Monthly Archives: April 2016

Strategizing for the next HERO fight

Posted on April 7, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Good move. Stung by setbacks related to their access to public restrooms, transgender Americans are taking steps to play a more prominent and vocal role in a nationwide campaign to curtail discrimination against them. Two such initiatives are being launched … Continue reading →

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Case against Rick Perry officially dismissed

Posted on April 7, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

So there you have it. The criminal case against former Gov. Rick Perry was officially dismissed on Wednesday, weeks after Texas’ highest criminal court ordered that it be dropped. Judge Bert Richardson, who presided over the case in Travis County … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, Scandalized! | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Final Four weekend was pretty good for Houston

Posted on April 7, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll take it. Beyond the basketball court, the Houston economy appears to be the big winner of the Final Four. Across the city, several restaurants, bars and hotels reported big boosts in customers and cash flow, as an estimated 70,000 … Continue reading →

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

Texas blog roundup for the week of April 4

Posted on April 7, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance is buying some peanuts and Cracker Jack as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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Judicial Q&A: Tanya Makany-Rivera

Posted on April 6, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

(Note: As I have done in past elections, I am running a series of Q&As for judicial candidates in contested Democratic primaries. I’m now doing this for some candidates in the May runoff who had not done a Q&A in … Continue reading →

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Once again with “religious freedom” legislation

Posted on April 6, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. State Rep. Matt Krause, R-Fort Worth, says he plans to re-file legislation next session that would supplement the state’s existing law to allow business owners to refuse services to people whose lifestyles … Continue reading →

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More on the TCRP voter registration lawsuit

Posted on April 6, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the first news story I’ve seen about that voter registration lawsuit that was filed two weeks ago. The lead plaintiff is Jarrod Stringer of San Antonio, who relocated from Arlington in 2014. When he updated his driver license address … Continue reading →

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Mayor Turner names new City Attorney

Posted on April 6, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Mayor Sylvester Turner has announced his selection of Ronald C. Lewis as the new city attorney. Like the mayor, Lewis is Harvard educated and has run his own law firm. “I wanted a lawyer’s lawyer, someone highly … Continue reading →

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We precinct chairs will have at least one more nomination to fill

Posted on April 5, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

As everyone knows, Democratic precinct chairs in Commissioners Court Precinct 1 will be selecting a nominee to replace the late El Franco Lee on the November ballot. If we wind up selecting someone who is also on the November ballot … Continue reading →

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SCOTUS upholds “one person, one vote”

Posted on April 5, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Good news. In a unanimous decision released Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to uphold Texas’ current system for drawing legislative districts so that they are roughly equal in population. The Supreme Court’s ruling is a victory for legislators — … Continue reading →

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Locke makes it official

Posted on April 5, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

He would like to continue being County Commissioner. Harris County Precinct 1 Commissioner Gene Locke said Monday he has decided to seek the Democratic nomination — and thus another term — for the Precinct 1 seat. Locke was initially appointed … Continue reading →

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Paxton to get full court treatment

Posted on April 5, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The full (sort of) 5th Court of Appeals will decide whether to dismiss or uphold the indictments against AG Ken Paxton. The 5th Court of Appeals announced late Friday that instead of the typical three-judge panel, nine of its 13 … Continue reading →

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Interview with Jasmine Jenkins

Posted on April 4, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

As was the case in 2012, there is a three-way primary for the nomination in SBOE District 6, the one electoral entity that is subject to redistricting containing a Republican who represents me. I hadn’t planned to do interviews in … Continue reading →

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The Chron looks at Rodney Ellis

Posted on April 4, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Not a very flattering look. Over the past 26 years, state Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, has voted to confirm gubernatorial appointments to the Lower Colorado River Authority, a powerful electric utility in Central Texas. During the same time, financial firms … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

From the “It’s not the crime, it’s the coverup” department

Posted on April 4, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Oh, Sid. You’re such a naughty boy. Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller’s office withheld public records that suggest he obtained a medical procedure known as “The Jesus Shot” on a taxpayer-funded trip to Oklahoma, the Houston Chronicle has learned. In … Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized! | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

AG upholds Dallas Zoo ban on guns

Posted on April 4, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

For now. The Dallas Zoo can continue to ban guns at its 106-acre campus in Oak Cliff after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton this week rejected a citizen complaint that the zoo’s firearms policy violated state law. Paxton’s office said … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for April 3

Posted on April 3, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

“Why has marriage declined in America? Here’s my dorm room bull theory: it’s because men are pigs.” You kids today don’t know how good you’ve got it. In my day, we didn’t have illustrations by XKCD artist Randall Munroe in … Continue reading →

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What are the chances that Hillary could carry Texas in November?

Posted on April 3, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

According to the bookies, not as bad as you might think. Speculating that Texas will go blue in the near future has a certain trollish quality. In fact, it’s also been a downright spectacular way to sound like you don’t … Continue reading →

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Lawsuits and low oil prices

Posted on April 3, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Both are threatening the next Texas budget. Last week, lawyers for the state of Texas got the latest in a string of bad legal news. A lawsuit challenging the state’s foster care system as inhumane appeared to gain steam when … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

We haven’t heard the last of TMF

Posted on April 3, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

He’ll be back. State Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer says he laments nothing about a failed gambit for the state Senate that will end his 16-year stint with the Texas Legislature. The boisterous San Antonio Democrat, however, is leaving office at … Continue reading →

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Reimagining public transportation is hard work

Posted on April 3, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Noted for the record. Four years ago, Helsinki launched an innovative bus service as part of a long-term plan to make cars irrelevant. It was called Kutsuplus—Finnish for “call plus.” And it was one of the world’s first attempts to … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: In The Air Tonight

Posted on April 2, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

A classic of the 80s, from a pre-bald Phil Collins: Collins gets a lot of guff for hist stylized, very-80s albums, but I thought “Face Value” and “Hello, I Must Be Going!” were great. I loved his re-take on Genesis’ … Continue reading →

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What will the business lobby do to prevent a North Carolina anti-equality law being passed in Texas?

Posted on April 2, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

That’s the question that needs to be asked. Texas business leaders and LGBT advocates hope economic backlash over an anti-LGBT bill in North Carolina will deter lawmakers from taking up similar legislation next year in Austin. More than 100 CEOs and … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2016 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Earthquake!

Posted on April 2, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a real risk in Dallas now. The Dallas-Fort Worth area has a 1 to 5 percent chance of experiencing an earthquake strong enough to damage buildings in the next year, the U.S. Geological Survey said Monday. That risk has … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Japan rules, please

Posted on April 2, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The people behind the proposed high-speed rail line in Texas would like for it to be built under the same rules as existing Japanese high-speed rail lines. Railway operator JR Tokai and an American partner will petition federal regulators to … Continue reading →

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We Heart Houston…someplace else

Posted on April 2, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

A popular piece of public art is looking for a new location. It’s difficult not to smile while driving east on I-10 when passing the “We Heart Houston” sculpture near the Patterson St. exit in the Heights. Since 2013, the … Continue reading →

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Friday random ten: In the city, part 4

Posted on April 1, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Hello, Detroit! 1. Debbie Does Montreal – team9 vs. Stereogum 2. Detroit – Black Gold 3. Detroit City – Alice Cooper 4. Detroit Rock City – Kiss 5. (Don’t Go Back To) Rockville – R.E.M. 6. Don’t You Hear Jerusalem … Continue reading →

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FDA makes medical abortion safer

Posted on April 1, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Good news, at least until the Legislature reconvenes. Texas women will be able to obtain medical abortions later into their pregnancies under newly approved changes by the federal Food and Drug Administration. The FDA on Wednesday announced revised rules for … Continue reading →

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Yao Ming elected to Basketball Hall of Fame

Posted on April 1, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Congratulations! Ground-breaking former Rockets center Yao Ming has been elected for inductions in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, a person with knowledge of the voting confirmed on Wednesday. Yao, the first player taken in the 2002 draft who became … Continue reading →

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The Ashby legacy

Posted on April 1, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

What hath it wrought? The plot of land where developers promised the so-called Ashby high-rise would be built in an affluent neighborhood still sits empty. Yet the 1.6-acre lot at 1717 Bissonnet, which in 2007 sparked a battle that came … Continue reading →

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If we really cared about improving mental health in Texas

Posted on April 1, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

We would have expanded Medicaid at our first opportunity. Federal health officials say people with mental illness and addictions are being left behind in Texas because the state hasn’t expanded Medicaid to more low-income adults. The health care program for … Continue reading →

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