record … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged Angela Paxton, Angie Chen Button, Averie Bishop, Ben Bumgarner, Brad Buckley, Caroline Harris Davila, Collin County, Craig Goldman, Dallas County, Daniel Lee, David Carstens, Dawn Richardson, Democratic primary, Denise Wilkerson, Denton County, Detrick DeBurr, Donald Trump, Election 2018, Election 2020, Election 2022, Election 2024, Elizabeth Wilkerson, Fort Bend County, Fred Medina, Frederick Frazier, HD108, HD112, HD118, HD121, HD14, HD26, HD37, HD52, HD54, HD55, HD61, HD63, HD65, HD66, HD67, HD94, HD97, Hugh Shine, impeachment, Jacey Jetton, Janie Lopez, Jeff Leach, Jennie Birkholz, Jennifer Lee, Joe Biden, John Lujan, John Raney, Ken Paxton, Kristian Carranza, Kronda Thimesch, Laurel Jordan Swift, Makala Washington, Matt Shaheen, Michelle Beckley, Morgan Meyer, precinct analysis, primaries, Rachel Mello, redistricting, runoff, SD08, Senate, Steve Allison, Tarrant County, Texas, The Lege, Tony Adams, Tony Tinderholt, vouchers | 4 Comments

Dallas Mayoral recall effort goes nowhere for now

Posted on March 11, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

It could still happen, but the same concerns exist as before. In a press release early Wednesday morning, Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson let everyone know that the effort to recall him had failed “miserably.” Dallas activist and business owner Davante … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged Dallas, Davante Peters, Election 2023, Eric Johnson, Mayor, petitions, recall, Texas | Comments Off

In which I learn about our use of “Dataminr”

Posted on March 11, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. The Houston Police Department will stay in the ranks of law enforcement agencies around the country using software to monitor social media for information on criminal activity following a City Council vote … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, Local politics | Tagged artificial intelligence, budget, Dataminr, Houston, Houston City Council, HPD, John Whitmire, police, ShotSpotter, Texas Civil Rights Project | Comments Off

Weekend link dump for March 10

Posted on March 10, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

“How Todd Akin’s “Legitimate Rape” Debacle Previewed the Abortion Agenda of Today’s GOP”. “What is the ideal size of the human population?” The best summary of Mitch McConnell and his career that you’ll read. “Researchers in the Amazon have discovered … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged linkdump | 4 Comments

Annunciation House has its hearing

Posted on March 10, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Seems like it might have gone well for them. An El Paso district judge lashed out at the Texas Attorney General’s Office after a lawyer said in court Thursday that Annunciation House was “stonewalling” by refusing to negotiate over documents … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Annunciation House, border, El Paso, immigration, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, Ruben Garcia, Texas, Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops | 2 Comments

Mike Miles versus the principals

Posted on March 10, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t even know, man. Houston ISD’s appointed Superintendent Mike Miles put about half of the district’s principals on notice Thursday evening after receiving results of their midyear proficiency screenings, informing them that they must undergo a second assessment this … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged HISD, Houston, Mike Miles, New Education System, schools, standardized testing, Texas Education Agency | 1 Comment

More on the HPD dropped cases

Posted on March 10, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Mayor Whitmire wants some answers. Houston Mayor John Whitmire on Wednesday called for an independent investigation into the Houston Police Department over how and why more than 264,000 cases were declared suspended for lack of personnel. “I trust and believe … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged budget, Charles McClelland, Greg Abbott, Houston, HPD, John Whitmire, rape, Sylvester Turner, Troy Finner | 4 Comments

City of Uvalde gets its report on police performance at Robb Elementary

Posted on March 9, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

It landed with a thud. A city-commissioned independent review of Uvalde police’s response to the Robb Elementary School shooting cleared local officers of wrongdoing, infuriating parents of the 19 children killed in the massacre and at least two city council … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged Christina Busbee, DPS, guns, Jesse Prado, Justice Department, Texas, Uvalde, Uvalde County | 3 Comments

It’s budget cut proposal time

Posted on March 9, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

A familiar ritual. Facing a projected budget shortfall and costly settlement with the firefighters union, Mayor John Whitmire has directed most city departments to identify potential 5% budget cuts for the coming fiscal year. Finance Director Melissa Dubowski said Wednesday … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged Abbie Kamin, budget, deficit, HFD, Houston, Houston City Council, HPD, John Whitmire, revenue cap, Sallie Alcorn, Sylvester Turner | 1 Comment

Ousted Rep. Rogers has some thoughts about why he lost

Posted on March 9, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

He’s on the right track. It’s just a question of whether he takes it to the correct destination. The corruption that exists at the highest level of Texas state government would have made Governor “Pa” Ferguson blush. Governor Greg Abbott … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged Election 2024, Glenn Rogers, Greg Abbott, impeachment, Ken Paxton, primaries, Texas, The Lege, vouchers | 4 Comments

Evaluating the polls

Posted on March 8, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

This year we got a set of polls for various Democratic primary races from the UH Hobby Center. Because of the nature of some of the races and the fact that we don’t usually get this kind of polling data, … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged Amanda Edwards, Angeanette Thibodeaux, Annette Ramirez, Ashton Woods, Beto Cardenas, CD07, CD18, Charlene Ward Johnson, Christian Menefee, Clint Horn, Colin Allred, Congress, Danyahel Norris, Democratic primary, District Attorney, Ed Gonzalez, Election 2024, Harold Dutton, Harris County, Harris County Attorney, Harris County Sheriff, Harris County Tax Assessor, HD139, HD142, HD146, Jarvis Johnson, Jerry Ford, Karthik Soora, Kim Ogg, Lauren Ashley Simmons, Lizzie FLetcher, Michelle Bonton, Mo Jenkins, Molly Cook, Pervez Agwan, polls, Roland Gutierrez, Rosalind Caesar, SD15, Sean Teare, Senate, Shawn Thierry, Sheila Jackson Lee, Texas, The Lege, Todd Litton, Umeka Lewis-Piccolo | Comments Off

Boca Chica land swap allowed to proceed

Posted on March 8, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I still dunno, man. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission voted unanimously Monday to pursue an exchange that would give 43 acres of Boca Chica State Park in Cameron County to Elon Musk’s SpaceX spacecraft company. The state park land … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged Boca Chica State Park, Boca Chica Village, Cameron County, Elon Musk, Esto'k Gna Tribal Nation of Texas, Sierra Club, SpaceX, Texas, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department | Comments Off

Dispatches from Dallas, March 8 edition

Posted on March 8, 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, primary coverage. And more primary coverage. And some primary analysis, even. This week’s post was brought to … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged Dallas, guest post, linkdump, Texas | Comments Off

Initial thoughts on the 2024 primary

Posted on March 7, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Some opening considerations as we peruse the final unofficial voting data. Before you read my words, go check out Stace, Campos, Reform Austin, and the Texas Signal. Here we go: – Final turnout in Harris County was 176,396 for Dems … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged 14th Court of Appeals, Annette Ramirez, Armando Perez-Serrato, Barack Obama, Cameron County, CD12, CD23, CD32, Colin Allred, Congress, Constable, Democratic primary, Desiree Broadnax, early voting, Election 2012, Election 2018, Election 2020, Election 2022, Election 2024, Gillespie County, hand counting, Harris County, Harris County Tax Assessor, HD139, HD146, Hidalgo County, Jarvis Johnson, Joe Biden, judicial races, Julie Johnson, Michelle Bonton, Molly Cook, President, primaries, runoff, SD15, Senate, special election, Texas, The Lege, Todd Litton, turnout, Webb County | 2 Comments

Three Ken Paxton updates

Posted on March 7, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I missed these in the recent news rush, but spotted them all more or less at once via the Google News app on my phone. Doomscrolling for the win, I guess. Whistleblowers: Texas Supreme Court must reject Ken Paxton’s ‘scheme’ … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged abortion, Attorney General, Bastrop County, Baylor College of Medicine, Blake Brickman, Brent Webster, bribery, crisis pregnancy centers, David Maxwell, Department of Family and Protective Services, FBI, impeachment, Ken Paxton, Lambda Legal, lawsuit, Lesley Henneke, Mark Penley, Michelle SMith, Nate Paul, PFLAG, Plume Health, QueerMed, Ryan Vassar, Supreme Court, telemedicine, Texas, Texas Children's Hospital, Texas Whistleblower Act, The Lege, transgender rights, Travis County, Yelp | Comments Off

Art Car Museum announces its closure

Posted on March 7, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Bummer. Leaders of the Art Car Museum announced their intention to close after nearly 30 years in its Houston Heights location, according to a statement on its website. The announcement comes not long after both the museum’s founders, Ann O’Connor … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged Ann Harithas, Art Car Museum, Heights, Houston, museums, preservation | 1 Comment

Texas blog roundup for the week of February 4

Posted on March 7, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance is basking in the warmth of spring training games as it brings you this week’s roundup.

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged blog roundup, TPA | Comments Off

Primary 2024 results: Democratic headlines

Posted on March 6, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

It’s going to be a late night and I have a couple of long days ahead of me, so I’m going to do some quick summaries based on what I now know, and will come back later to fill the … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged 14th Court of Appeals, Allison Jackson Mathis, Amanda Edwards, Amber Boyd-Cora, Angeanette Thibodeaux, Annette Ramirez, Ashley Mayes Guice, Brendetta Scott, Brian Williams, Brittanye Morris, CD07, CD18, CD22, CD32, CD38, Charlene Ward Johnson, Christian Menefee, Colin Allred, Danielle Bess, Democratic primary, Denise Brown, Desiree Broadnax, District Attorney, Ed Gonzalez, Election 2024, Erica Hughes, First Court of Appeals, Fran Watson, Gemayel Haynes, Gordon Goodman, Harold Dutton, Harris County, Harris County Attorney, Harris County Sheriff, Harris County Tax Assessor, HD139, HD142, HD146, Jarvis Johnson, Jerry Davis, Jerry Zimmerer, Joe Biden, judicial races, Julia Maldonado, Julie Johnson, Kim Ogg, Lauren Ashley Simmons, Lillian Alexander, Lizzie FLetcher, Marquette Greene-Scott, Melissa McDonough, Mike Engelhart, Molly Cook, Nathan Johnson, Nicole Perdue, Pervez Agwan, Peter Kelly, President, Ramona Franklin, RK Sandill, Robert Schaffer, runoff, SD15, SD16, Sean Teare, Senate, Shawn Thierry, Sheila Jackson Lee, TaKasha Francis, Texas, The Lege, Todd Litton, Tracy Good, turnout, Velda Faulkner, Victoria Neave, Vivian King | 17 Comments

Primary 2024 results: Republican headlines

Posted on March 6, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged Barbara Hervey, Brandon Gill, Brandon Herrera, CD12, CD23, CD26, Christi Craddick, Congress, Court of Criminal Appeals, Craig Goldman, Dade Phelan, Election 2024, Gillespie County, Greg Abbott, hand counting, Harris County, HD121, HD138, HD21, HD26, impeachment, Jacey Jetton, Jared Woodfill, judicial races, Ken Paxton, Lacey Hull, Michelle Slaughter, primaries, runoff, Sharon Keller, Steve Allison, Texas, The Lege, Tony Gonzales, vouchers | 2 Comments

Today is Primary Day 2024

Posted on March 5, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Election Day for the first-ever Joint Primary Elections in Harris County is tomorrow, March 5. More than 500 vote centers will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for voters to cast their ballots. Voters can … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged absentee ballots, Democratic primary, early voting, Harris County, primaries, Texas, turnout | Comments Off

The Fifth Circuit remains extremely on brand

Posted on March 5, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Of all the Fifth Circuits in the world, they’re the Fifth Circuitest. A new law empowering state authorities to arrest and deport migrants seeking asylum in the United States may soon take effect after an appeals court stepped in to … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged ACLU of Texas, American Gateways, Congress, Donald Trump, DPS, El Paso, Election 2024, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Greg Abbott, immigration, Joe Biden, Justice Department, Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, lawsuit, Mexico, SCOTUS, Senate, Steve McCraw, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, The Lege | 1 Comment

Abortion and IVF roundup

Posted on March 5, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Texas IVF patients are dealing with a lot of uncertainty right now. Heather Burzlaff has four embryos in a freezer in Dallas and she doesn’t know what to do with them. After seven years of medications, egg retrievals and waiting, … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged abortion, adoption, Alabama, California, Congress, Election 2024, gay rights, Greg Abbott, IVF, Ken Paxton, Louisiana, mifepristone, Mihaela Plesa, SCOTUS, Senate, Supreme Court, telemedicine, Texas, The Lege | 1 Comment

One more look at primary turnout

Posted on March 4, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the Derek Ryan report on early voting in the primaries, which sent me off into a rabbit hole yesterday. Early voting is over. (Thank goodness! Early voting is always the busiest point of the entire two-year election cycle for … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged Bexar County, Collin County, Dallas County, Democratic primary, Denton County, early voting, El Paso, Election 2012, Election 2016, Election 2020, Election 2024, Fort Bend County, Harris County, Montgomery County, primaries, Tarrant County, Texas, Travis County, turnout | 1 Comment

Getting revenge is the best revenge

Posted on March 4, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I have one thing to say to these Republicans. State Rep. Glenn Rogers is mad as hell, and he’s not being shy about it. “Kiss my ass!” he recently told a statewide Republican official who had endorsed his primary opponent. … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged Dade Phelan, Election 2024, Election 2026, Ernest Bailes, Glenn Rogers, Greg Abbott, impeachment, Ken Paxton, Mike Olcott, primaries, Sid Miller, Stan Lambert, Ted Cruz, Texas, The Lege, Travis Clardy, vouchers | 3 Comments

HISD kids still not getting the Internet access they lost

Posted on March 4, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Just another thing by the wayside. Houston ISD has not provided at-home internet service to the vast majority of students who relied on a free Verizon program that the district canceled three months ago, leaving some of Houston’s most vulnerable … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged Board of Managers, Digital Promise, HISD, Houston, Internet, Mike Miles, New Education System, schools, T-Mobile, The Lege, Verizon | Comments Off

Weekend link dump for March 3

Posted on March 3, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

“On top of fewer shows and virtually no pilots, the available acting gigs pay less than they used to amid rising cost of living, talent sources say, making it hard for many working actors to afford their rent or mortgage … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged linkdump | Comments Off

Final 2024 Primary Early Voting totals

Posted on March 3, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Off we go to Primary Day. Year Mail Early Total ============================== 2012 7,735 30,142 37,877 2016 13,034 72,782 85,816 2020 22,785 116,748 139,533 2024 14,661 87,591 102,252 2012 17,734 60,347 78,081 2016 20,780 110,365 131,145 2020 22,801 82,108 104,909 2024 … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged absentee ballots, Democratic primary, early voting, Election 2002, Election 2004, Election 2006, Election 2008, Election 2010, Election 2012, Election 2014, Election 2016, Election 2018, Election 2020, Election 2022, Election 2024, Harris County, primaries, Texas, turnout | 1 Comment

Crypto miners really don’t want to tell us how much energy they consume

Posted on March 3, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

And for now at least, they don’t have to. U.S. officials this week indefinitely withdrew a survey aimed at gathering information on the crypto-mining industry’s power use, hindering attempts to understand the sector’s impact on grids and energy prices at … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters, The great state of Texas | Tagged Bitcoin, cryptocurrency, cryptomining, Earthjustice, electricity, ERCOT, lawsuit, Riot Blockchain, Texas, Texas Blockchain Council, US Energy Information Administration | 3 Comments

Starr County DA disciplined for that self-induced abortion murder charge from 2022

Posted on March 3, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

It’s something. Not much, but something. A Texas prosecutor has been disciplined for allowing murder charges to be filed against a woman who self-managed an abortion in a case that sparked national outrage. Starr County District Attorney Gocha Ramirez agreed … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged abortion, Frontera Fund, Gocha Allen Ramirez, grand jury, Lizelle Herrera, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice, SCOTUS, South Texans for Reproductive Justice, Starr County, State Bar of Texas, Texas, WREN Collective | Comments Off

The worst judge in Texas

Posted on March 3, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I admit, the competition for this is fierce, and we should draw a distinction between state and federal jurists, but no matter how you define it, Supreme Court Justice John Devine is a strong contender for the title. Speaking to … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged Brian Walker, Christine Weems, Election 2024, Find Out PAC, John Devine, judicial races, primaries, Supreme Court, Texas | Comments Off

PFLAG sues Paxton over intrusive data requests

Posted on March 2, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Time for more deep breathing. An LGBTQ advocacy group is suing the Texas attorney general after his agency requested information that the group said would reveal the identities of its members, including those who sought to stay anonymous in recent … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged abortion, Baylor College of Medicine, Department of Family and Protective Services, Ken Paxton, Lambda Legal, lawsuit, PFLAG, Plume Health, QueerMed, Supreme Court, telemedicine, Texas, Texas Children's Hospital, The Lege, transgender rights | 2 Comments

The Panhandle wildfires

Posted on March 2, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Scary stuff. A blanket of snow and rain that descended over the Texas Panhandle on Thursday helped firefighters to quell the spread of the largest wildfire in the state’s history, which has engulfed more than 1 million acres of land … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged Amarillo, climate change, drought, fire, National Weather Service, Oklahoma, Panhandle, Texas, Texas A&M Forest Service | Comments Off

Flying taxis coming to an airport near you

Posted on March 2, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Possibly in time for the FIFA World Cup. The Houston Airport System says they plan to bring air taxis to the area within the next two years, just in time for the FIFA World Cup in 2026. “Right now we’re … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged air taxis, electric cars, eVTOL, Federal Aviation Administration, flying cars, Houston, Houston Airport System, IAH, Jim Szczesniak, NASA, taxis, Texas, Uber, United Airlines, World Cup | Comments Off

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