Author Archives: Charles Kuffner

Harris County drops its lawsuit over the law banning its Elections Administrator

The right move at this time, though the whole thing still rankles. Harris County dropped its lawsuit against the state on Wednesday, ending its challenge to a law that went into effect weeks ago eliminating the county’s elections office. The … Continue reading

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Anti-porn law un-blocked

Welp. Texas can again enforce its new law requiring people to prove they are 18 or older to access online porn. The U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals granted the state’s request last week to lift a temporary injunction that … Continue reading

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Woolly mammoth de-extinctioning

Here we go. In a historic building in Deep Ellum, a colossal effort is underway to bring some of the most famously extinct animals back to life. The wild mission comes from a Dallas-based company called Colossal Biosciences which is … Continue reading

Posted in Technology, science, and math, The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Paxton whistleblowers demand depositions

As always, I am rooting for them. Lawyers for the Ken Paxton whistleblowers are moving forward with their lawsuit in Travis County after another judge cleared the way, asking the Austin-based court to force the attorney general and his top … Continue reading

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PragerU videos? Seriously?

Once again I have to ask, what the hell is going on at HISD? A Friday lesson intended to teach students at dozens of Houston ISD schools how to think objectively included a video that mocked the idea of human-caused … Continue reading

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

The business brief against the state abortion ban

Would like to see a lot more co-signers on this. Forty Texas companies and business leaders are entering the fight against Texas’ abortion ban, filing a brief with the Texas Supreme Court that argues the “ambiguity” in the law’s medical … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Thanksgiving video break: It’s about Alice

We don’t have many traditions here but we like the ones we have. I am as always thankful for my family and friends, my health, the fact that I still get enjoyment from things I’ve done for a long time … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged , | 7 Comments

Yet another effort to kill the Voting Rights Act

Just a reminder that the Fifth Circuit isn’the only home for terrible appellate judges. A divided federal appellate panel took a pipe to the knees of the Voting Rights Act Monday, handing down an eyebrow-raising decision that would severely curtail … Continue reading

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The Mike Miles effect so far

A couple of explainers from the Chron. First up, this one about what has actually happened so far in HISD since Mike Miles took over. Superintendent Mike Miles has made sweeping changes in Houston ISD since he was appointed by … Continue reading

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Dispatches from Dallas, November 22 edition

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 the 60th anniversary of the Kennedy assassination; the Bishop of Tyler gets the sack; Elon and … Continue reading

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Texas blog roundup for the week of November 20

The Texas Progressive Alliance broke its calculator trying to figure out how many turkeys Jimbo Fischer could buy now as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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Runoff early voting begins Monday

From the inbox: Early voting for the December 9 Joint Runoff Election begins Monday, November 27, and runs through Tuesday, December 5. Vote centers will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day except Sunday, December 3, from … Continue reading

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Three stories about abortion

All from Texas Public Radio, which has been doing a great job with these. Big Bend area group plans anti-abortion pregnancy centers in Presidio, Alpine. A local nonprofit formed earlier this year is seeking to open two new anti-abortion pregnancy … Continue reading

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Installing the ice

Just in case. While Toyota Center undergoes several years of renovations, an upgrade that will not be immediately seen could prove to be among the most important. When listing plans for future phases of renovation, Rockets president of business operations … Continue reading

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Time for another chat about voter registration and turnout

Let’s do it. Texas Democrats came away from Beto O’Rourke’s surprisingly narrow 2018 defeat to U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz with a simple plan: register to vote the millions of nonvoting Texans that demographics suggest lean Democrat and electoral victories will … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Sure, Jared

The campaign ads will write themselves. Prominent anti-LGBTQ+ attorney and former Harris County GOP chair Jared Woodfill is running for the Texas House and to replace House Speaker Dade Phelan. Woodfill announced his candidacy for House District 138 this week, … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Warfarin update

Warfarin is a toxicant that has shown promise in reducing the feral hog population. A few years ago the Lege asked for a study on its effects before it could be approved for more general use. We now have the … Continue reading

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Weekend link dump for November 19

“Return To Work: List of First TV Series To Restart Production After SAG-AFTRA Strike”. “Why Is the Entertainment Industry So Desperate To Own Dead Celebrities?” “Reuters documented at least 600 previously unreported workplace injuries at Musk’s rocket company: crushed limbs, … Continue reading

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Harris County elections update

No news is good news. By all accounts, Harris County pulled off a smooth local election last week under its newly reconfigured election administration. But officials didn’t have time to revel in it before a judge took them to task … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2023, Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Whitmire and SJL on Prop B and H-GAC

Of interest. Houston’s two remaining candidates for mayor appear to have cooled their earlier support of local Proposition B now that it has been approved by voters and the candidates find themselves an election away from becoming the person in … Continue reading

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“Solar For All” grant

From the inbox: Earlier this year, the Biden Administration announced a $7 billion national “Solar For All” grant competition via the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to help expand solar energy production across the country. Harris County leaders enlisted a coalition … Continue reading

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Vouchers die another death

What a great use of everyone’s time these special sessions have been. ​The Texas House on Friday voted to strip school vouchers from the chamber’s massive education funding bill, effectively gutting Gov. Greg Abbott’s top priority from the legislation. The … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

The Houston-Area Crime Gun Intelligence Center

This sounds promising. When Houston-area law enforcement officers announced in September that they recovered 79 guns during an investigation into a group of suspected gang members, they had a pretty good idea of how those guns had been used — … Continue reading

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MLB owners approve A’s move to Las Vegas

It’s still not fully resolved, but this is going to happen, like it or not. Major League Baseball owners voted unanimously Thursday to allow the Oakland Athletics to move to Las Vegas, paving the way for the second relocation of … Continue reading

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On to the runoff

Here we go. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee is trying to do something no Houston mayor has done in 46 years: flip the result between a general election and a runoff. Jim McConn last achieved the feat in 1977, erasing a … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged , , , , , , , | 19 Comments

And now for the H-GAC negotiations

Prop 2, the Fair For Houston ballot item, passed easily last week. The item charges the city of Houston to negotiate with H-GAC for a revised system of “proportional voting”. Those negotiations are next on the docket. Legal questions remain, … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2023, Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

TikTok ban lawsuit has its day in court

Looks like it was a pretty good day for the plaintiffs, but as we know that’s the first very small step in a long journey. A federal judge seemed skeptical of the state’s reasoning to ban TikTok on Texas public … Continue reading

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Appellate hearing of the State Bar discipline lawsuit against Ken Paxton

Big day. Whether the Texas State Bar can take away Attorney General Ken Paxton’s law license could hinge on whether appellate justices believe the organization is trying to control what lawsuits he files on the state’s behalf — or whether … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

I have basically no idea who’s running for office right now

Candidate data, where are you? Next year’s primary campaigns are starting to take shape after numerous candidates filed for office on Saturday, the first day to sign up for a spot on the March 2024 ballot. Voters will weigh in … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Rep. Pat Fallon has a whirlwind 48 hours

First there was this on Monday, which was a little weird and meant at the time that three Republicans from Texas were leaving Congress after this term. U.S. Rep. Pat Fallon, R-Sherman, is quitting Congress and running for his old … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Texas blog roundup for the week of November 13

The Texas Progressive Alliance applauds the efforts and results in Ohio, Virginia, Kentucky, and elsewhere as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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More plaintiffs in the lawsuit to allow exemptions to Texas’ super strict anti-abortion law

SCOTx will take up that appeal soon. When Kimberly Manzano’s doctor first noticed some irregularities with her pregnancy, she turned to God, praying constantly for good news. When the diagnosis worsened, she and her husband sought comfort in the Bible’s … Continue reading

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Paxton whistleblower lawsuit unpaused again

Good. A Burnet County district judge ruled Tuesday that the Ken Paxton whistleblowers’ case can proceed in Travis County, while Paxton’s recently launched legal challenge to the revived lawsuit remains pending. The ruling by Judge Evan Stubbs could allow the … Continue reading

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HISD moves towards District of Innovation status

One more step to go, which ought to be a mere formality. The Houston ISD District Advisory Committee voted in favor of the “District of Innovation” plan Tuesday, putting the state’s largest school district one step closer to obtaining the … Continue reading

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