Category Archives: Local politics

Harris County approves the option of suing Comptroller over baloney “defunding” claim

Posted on September 2, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Harris County Commissioners Court on Wednesday authorized a pair of private law firms to sue Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar, who accused the county of defunding law enforcement last week, forcing a halt to consideration of its $2.2 billion budget. … Continue reading →

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Harris County officially gets its $750 million from the GLO

Posted on September 1, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

With hopefully more to come, as well as something for Houston. Harris County Commissioners Court unanimously approved an agreement Wednesday with the Texas General Land Office to receive $750 million in federal flood mitigation funding, and called on the agency … Continue reading →

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People who live in crime-filled houses should not throw stones

Posted on September 1, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Local idiot megachurch pastor Ed Young recently said some typically ignorant and politically-charged things, which has people justifiably upset. Not the first time for him, either. I have better things to do than think about Ed Young, so let me … Continue reading →

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Harris County looks to sue over Comptroller’s BS “defunding” claim

Posted on August 31, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Tell it to the judge. Harris County Commissioners Court this week is expected to hire an outside law firm to take legal action against the state and Comptroller Glenn Hegar, who accused the county of defunding law enforcement in violation … Continue reading →

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The Constables’ and Comptroller’s ridiculous complaint

Posted on August 24, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

This is transparent bullshit. Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar this week accused Harris County commissioners of defunding local constables and threatened to prevent the county from implementing its proposed 2023 budget if the county does not reverse course. In a letter … Continue reading →

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This is why elections administrators are under attack

Posted on August 19, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

What a lousy thing to do right now. Harris County’s new elections administrator has not taken office yet, but the Harris County GOP is already trying to shape his reputation. On Wednesday, State Senator Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, tweeted an image … Continue reading →

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Chron story on the proposed new City Council map

Posted on July 11, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Remember, you heard it here first. Houston’s proposed City Council maps for 2023 elections make only minor changes to district boundaries near Rice University, Freedmen’s Town and parts of downtown. Overall, less than 3% of Houston’s 2.3 million residents will … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2023, Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

City Council redistricting on the agenda

Posted on July 9, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Get ready for some public hearings. The City Council of the City of Houston, Texas, will hold the following public hearings in the City Council Chamber, City Hall, 2nd Floor, 901 Bagby, Houston, Texas 77002. The purpose of the hearings is … Continue reading →

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Some ideas for improving elections in Harris County

Posted on July 8, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Put it on the new guy’s to do list. When Harris County’s new elections administrator starts the job next month, he will have less than three months to get ready before polls open on Oct. 24 for early voting in … Continue reading →

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Commissioners Court takes some action on access to contraception

Posted on July 7, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

From last week: Harris County leaders on Tuesday passed a trio of items in support of women’s access to abortion and contraception in the wake of the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade. The most significant of the three … Continue reading →

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We have a new Election Administrator

Posted on July 6, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Harris County’s election commission today named Clifford D. Tatum the county’s next Elections Administrator. He is scheduled to take over from interim EA, Beth Stevens. Mr. Tatum is the chief information security officer for the DC Board … Continue reading →

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SCOTx re-enables statewide abortion ban

Posted on July 3, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Ugh. The Texas Supreme Court has blocked a lower court order that had allowed clinics in the state to continue performing abortions even after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned it’s landmark 1973 ruling that confirmed a constitutional right to abortion. … Continue reading →

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Still no new Election Administrator

Posted on July 2, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

C’mon, y’all. Harris County officials canceled an election commission meeting for the second time this week, again citing a lack of quorum because only two members were able to attend in person. The rescheduled meeting now is set for Tuesday. … Continue reading →

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No new election admin yet

Posted on June 29, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Hope this delay is brief. Harris County’s top election position remains unfilled, after a Monday meeting of the county’s election commission to select a candidate was canceled due to a lack of quorum. Their final pick will face a narrowing time … Continue reading →

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We have finalists for the Election Administrator job

Posted on June 16, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Good. The director of voting for Harris County will become the interim elections administrator, officials said Wednesday as the county elections commission narrowed its search for the permanent job to two candidates. Following a closed-door executive session of the Harris … Continue reading →

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Harris County ponders a bond election

Posted on June 15, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

First one in awhile. Harris County leaders will begin discussions Tuesday about whether to add a bond election to the November ballot. The bond would be a hybrid measure to raise money for roads, parks, flood control, and public safety. … Continue reading →

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C’mon, we should get to see the city’s after-action report on the freeze

Posted on June 13, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

This is silly. Houston will not release its retrospective report on the 2021 winter freeze, citing a post-9/11 law shielding information that could be exposed by terrorists or criminals. The city drafted a report, called “After-Action Report/Improvement Plans for the 2021 Winter … Continue reading →

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City passes its budget

Posted on June 3, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Not too much drama. Houston’s $5.7 billion budget for the next fiscal year includes a big jump in revenue from water bills, raises for all city employees and the largest unspent reserves in years. City Council voted 15-2 to adopt … Continue reading →

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It’s city of Houston budget time again

Posted on May 12, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

That federal COVID relief money continues to be very nice. Once again relying on federal money, Mayor Sylvester Turner’s proposed $5.7 billion budget for next year would pay for raises for all city employees, offer tax relief to seniors and … Continue reading →

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Houston updates its noise ordinance

Posted on May 6, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

This was probably inevitable, though it sure took a long time. Houston bars, nightclubs and restaurants must obtain new permits to play amplified music within 120 days under a revised ordinance aimed at cracking down on disruptive late-night noise without … Continue reading →

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New bail bond rules survive initial court challenge

Posted on April 24, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

There are a couple of stories all rolled into this, so my apologies for any confusion. A ruling by a Harris County judge Friday will allow a recently-approved policy requiring bail bond agents to charge some defendants a 10 percent … Continue reading →

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State task force recommendations on AstroWorld

Posted on April 22, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting. To avoid a repeat of the mayhem at last year’s deadly Astroworld Festival, Texas needs to standardize its event permitting process, establish “clearly outlined triggers” for stopping shows and ensure local public safety agencies are organized in a clear … Continue reading →

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We will have a new elections administrator on July 1

Posted on April 21, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s get the best we can. The Harris County Election Board on Tuesday voted to accept Elections Administrator Isabel Longoria’s resignation and hire a national search firm to find a replacement, two weeks after the five-member panel could only agree … Continue reading →

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City Council approves security camera ordinance for bars and convenience stores

Posted on April 21, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I have mixed feelings about this. Houston bars, nightclubs and convenience stores must install security cameras outside of their buildings within 90 days in a citywide surveillance effort Mayor Sylvester Turner hopes will diminish violent crime in high-risk areas. City … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , | 11 Comments

We don’t have enough garbage truck drivers

Posted on April 20, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

We don’t pay them enough, it would seem. For the last few months, Juan Sorto and his neighbors have looked toward the curb on Thursdays and asked themselves the same uneasy question: Did the garbage trucks come? Last week, they had. … Continue reading →

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Here’s your public meeting schedule for Houston City Council redistricting

Posted on April 20, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Attend one and be In The Know. Houston residents will have a chance to preview potential changes to Houston’s 11 City Council districts at a series of public town hall meetings in April and May. […] The town hall meetings … Continue reading →

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City Council approves paid parental leave for city employees

Posted on April 15, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Good. City of Houston employees will have access to paid parental leave for the first time beginning in May after a decade-long push to adopt the family-friendly policy that advocates hope will help the city attract and retain working parents. … Continue reading →

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Grand jury indicts three Hidalgo aides

Posted on April 12, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Not great. Three Harris County staffers at the center of a mounting investigation into a since-canceled vaccine outreach contract have been indicted with misuse of official information and tampering, according to district clerk records. Aaron Dunn, Wallis Nader and Alex … Continue reading →

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When is an emergency no longer an emergency?

Posted on April 8, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t know, but not yet. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo still has emergency powers to handle COVID, after a proposal to end her authority failed at commissioners’ court this week. The proposal, by Precinct Four Commissioner Jack Cagle, failed … Continue reading →

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City Council to return to in-person meetings

Posted on April 7, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I feel like I should always append a “For now” onto commentary about things like this. You know, for all the obvious reasons. Mayor Sylvester Turner said Wednesday he wants all City Council members to return to the chamber next … Continue reading →

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Rules that can’t be enforced are just suggestions

Posted on April 6, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

This is ridiculous. Sugar Land Mayor Joe Zimmerman’s dual roles as a member of the Houston region’s transportation planning board and consultant at an engineering company will not receive further scrutiny by the local board after staff concluded the panel … Continue reading →

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Paid parental leave for city employees

Posted on April 2, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

This is a thing that should have happened a long time ago. City of Houston employees soon could be eligible for up to three months of paid parental leave under a policy change expected to reach City Council next week. … Continue reading →

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Chron story on City Council redistricting

Posted on April 1, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Lots more info now. As Houston begins to redraw its City Council map for the 2023 elections, two districts representing western portions of the city, including Montrose, the Heights, River Oaks, and Uptown, among other neighborhoods, have out-sized populations that … Continue reading →

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Council adopts vape extension to smoking ban

Posted on March 31, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Good. The city outlawed vaping in public spaces Wednesday, amending Houston’s smoking ordinance to include electronic cigarettes. City Council voted 16-0 to approve the amendment, proposed last year by the Houston Health Department in response to growing scientific consensus on … Continue reading →

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