Monthly Archives: October 2013

Why some polls are less accurate than others

Posted on October 31, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The local GOP had a rally Monday night that among other things featured a “straw poll” of the faithful to see who their preferences were in the upcoming primary election. Harris County Republicans worked to energize their base on Monday … Continue reading →

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EV Day 10: Two normally big days to go

Posted on October 31, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

We have completed ten days of early voting. Traditionally, the last two days are the big ones. Will we see the same this year? First, here are the comps: 2013 2011 2009 2007 Here’s a look at how turnout has … Continue reading →

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Not all of HB2 was blocked

Posted on October 31, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

That injunction didn’t cover everything. As state officials appealed a federal judge’s order blocking a portion of Texas’ new abortion law, a prohibition against performing the procedure after 20 weeks of pregnancy quietly took effect Tuesday. While the ban will … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of October 28

Posted on October 31, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance has its Halloween costume ready as it bring you this weeks’ roundup.

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Dave Wilson is up to his usual tricks

Posted on October 30, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

As you know, Dave Wilson is running against incumbent HCC Trustee Bruce Austin in HCC District 2. I wasn’t sure at first if it was that Dave Wilson or not, but it unquestionably is. The fact that he’s running in … Continue reading →

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No action from Fifth Circuit yet

Posted on October 30, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

HB2 is still enjoined. The Texas attorney general’s office is seeking an emergency stay, asking the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel’s ruling against abortion regulations in House Bill 2. Beginning Tuesday, abortion … Continue reading →

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Don’t believe anything the TPPF has to say about the Affordable Care Act

Posted on October 30, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

With the exception of some things they have to say about criminal justice, you shouldn’t believe anything the Texas Public Policy Foundation has to say, full stop. You especially shouldn’t believe anything they have to say about the Affordable Care … Continue reading →

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State moves to dismiss voter ID lawsuit

Posted on October 30, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

From Texas Redistricting has week: The State of Texas filed a motion this afternoon asking Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos to dismiss pending voter ID suits on several grounds. First, the motion argued that elected officials like Congressman Marc Veasey, governmental … Continue reading →

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Has Debra Medina been trolling us?

Posted on October 29, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Peggy Fikac suggests that maybe she has. If the idea of an independent run for governor by Debra Medina has made some GOP powers-that-be a little queasy, that’s fine with her. All the more so, you may safely assume, if … Continue reading →

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Injunction granted against HB2

Posted on October 29, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Less than 24 hours before new abortion regulations were set to take effect in Texas, U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel on Monday blocked implementation of one provision challenged by abortion providers and partially blocked a second provision, ruling that … Continue reading →

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Ben Hall comes out against LGBT rights

Posted on October 29, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I can honestly say I’m not surprised by this. Mayoral candidate Ben Hall spoke to KUHF this morning and (finally) spoke publicly regarding issues of equality for the LGBT community. Hall not only came out staunchly against introducing and implementing … Continue reading →

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The problem with voter ID is more than just name matching

Posted on October 29, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Cindy George is correct about what isn’t a problem with voter ID. The names on your voter registration card and your ID must match. For the most part. They will be considered the same if they’re “substantially similar.” There have … Continue reading →

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EV Day 7 totals: Is this the 2008 of city elections for early voting?

Posted on October 28, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

One full week of early voting is in the books, and the fast pace has not let up. Here are the comps: 2013 2011 2009 2007 The seven-day totals for each: 2013 – 14,342 mail, 37,828 in person, 52,170 total … Continue reading →

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2014 Democratic lineup updates

Posted on October 28, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

In honor of Peggy Fikac, an update on who is running for what as a Democrat in 2014. Starting at the top, folks who attended the HCDP Johnson-Rayburn-Richards event on Saturday had the opportunity to meet Maxey Scherr, a 33-year-old … Continue reading →

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The cities versus the payday lenders

Posted on October 28, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The Observer writes about representatives from Texas cities getting together to talk about how to fight the scourge of payday lenders. The conference panel on Thursday was an opportunity for city officials from around the state to share advice and … Continue reading →

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Bite marks

Posted on October 28, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Grits reminds us that not all forensic science is scientific. I ran across an interesting article documenting critiques of forensic dentistry. In it, bite mark expert Dr. Gregory Golden: concedes that there’s little scientific research to back claims from forensic … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for October 27

Posted on October 27, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Two words: Cockroach farming. Yeah, me too. When great dramas go badly wrong. “Next time you’re lying in bed, unable to fall asleep thanks to the vague anxiety of half-rotten corpses munching on you in the dark, remember this: if … Continue reading →

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The next wave of curbside recycling

Posted on October 27, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

From last week, some good news for those of who that still don’t have the 96-gallon wheeled recycling bins. Houston will roll out its biweekly, automated curbside recycling service to 70,000 additional residences throughout the city just in time for … Continue reading →

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It’s about not wanting people to vote

Posted on October 27, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Why take us back to the 1950s when we can go all the way back to the 1850s? Should voters be able choose their U.S. senators? Ask Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst or Sen. Dan Patrick and the answer is a … Continue reading →

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Bayou Greenways project moving along

Posted on October 27, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Work is underway, land is being acquired, and money is being raised. Now, the Houston Parks Board and its public partners hope to revive some of the city’s natural treasures through Bayou Greenways 2020, a 150-mile trail system that, once … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: Boldly going forward

Posted on October 26, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

This past week, a life-size cutout of Captain Kirk appeared in my office. That’s as good a reason as any for this: I love the classics, don’t you?

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From the “Judges Behaving Badly” files

Posted on October 26, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll start with now-former Judge Elizabeth Coker: An East Texas state district judge who had been accused of sending text messages to coach a prosecutor during a trial, being biased against some attorneys and improperly meeting with jurors has resigned … Continue reading →

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Another way the Affordable Care Act will benefit Texans

Posted on October 26, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Thousands of people in the high-risk pool will get better coverage at lower prices, thanks to Obamacare. At year’s end, Texas will shut down its high-risk insurance pool for some of the state’s sickest residents, pushing participants to find private … Continue reading →

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Annise Parker is in your Internets

Posted on October 26, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

She’s in mine, anyway. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but an awful lot of the websites I surf to now feature a familiar face looking back at me: Here’s another: Clearly, she’s seeking to dominate the liberal nerd humor … Continue reading →

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Friday random ten: Because I said so, that’s why

Posted on October 25, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Back to normal randomness this week, as I find myself themeless. 1. March E.W. Scripps – Trinity University Wind Symphony 2. Lucky Ball And Chain – They Might Be Giants 3. Jump In The River – Sinead O’Connor 4. Vivaldi: … Continue reading →

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Up to the judge in the abortion lawsuit trial

Posted on October 25, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

We expect a quick ruling. With days remaining until new abortion regulations take effect in Texas, attorneys for abortion providers and the state of Texas presented their final arguments Wednesday on whether those restrictions meet constitutional muster. “The result is … Continue reading →

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Mostly good news for Apollo

Posted on October 25, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

That’s the story so far. A three-year, multimillion-dollar experiment to improve 20 struggling HISD schools yielded big gains in math and limited progress in reading, according to partial results of a study released Wednesday. Now, Superintendent Terry Grier and the … Continue reading →

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No, Texans!

Posted on October 25, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

If you regularly see Metro buses around town, you might have noticed that during the football season they will sometimes display “GO TEXANS!” on their marquees, rotating with their route information. They display similar messages for other local teams during … Continue reading →

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Steve Stockman does something I support

Posted on October 25, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I know, I’m as shocked as you are. Texas Rep. Steve Stockman, R-Friendswood, has recently backed a bill to require federal officials to comply with state marijuana laws, which was introduced in April and has since garnered support from Congressmen … Continue reading →

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EV Day 3 – Where the early votes are

Posted on October 24, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Three days into early voting and the numbers continue to be strong, with a third consecutive day of in-person totals topping 5,000. Here are all the daily totals: 2013 2011 2009 2007 Some people, like Campos, have been trying to … Continue reading →

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Burns not running in SD10

Posted on October 24, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Bummer. Fort Worth City Councilman Joel Burns announced on Wednesday that he will not run to succeed Wendy Davis in the state Senate. Burns, who replaced Davis on the City Council in 2007, had emerged as a top Democratic contender … Continue reading →

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Voter ID litigation moving again

Posted on October 24, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

From Texas Redistricting last week: The Texas voter ID litigation geared back up today, with the court setting a number of new or revised deadlines now that the government shutdown is over. Responses to motions by True the Vote and … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of October 21

Posted on October 24, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance is old enough to remember when everyone who ran for public office did so on a premise of making it work better as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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Interview with County Judge Ed Emmett

Posted on October 23, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

In addition to all of the races for local office and the nine constitutional amendments, there are two county referenda on the ballot this fall. One is the Astrodome proposition, with which I trust you are familiar. The other is … Continue reading →

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