Author Archives: Charles Kuffner

Do we have any HCAD candidates yet?

Posted on February 4, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Campos summarizes our forthcoming election calendar. Most folks here in Harris County are gearing up for the political party primaries on Super Tuesday, March 5 with early voting in person beginning on Tuesday, February 20. Heck, Commentary already sent in … Continue reading →

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Uvalde grand jury investigating police response

Posted on February 4, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I admit to having mixed feelings about this. A special grand jury first convened [January 19] in Uvalde will investigate law enforcement’s delayed response to Texas’ deadliest school shooting to determine whether criminal charges can be filed against officers, the … Continue reading →

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January 2024 campaign finance reports – State offices

Posted on February 3, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

The start of the new year means campaign finance reports are due for everyone. I’ll work my way through them as I can, in between the interviews and Q&As. At this point in January, the only state race to watch … Continue reading →

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Mayor Whitmire working with the firefighters

Posted on February 3, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll see what we get. In another step toward settling its years-long conflict with the city, the firefighters union met with Mayor John Whitmire’s administration [last] Friday morning to discuss the city’s first proposal for raises and back pay, with … Continue reading →

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TEA takes over La Joya ISD

Posted on February 3, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

This one’s a little different. The Texas Education Agency removed La Joya Independent School District’s democratically-elected school board and appointed a new superintendent after investigating the district’s previous leadership for allegations of fraud and conflicts of interest, the agency said … Continue reading →

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Paxton sues five cities over marijuana decriminalization ordinances

Posted on February 2, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Seemed likely something like this would happen eventually. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing five cities — Austin, San Marcos, Killeen, Elgin and Denton — to block their ordinances decriminalizing low-level marijuana possession. In 2022, voters in the five … Continue reading →

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Food Not Bombs sues the city again

Posted on February 2, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll see how it goes. Food Not Bombs, a group of volunteers who serve meals outside Houston Public Library’s downtown branch, filed suit Tuesday against the city, alleging that a food-sharing ordinance is unconstitutional. The suit claims that the city’s … Continue reading →

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I don’t care about Rep. Jacey Jetton’s primary fight

Posted on February 2, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

There was a time when I’d have cared about this, but that time has passed. In many ways, state Rep. Jacey Jetton could be the poster child for the Texas Republican Party. He is a young, married father of color, … Continue reading →

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Interview with Sean Teare

Posted on February 1, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

We wrap up the week with the other half of the as-noted high profile District Attorney primary. Sean Teare is a Houston native and graduate of UH and UH law school. He served as a prosecutor with the Harris County … Continue reading →

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Judicial Q&A: Lema Mousilli

Posted on February 1, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

(Note: As I have done in past elections, I am running a series of Q&As for judicial candidates in contested Democratic primaries. This is intended to help introduce the candidates and their experiences to those who plan to vote in … Continue reading →

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SCOTx has its hearing on gender affirming care ban

Posted on February 1, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t know what to expect. The Texas Supreme Court heard a legal challenge Tuesday to a new state law banning doctors from prescribing gender-affirming care for transgender youth, a prohibition that a district court judge said was unconstitutional. After … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of January 29

Posted on February 1, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance is rooting for Taylor Swift to continue to annoy troglodytic football fans regardless of the outcome of any single game as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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Today’s Ken Paxton whistleblower trial update

Posted on February 1, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

He’s basically a professional defendant now. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton could face a potentially expensive and uncomfortable jury trial to defend himself against former deputies after a Travis County judge declined Wednesday to end the case in the whistleblowers’ … Continue reading →

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Interview with Kim Ogg

Posted on January 31, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I think we can agree that the race for District Attorney is the highest profile primary race this cycle; there are some great legislative and Congressional races but they’re not countywide and they haven’t generated as much news coverage. There’s … Continue reading →

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Judicial Q&A: Juan Aguirre

Posted on January 31, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

(Note: As I have done in past elections, I am running a series of Q&As for judicial candidates in contested Democratic primaries. This is intended to help introduce the candidates and their experiences to those who plan to vote in … Continue reading →

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SCOTx pauses Paxton deposition

Posted on January 31, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Delay, delay, delay… The Texas Supreme Court has halted depositions that were scheduled to begin Thursday in the whistleblower case against Attorney General Ken Paxton. The all-GOP court issued an order Tuesday staying the depositions and giving the parties until … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Menefee and Gonzalez

Posted on January 31, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron has begun their process of endorsing candidates for the primaries. They kicked things off by recommending Sheriff Ed Gonzalez for another go-round. Gonzalez, a 54-year-old former city councilman and Houston Police Department homicide detective, is a well-liked and … Continue reading →

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Interview with Umeka Lewis

Posted on January 30, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Challenging incumbent Christian Menefee in the primary for Harris County Attorney is Umeka “UA” Lewis, who is a civil rights attorney and partner in a local law firm who got her law degree at TSU. There isn’t much biography on … Continue reading →

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Judicial Q&A: Jill Yaziji

Posted on January 30, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

(Note: As I have done in past elections, I am running a series of Q&As for judicial candidates in contested Democratic primaries. This is intended to help introduce the candidates and their experiences to those who plan to vote in … Continue reading →

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I-10 elevation update

Posted on January 30, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

From the Woodland Heights Civic Association January newsletter: I-10 Heights to I-45 Project Update: Community Advocacy Leads to Significant Changes The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has announced modifications to its $347 million plan to elevate a section of Interstate … Continue reading →

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Interview with Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee

Posted on January 29, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

We will be doing two races again this week, Harris County Attorney and Harris County District Attorney. Christian Menefee was elected Harris County Attorney in 2020 after knocking off three-term incumbent Vince Ryan in that year’s primary. The youngest person … Continue reading →

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Judicial Q&A Judge Julia Maldonado

Posted on January 29, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

(Note: As I have done in past elections, I am running a series of Q&As for judicial candidates in contested Democratic primaries. This is intended to help introduce the candidates and their experiences to those who plan to vote in … Continue reading →

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Paxton special prosecutor pay update

Posted on January 29, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Situation more or less the same as before. Texas’ highest criminal court on Wednesday declined to intervene in the long-running battle over the prosecutors’ pay in the securities fraud case against Attorney General Ken Paxton. After a trial court judge … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for January 28

Posted on January 28, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

“I unwittingly bought a 1980s racist horror at a garage sale”. “Back in 1894, North American whaling crews — marooned up near the Yukon Territory’s Herschel Island in Pauline Cove, awaiting the ice to thaw out so they could get … Continue reading →

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How are the city’s talks with H-GAC going?

Posted on January 28, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Things seemed to be going reasonably well. The deadline had passed but no one seemed to fussed about it. Despite a deadline set by Houston voters for early January, the process to increase Houston’s role in regional planning will take … Continue reading →

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Paxton harasses another out of state clinic

Posted on January 28, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Disgusting, but par for the course with our degenerate AG. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is seeking medical records from a Georgia telehealth clinic that offers gender transition care to young people in Texas and other states where the treatment … Continue reading →

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How should state agencies use artificial intelligence?

Posted on January 28, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

We’ve now got a committee for that. When the Texas Workforce Commission became inundated with jobless claims in March 2020, it turned to artificial intelligence. Affectionately named for the agency’s former head Larry Temple, who had died a year earlier, … Continue reading →

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Can we have a do-over on that impeachment thing?

Posted on January 27, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

What an interesting question. Republican state Sen. Drew Springer called for Lt. Gov Dan Patrick and the Texas Senate to consider reopening impeachment proceedings against Attorney General Ken Paxton. In a letter to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and the state … Continue reading →

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More on why we need a split primary

Posted on January 27, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Votebeat fills in some blanks. Some Texas election officials are running out of time before the March 5 primary to find sufficient polling locations, equipment, and election workers mandated by a new Republican-backed election law, and may not be able … Continue reading →

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Three new Hall of Famers

Posted on January 27, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Congratulations all around. The Baseball Writers’ Association of America Hall of Fame ballot boom was back in a big way with the announcement of a three-person Class of 2024 on Tuesday night. Masterful third baseman Adrián Beltré and decorated Twins … Continue reading →

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Interview with Rep. Lizzie Fletcher

Posted on January 26, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

We’ve made it to the end of this weird week, which includes running this interview on Friday instead of Wednesday as I had originally planned. These things happen, and so we adjust. I still do have two days of interviews … Continue reading →

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We’re beginning to quantify the effect of the abortion ban

Posted on January 26, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Three stories from the Chron about abortion and forced births. The first one involves rape victims. Read carefully. More than 26K rape-related pregnancies estimated after Texas outlawed abortions. Texas saw an estimated 26,313 rape-related pregnancies during the 16 months after … Continue reading →

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No, really, Paxton ordered to sit for deposition

Posted on January 26, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Oh yeah. Attorney General Ken Paxton’s efforts to end a whistleblower lawsuit against him has been dealt another blow after a Travis County judge denied his attempt to end the case without being deposed. The ruling, which Paxton’s office publicized … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of January 22

Posted on January 26, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance is still thawing itself out as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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