Monthly Archives: December 2013

What is the sound of one politician switching?

Posted on December 31, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

It depends. When Lawrence Meyers won a seat on the statewide Court of Criminal Appeals in 1992, he was the first Republican elected to the state’s highest criminal court. This month he made history again. After switching parties, Meyers, who … Continue reading →

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HHSC publishes rules relating to HB2

Posted on December 31, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

HHSC is all in on the omnibus anti-abortion bill passed during the special session this summer. Texas health officials have a message for the more than 19,000 folks who wrote in to oppose new abortion regulations: Each individual commenter failed … Continue reading →

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

HBU wins contraception mandate lawsuit

Posted on December 31, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

This is very disappointing. The federal government cannot force Houston Baptist University to pay for emergency contraception services as part of its employee health insurance plans, according to a ruling Friday by U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal. The decision is … Continue reading →

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Police cameras

Posted on December 31, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

It’s disappointing that Houston lags behind other cities in using dashboard cameras in police cars, but I am glad to see we are trying to catch up. Houston police have fewer dashboard cameras than any major Texas law enforcement agency, … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

City moves anti-same sex spouse benefits lawsuit to federal court

Posted on December 30, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting. Mayor Annise Parker and the city of Houston have moved a lawsuit challenging same-sex benefits out of Republican Judge Lisa Millard’s court after she allegedly halted the benefits without giving the city proper notice. City Attorney David Feldman filed … Continue reading →

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On riding the North Line

Posted on December 30, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Can we wait until we’ve had at least one non-holiday work week before we start talking about North Line ridership numbers? Thanks. The changes brought by the rail line, an extension of the Main Street Line now known as the … Continue reading →

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School finance trial do-over set to start soon

Posted on December 30, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Once more into the breach. Hundreds of school districts in North Texas and across the state will resume their courtroom battle over funding in January, arguing that new money and reduced testing did little to fix Texas’ school finance system. … Continue reading →

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From the “If at first you don’t succeed” files

Posted on December 30, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Sometimes you have to try try again for 24 years to get what you want. It seems as if he never existed, but he certainly did. For 24 years, Charles Hixon attended nearly every Harris County Commissioners Court meeting to … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Weekend link dump for December 29

Posted on December 29, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

It’s the end of the year as we know it… Porn filters are ineffective, blocking things they shouldn’t, not blocking things they should, and generally annoying everyone. As someone who was alive and using the Internet in the 90s, I … Continue reading →

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Mayor Parker to get married?

Posted on December 29, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

According to CultureMap, the answer is Yes. Although Mayor Annise Parker has vowed that she and her longtime partner, Kathy Hubbard, will not wed until gay marriage is legal in Texas, in recent interviews the mayor has softened her stance. … Continue reading →

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The new justice complex

Posted on December 29, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a big deal. Houston leaders are in the early stages of planning a new police headquarters and courthouse complex that Mayor Annise Parker said could be the most important project on which she will work during her six-year tenure. … Continue reading →

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Ching and the Dash

Posted on December 29, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Good move. A few weeks after he was sent into retirement with the first MLS testimonial match, the face of the Dynamo will attempt to build Houston’s new National Women’s Soccer League franchise. Brian Ching will be the managing director … Continue reading →

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Lambda Legal sues Houston over same sex spouse benefits

Posted on December 28, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I didn’t see this coming. Lambda Legal [Thursday] filed a federal lawsuit against Houston Mayor Annise Parker and the City of Houston seeking to preserve spousal benefits, including health insurance, covering the same-sex spouses of city employees. The lawsuit was … Continue reading →

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We need to take better care of our water

Posted on December 28, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

We lose way too much of it because our infrastructure is old and in need of replacement. At a time when the Lone Star State is facing a grave water shortage and its population is expected to double by 2060, … Continue reading →

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More security cameras coming

Posted on December 28, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

You’re being recorded, like it or not. Houston is adding 180 downtown surveillance cameras despite shrinking national security grants and research showing that video feeds only sometimes improve public safety. By early next year, the Houston Police Department will have … Continue reading →

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Friday random ten – Olivia’s year in music

Posted on December 27, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Olivia’s now been an iPod owner for more than a year, and last year she got a bunch of iTunes money that she still hasn’t fully spent. Here’s a sample of the songs she has added to her collection in … Continue reading →

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How to make the warehouse transition something to look forward to

Posted on December 27, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I have four things to say about this. Houston developers plan to build a mixed-use project, including upscale apartments and retail, on a 15-acre tract close to downtown, replacing a large produce warehouse that’s occupied the space for decades. Capcor … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

A lot more court action on same sex marriage is coming

Posted on December 27, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

One way or another, 2014 is going to be a milestone year for marriage equality. Advocates on both sides of the gay marriage debate predicted that the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in June that overturned part of a federal ban … Continue reading →

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The dry Heights

Posted on December 27, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

What’s a guy got to do to get a drink around here? Eighty years after the repeal of Prohibition – the anniversary of which came and went with hardly a toast last week – there is a sliver of Houston … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Another court says No to Utah

Posted on December 26, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

And Yes to the hundreds of couples getting married. A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that gay marriages can continue in Utah, denying a request from the state to halt same-sex weddings that have been occurring at a rapid rate … Continue reading →

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Lone Star Santas

Posted on December 26, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I love this story by Lisa Gray. When Jim Fletcher asked his fiancee whether she’d mind if he grew a beard, Madge Boyer didn’t realize what she was getting into. That was in early 2007, not long after he’d played … Continue reading →

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Texas Left Me Out

Posted on December 26, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

This. Obamacare advocates are actively recruiting those left out of the Medicaid expansion in Republican-controlled states to lobby state officials to change their minds and participate in that key provision of the health care reform law. So far, the effort … Continue reading →

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Your Mel Torme Christmas moment

Posted on December 25, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Every year on Christmas Day, I link to my favorite Christmas story, which stars Mel Torme. Apparently, this story is so popular now that it gets ripped off a lot, which sure seems to be contrary to the Christmas spirit … Continue reading →

Posted in See, I do have a life! | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Tuesday video break: With how much care are your stockings hung?

Posted on December 24, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Christmas Eve, y’all. You know what that means. I’ll post the Mel Torme story tomorrow. Until then, Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night.

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Keep getting married, Utah

Posted on December 24, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

You have at least a few more days till the next court ruling. A federal judge on Monday allowed gay marriage to continue in Utah, rejecting a request to put same-sex weddings on hold as the state appeals a decision … Continue reading →

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Merry Christmas from Pancho Claus

Posted on December 24, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

If it’s Christmas time, it must be time for a Pancho Claus story. He usually has black hair and a black beard, sometimes just a mustache. Like Santa, he wears a hat — though often it’s a sombrero. He dons … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of December 23

Posted on December 24, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance wishes everyone a joyful and joyous holiday at it brings you this week’s roundup.

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What can we do to get the Universities Line going?

Posted on December 23, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

This story is about the opening of the North Line, but it’s also about where Metro goes from here. The opening of the lines won’t spell the end of the construction. To complete the final mile of the East Line, … Continue reading →

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They’ll be getting married in Utah today

Posted on December 23, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

For at least an hour today, county clerks in Utah will be issuing marriage licenses to same sex couples. Utah Gov. Gary R. Herbert filed seeking an Emergency Motion for Temporary Stay following a federal judge’s ruling that struck down … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for December 22

Posted on December 22, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

A link dump for kids from one to ninety-two… A long but provocative read on smarm and snark. From the Is Our Children Learning? department. RIP, Peter O’Toole, and RIP, Joan Fontaine. Hollywood is a little less royal today. Sergio … Continue reading →

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What can we do to improve reading skills in HISD?

Posted on December 22, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I wish I knew. HISD students continue to struggle with reading while matching or exceeding their peers’ math performance in other big cities, according to national test data released Wednesday. Reading scores for the district’s fourth- and eighth-graders have stagnated … Continue reading →

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Judge Pratt gets no-billed

Posted on December 22, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Harris County Grand Jury “No Bills” Judge Denise Pratt “We are pleased that the grand jury agrees with us that there’s absolutely no evidence that Judge Pratt tampered with court documents or did anything illegal,” says her … Continue reading →

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Drinking al fresco

Posted on December 22, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

From the Things You Might Not Have Realized department. “It is a commonly-held belief that it’s illegal to walk down the street drinking a beer in Texas. However, that is not always the case.” Those words, which we recently happened … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Saturday video break: “Baby clothes. This place has got everything!”

Posted on December 21, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

A shot-by-shot LEGO remake of the mall chase scene from The Blues Brothers: How awesome, not to mention OCD, is that? Here’s the side-by-side comparison: And the “making of” video: All done by the folks at Bricktease. I am in … Continue reading →

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