Monthly Archives: November 2014

Reynolds’ convictions overturned

Posted on November 13, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

My head is spinning. State Rep. Ron Reynolds, D-Missouri City, will be back in a Montgomery County courtroom a week before the 2015 legislative session gets underway. The legislator, who just won his third term in office, is facing a … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of November 10

Posted on November 13, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance believes that it’s not whether you stumble that matters but whether you get up and keep going as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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More on the initial bill filings

Posted on November 12, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

From the Trib, a sampling: As of Monday afternoon, a bill repealing the Texas Dream Act, which allows undocumented immigrant students to pay in-state college tuition rates, had yet to emerge. Lt. Gov.-elect Dan Patrick promised while campaigning that he would work … Continue reading →

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What will The Dew do now?

Posted on November 12, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

“Go away” would be my first choice. David Dewhurst is not ready to leave Texas politics. The outgoing lieutenant governor said Monday he is planning to start a “large public policy venture” and may consider a run for political office … Continue reading →

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Searching for a successor to Victor Trevino

Posted on November 12, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Commissioners Court is on it. Harris County commissioners are preparing to accept the resignation of convicted Constable Victor Trevino and to start looking for his replacement. Trevino, who pleaded guilty last week to a felony charge as a jury was … Continue reading →

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Legislation to overturn same sex marriage ban filed

Posted on November 11, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Someone’s gotta do it, and you know it won’t be Republicans. Kriselda Hinojosa recalls how she unintentionally came out to her father in sixth grade. “He actually saw me kissing my girlfriend at the time,” Hinojosa said. “So he caught … Continue reading →

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Replacing Hegar

Posted on November 11, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Election season isn’t over yet. At least three Republican candidates – who hit the campaign trail for the then-hypothetical opening months ago – will duke it out to represent a rural 21-county Senate district that stretches from Fort Bend County … Continue reading →

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If there are dominoes to fall…

Posted on November 11, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

…these two would like to be among them. Election season may not be over just yet in San Antonio, where a game of legislative musical chairs could begin if state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte launches a bid for mayor. … Continue reading →

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The rent is too damn high

Posted on November 11, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

The Houston area isn’t such a cheap place to live any more. A job boom bringing highly paid energy workers to Houston and a pronounced decline in the percentage of people buying houses have combined to drive up the cost … Continue reading →

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And the recriminations begin

Posted on November 10, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

I’m going to do my best to stay out of this. Everyone quoted is someone I know and like, and if there’s one part of the political process I truly don’t care for, it’s the family fight. So I’m just … Continue reading →

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Villarreal to launch his mayoral candidacy

Posted on November 10, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

We’re going to be talking a lot about Houston’s mayoral race next year, but six months before we elect a new Mayor San Antonio will elect one as well. The current frontrunner – and only declared candidate so far – … Continue reading →

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Lyft to leave November 20

Posted on November 10, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

So long. Lyft plans to suspend its Houston operations on Nov. 20, according to a letter sent to Houston Lyft users. The San Francisco-based ride-sharing service is upset over the new regulations approved by the Houston City Council in August. … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for November 9

Posted on November 9, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

What the President’s chip & PIN executive order is all about. “Americans did what they so often do after disasters. They sent hundreds of millions of dollars to the Red Cross, confident their money would ease the suffering left behind … Continue reading →

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Lawsuit filed over Houston campaign blackout rules

Posted on November 9, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Late Tuesday afternoon, Houston City Council candidate Trebor Gordon filed a First Amendment lawsuit challenging a discriminatory Houston ordinance that prevents city candidates from fundraising until February. Gordon is a conservative candidate for Houston City Council at … Continue reading →

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Fifth Circuit to hear HB2 appeal in January

Posted on November 9, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Gird your loins. A federal appeals court has scheduled oral arguments about the constitutionality of Texas’ tough new abortion law for the first week of January, setting up a rapid timeline that may accelerate the case’s expected trip to the … Continue reading →

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Rep. Reynolds convicted of six misdemeanors

Posted on November 9, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

He actually got off easy since he was facing felony charges. A Montgomery County jury Friday found state Rep. Ron Reynolds guilty of six counts of misdemeanor solicitation of professional employment – a lesser charge than the felony barratry charge … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood

Posted on November 8, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

British Invasion time with Eric Burden and The Animals: I’m guessing a lot of people are familiar with the Elvis Costello version. Here’s a somewhat stripped down live recording of it: The version with which I am most familiar is … Continue reading →

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Perry’s first day in court

Posted on November 8, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Hopefully not his last, but that’s up to the judge at this time. Gov. Rick Perry appeared in court Thursday to watch his attorneys, armed with plenty of theater, try to convince a judge that the prosecutor pursuing abuse-of-power charges … Continue reading →

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Where Texans got their Obamacare information

Posted on November 8, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

The Baker Institute tells us. While most Texans used healthcare.gov earlier this year to get information or to enroll in a health insurance plan under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), larger percentages of Texans found talking to the call center … Continue reading →

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Getting more people to use B-Cycle

Posted on November 8, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Houston’s B-Cycle program has been a big success overall, but not in all locations. Despite the growth, however, few of the nearly 70,000 checkouts between January and mid-October are coming from three B-Cycle stations specifically placed to expand the system … Continue reading →

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Friday random ten: Y not?

Posted on November 7, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Sure, why not? 1. Maps – Yeah Yeah Yeahs 2. Oh Yeah – Yello 3. Yours Is No Disgrace – Yes 4. The Fox (What Does The Fox Say?) – Ylvis 5. I Wonder – Yma Sumac 6. How ‘Bout … Continue reading →

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The Battleground effect in legislative races

Posted on November 7, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

So here’s a crazy idea. Rather than judge Battleground Texas by our own beliefs about how things should have gone, what say we take a look at the actual numbers of a few races and see what they tell us? … Continue reading →

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Sixth Circuit stands up for inequality

Posted on November 7, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

It was bound to happen eventually. Remember the big no-decision decision the Supreme Court issued on same-sex marriage just a month ago? The justices were asked — in five separate cases no less — to weigh in on whether same-sex … Continue reading →

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Who needs managed lanes?

Posted on November 7, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Not TxDOT, and not on 290. State transportation officials have changed plans for widening U.S. 290, increasing capacity for people driving alone but reducing opportunities for alternatives to solo driving. After initially planning four or five general use lanes in … Continue reading →

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Woodfill gets another injunction

Posted on November 7, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

WTF? A state district judge on Wednesday ordered the city of Houston to stop offering health and life insurance benefits to the same-sex spouses of married employees, but city attorneys say they plan an immediate appeal that, once filed, could … Continue reading →

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First impressions of the 2014 results

Posted on November 6, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

My initial thoughts, for what they are worth. – Let me begin by saying that for all the criticism I had of the UT/Texas Trib’s polling and the skepticism of Internet-sample methodology, they were fairly accurate in the end. In … Continue reading →

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Denton fracking ban passes

Posted on November 6, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Let the freakout – or perhaps I should say “frack-out” – begin. Nearly 59 percent of voters in Denton, which sits on the edge of gas-rich Barnett Shale, approved a measure banning hydraulic fracturing, or fracking — the method of … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of November 3

Posted on November 6, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance fervently hopes that all of the election winners have our state’s best interests at heart as we bring you this week’s roundup.

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McCrum responds to Perry’s motions

Posted on November 5, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Another story to distract us from the election results. Special prosecutor Michael McCrum filed court papers on Monday, saying the governor, who was indicted for abuse of office, shouldn’t have access to grand jury testimony because he could intimidate witnesses. … Continue reading →

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Red light cameras: The final insult

Posted on November 5, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Awesome. In settling the lawsuit with camera vendor American Traffic Solutions, whose contract was supposed to run through 2014, the city agreed to pay the Arizona-based company $4.8 million. The city had $2.3 million in red-light ticket revenue on hand … Continue reading →

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Results thread

Posted on November 4, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s where I’ll be tracking results as they come in, which should be soon now. I’m in the studio at KRTK, the livestream URL is http://abc13.co/abc13CK+, and we should be kicking off soon. Harris County results are

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Where I will be on Election Night

Posted on November 4, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

For those of you that may wonder what I look and sound like when I say all this stuff that I write about, tonight is your chance to find out. I will be in studio at KTRK, Channel 13 in … Continue reading →

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Denton fracking ban update

Posted on November 4, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

One more look at what is surely the most contentious issue on the ballot anywhere in the state. With Denton preparing to vote Tuesday on banning hydraulic fracturing within city limits, tension has mounted as rival groups work to undermine … Continue reading →

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Two in Tarrant to watch

Posted on November 4, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Tarrant County isn’t often an electoral battleground, but this time it is, at least in two legislative races. [HD94 Republican nominee Tony] Tinderholt’s race is one of two legislative contests in Tarrant County where Democrats are pinning their hopes on … Continue reading →

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