Monthly Archives: December 2014

There will be charter referenda next year

Posted on December 6, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Details are pending, but one way or another we’ll get to vote on some charter changes next November. City Council members on Thursday agreed that any city charter reforms, including changes to term limits, should go to voters in November … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2015 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on There will be charter referenda next year

Mayor Parker wants body cameras for HPD

Posted on December 6, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Houston won’t wait for federal funding before buying body cameras for all of the city’s uniformed police officers, Mayor Annise Parker said Wednesday, as activists launched a petition drive for an ordinance essentially mandating the mayor’s plans. Both the … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Mayor Parker wants body cameras for HPD

Bag fees versus bag bans

Posted on December 6, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting. If you live in Washington, you know the drill: After bagging your groceries, the checkout machine asks you how many bags you used. And if you used plastic or disposable bags (rather than bags you brought on your own), … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Friday random ten: Who needs instruments?

Posted on December 5, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

There is much excitement in my household (read: Olivia is excited) for Pitch Perfect 2. In honor of that, here are ten a capella tracks: 1. Behind Closed Doors – Modern Barbershop Quartet 2. Corn Dogs – The Bobs 3. … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged , | Comments Off on Friday random ten: Who needs instruments?

Other towns consider fracking bans

Posted on December 5, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

If Denton can do it… A Texas hamlet shaken by its first recorded earthquake last year and hundreds since then is among communities now taking steps to challenge the oil and gas industry’s traditional supremacy over the right to frack. … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Other towns consider fracking bans

Bexar legislative shuffle update

Posted on December 5, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

The two candidates that we thought were running for HD123 have officially announced that they are running for HD123. Two Democrats announced this weekend that they’re running for Texas House District 123, the San Antonio seat that state Rep. Mike … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2015 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Appraisal caps back on the agenda

Posted on December 5, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

The idea will never die, unfortunately. No matter what the effects are. Local officials in the Houston area say they are concerned that incoming state leaders will push for tax relief measures that could limit their ability to meet the … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Appraisal caps back on the agenda

A chance to help the sobering center

Posted on December 5, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a good cause. When the Houston Recovery Center turns to the public in coming months for the first time and asks for help, the request will likely seem small and perhaps odd: The city-backed sobering unit wants to raise … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on A chance to help the sobering center

Abbott files his suit

Posted on December 4, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

As expected. Leading a 17-state charge up a steep legal hill, Attorney General and soon-to-be-Gov. Greg Abbott Wednesday filed a federal lawsuit challenging the Obama administration’s moves to expand legal protections for undocumented immigrants. The lawsuit, the 31st Abbott has … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Abbott files his suit

Whining about the fracking ban

Posted on December 4, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

These guys just can’t believe they lost. Did college students tilt the outcome of Denton’s vote to ban hydraulic fracturing? That question has stirred debate since the city – home to the University of North Texas and Texas Woman’s University … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Whining about the fracking ban

What will the clerks do?

Posted on December 4, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Some of Texas’ county clerks are making plans to accommodate same-sex marriage license applicants in the event that federal judge Orlando Garcia lifts the stay on his ruling that tossed out the state’s ban on same-sex nuptials. Some other clerks … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on What will the clerks do?

Texas blog roundup for the week of December 1

Posted on December 4, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance is back from its tryptophan vacation as it brings you this week’s roundup.

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged , | Comments Off on Texas blog roundup for the week of December 1

It’s still not Medicaid expansion

Posted on December 3, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

The Legislature may do something that could sort of be called “Medicaid expansion”, if only for lack of a better term, but we would all do well to remain deeply skeptical of what they might consider. The once taboo subject … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on It’s still not Medicaid expansion

Denton responds to fracking ban lawsuit

Posted on December 3, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Game on. One day before its first-in-Texas ban on hydraulic fracturing is set to take effect, Denton called the oil and gas extraction technique a “public nuisance” that the North Texas town has the right to regulate. “Those activities have … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Denton responds to fracking ban lawsuit

Re-redistricting HISD

Posted on December 3, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Well, this would be different. The Houston school board would grow from nine elected trustees to 17 under a bill filed by state Rep. Senfronia Thompson, who said she wants to give residents of the former North Forest school district … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Searching the couch cushions for loose change

Posted on December 3, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

That’s basically what this is. To say the city of Houston is working to cut a looming $120 million budget deficit one color copy at a time would not be accurate. It’s more like millions of color copies. Cellphones no … Continue reading →

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

A look at how Democratic legislative challengers did against the spread

Posted on December 2, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

It’s been long enough since the election that I feel like I can go back and look at some numbers. Not a whole lot of good out there, but we’ll try to learn what we can. To start off, here … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Charter review gets set

Posted on December 2, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

From Campos: This Thursday, December 4 the City Council’s Ad Hoc Charter Review committee will meet and several members of Council want the following in BOLD discussed. I have added a few devil’s advocate observations. BTW: All members of City … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Charter review gets set

More concerns about the high speed rail route

Posted on December 2, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Some people who live not far from me are not very happy about the high speed rail line possibly running through their neighborhood. The prospect of a high-speed train crossing through First Ward into downtown Houston has residents scrambling to … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on More concerns about the high speed rail route

A “Mike Brown Law” for Houston

Posted on December 2, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: COMMUNITY TOWN HALL 12/4 TO DEMAND MIKE BROWN LAW HOUSTON- Hundreds plan to attend a town hall organized by Houston Justice, a grassroots activist group aimed at local criminal justice reform. The first goal is to pass … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on A “Mike Brown Law” for Houston

Kris Banks: Comparing turnout, or where the vote was lost

Posted on December 1, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

(Note: This is the first of two guest posts submitted by Kris Banks, past President of the Houston GLBT Political Caucus.) Democrats lost big last month. We lost at every level, from statewide all the way down to the countywide … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Here come the new ozone standards

Posted on December 1, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. Over the objections of Texas officials, the Obama administration on Wednesday proposed a long-delayed rule to slash levels of ozone – a smog-forming pollutant known to worsen asthma, lung disease and heart … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Here come the new ozone standards

Voter ID plaintiffs want Fith Circuit to get on with it

Posted on December 1, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Some more unfinished business for the courts. Some plaintiffs challenging Texas’ voter ID law want a federal appeals court to speed up its consideration of the case, looking to sort it out before the next wave of elections in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Voter ID plaintiffs want Fith Circuit to get on with it

Hempstead landfill fight goes to court

Posted on December 1, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

An update on a story I’ve been following for a few years. For the last two years, Waller County and the city of Hempstead have been pitted against each other in a high-profile legal battle over a proposed landfill in … Continue reading →

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