Monthly Archives: June 2016

Ken Paxton does not approve of transgender bathroom policies

Posted on June 30, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Big surprise, right? Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Tuesday issued an opinion saying the Fort Worth school superintendent who made headlines for formulating guidelines to accommodate transgender students exceeded his authority. Paxton also said that a portion of the … Continue reading →

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Still waiting for a design for I-45

Posted on June 30, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Pull up a chair and relax, this could take awhile. After 15 years of discussion, study and ideas for improvements ranging from enormous tunnels to a massive circulating freeway loop, planners are still at least six months from unveiling their … Continue reading →

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Texas to get VW settlement money

Posted on June 30, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

It’s something. Volkswagen has agreed to pay Texas $50 million in connection with the German automaker’s admitted peddling of diesel vehicles rigged to surpass emissions limits, Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Tuesday. The partial settlement is part of a larger, … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of June 27

Posted on June 30, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance admires the Scottish facility for creative insults as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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UT/Texas Politics Project poll: Trump 41, Clinton 33

Posted on June 29, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Poll #2 is in the books. Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump leads Democratic rival Hillary Clinton by 8 percentage points in Texas, according to a University of Texas/Texas Politics Project Poll released Monday. Trump is ahead of Clinton 41 … Continue reading →

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Here come the candidates for SD13

Posted on June 29, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Here we go again. State Rep. Borris Miles came prepared with signs Saturday when Rodney Ellis all but secured a seat on Harris County’s Commissioners Court – not in support of Ellis, but to launch his own campaign. Ellis’ selection … Continue reading →

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Wendy Davis takes a victory lap

Posted on June 29, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

As well she should. Wendy Davis, the woman whose 11-hour filibuster focused national attention on Texas’ efforts to restrict abortion access in 2013, celebrated Monday when the Supreme Court ruled that the state law was unconstitutional. “I’m overjoyed,” Davis said … Continue reading →

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La Marque ISD lawsuit tossed

Posted on June 29, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The end of the line for La Marque ISD. A Texas appeals court has dismissed a lawsuit seeking to halt the annexation of the La Marque school district by Texas City ISD. The 3rd Texas Court of Appeals on Friday … Continue reading →

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SCOTUS strikes down HB2

Posted on June 28, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Hallelujah. The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday handed Texas abortion providers a major victory by overturning Texas’ 2013 abortion restrictions. On a 5-3 vote, the high court overturned restrictions passed as part of House Bill 2 in 2013 that required … Continue reading →

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Republicans gear up for full blown gay panic in 2017

Posted on June 28, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

You have been warned. Still angry about the Supreme Court’s mandate, some conservative lawmakers hope that it is someday overturned. In the meantime, they expect to propose a series of what they call religious liberty bills to blunt its impact. … Continue reading →

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TAB says it wants better pre-K in Texas

Posted on June 28, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. The Texas Association of Business wants the state to offer a full school day of taxpayer-funded pre-K and plans to push lawmakers in that direction next year, the group announced this week. … Continue reading →

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Montgomery County officials indicted over road bond shenanigans

Posted on June 28, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

I know I’m a bad person, but this continues to amuse me greatly. A grand jury has indicted Montgomery County Judge Craig Doyal and two commissioners, charging them with violating Texas’ open meetings law last year while developing a bond … Continue reading →

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Next up: Judicial nominations

Posted on June 27, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

With the nomination for Commissioners Court settled, all that’s left for me to do as Precinct Chair is participate in the process to select nominees for the two new courts, the 507th Family District Court and the County Criminal Court … Continue reading →

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Astrodome parking plan coming

Posted on June 27, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Better get ready. Harris County officials on Friday unveiled a $105 million plan to raise the floor of the Astrodome and build two new levels of parking beneath it, the strongest signal yet that the county plans to maintain and … Continue reading →

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AG opposes parents in STAAR lawsuit

Posted on June 27, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting. The Texas attorney general says parents suing to get the state to toss out student test scores lack standing and should have taken their complaints to the Texas Education Agency rather than a court. Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office … Continue reading →

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On recycling glass

Posted on June 27, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Not sure about this. Considered only in terms of the city’s short-term budget and Waste Management’s profits, perhaps the decision to stop recycling glass makes sense. But it wasn’t popular at the symposium, which was hosted by UH’s Center for … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for June 26

Posted on June 26, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

From a few years ago, Penn Jillette on the bizarre experience of The Celebrity Apprentice. “Trump, by contrast, is constantly getting massive attention for being a deluded, ignorant, racist maniac. He combines an unprecedented facility to manipulate the modern media … Continue reading →

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Ellis wins Precinct 1 nomination

Posted on June 26, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

In the end, it wasn’t close. State Sen. Rodney Ellis on Saturday won the Democratic nomination for Precinct 1 Commissioner, effectively guaranteeing the veteran lawmaker the office. Ellis will be sacrificing 26 years in the Texas senate to become the … Continue reading →

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Mayor proposes raising contribution limits

Posted on June 26, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Not sure how I feel about this. Incumbents and wealthy candidates would get more of an advantage under proposed changes to Houston’s campaign finance law, which would effectively double contribution limits per general election cycle and allow many candidates who … Continue reading →

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HISD sued over school name changes

Posted on June 26, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Not a surprise. Nine members of the local community on Thursday sued Houston’s public school district, alleging the district violated numerous laws and their own regulations when recently changing the names of eight schools. “We’ve been arguing as parents and … Continue reading →

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Our bioscience future

Posted on June 26, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Looking bright. Biotechnology continues to grow in Texas, contributing to the state’s overall economy by adding jobs, making strides in research and innovation and last year attracting $1 billion in federal funding for research, a new report on business development … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: Life Is Hard

Posted on June 25, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

I’m cheating a bit with the song titles this week, but I think you’ll forgive me. First, an 80s classic from Timbuk 3: I’m not even sure where I got the three Timbuk 3 songs that I have that aren’t … Continue reading →

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Today’s the day for the Commissioners Court selection process

Posted on June 25, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

I’m sure we’re all ready for it to be over. Just last week, state Sen. Rodney Ellis claimed he had enough support from Democratic Party chairs to become the next Harris County commissioner for Precinct 1. Not that he’s resting … Continue reading →

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Lawsuit filed in Austin over short-term rental ordinance

Posted on June 25, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Geez. The gig economy — specifically, the short-term rental industry that includes HomeAway, Airbnb, and VRBO — is under attack by the city of Austin, Texas, according to a lawsuit filed in state court June 20, which was sponsored by … Continue reading →

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Colleges and bathrooms

Posted on June 25, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Texas’ colleges and universities have not yet been affected by Dan Patrick’s potty obsession. At the University of Houston, transgender students can enroll in voice feminization or masculinization clinics. At the University of Texas at Austin, students can write a … Continue reading →

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STAAR screwups

Posted on June 25, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

From the Observer: Texas’ standardized testing program wasn’t exactly popular before the 2015-2016 school year, but this year’s State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) has been an especially frustrating experience for Texas students, parents and school officials. New … Continue reading →

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Friday random ten: Ladies’ night, part 1

Posted on June 24, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Hey, did you know there’s a woman running for President? It’s true! First time ever for a major political party in this country. In honor of that historic achievement, I’m going to spend a few weeks highlighting songs from my … Continue reading →

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Judicial Q&A revisited: Raul Rodriguez

Posted on June 24, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

As you know, in addition to selecting a Democratic nominee for County Commissioners Court in Precinct 1, precinct chairs everywhere in Harris County will get to select two judicial nominees, for newly-created courts. There are three people who have expressed … Continue reading →

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SCOTUS punts on immigration order

Posted on June 24, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Ugh. ealing a major blow to President Obama’s controversial executive immigration order, the U.S. Supreme Court announced Thursday it had failed to produce a majority opinion on the policy — meaning that the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals’ November … Continue reading →

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Castro back on as VP possibility

Posted on June 24, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro is on the shortlist of potential running mates for Hillary Clinton, and has been asked by her campaign to provide personal information, San Antonio Express-News … Continue reading →

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City bike plan finalized

Posted on June 24, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Here it comes. Bicycling advocates – fresh off finalizing a plan for Houston’s bike future – face the challenge of getting formal city approval of their ideas as they incrementally piece together what could be a $500 million investment. Changing … Continue reading →

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Judicial Q&A revisited: Darrell Jordan

Posted on June 23, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

As you know, in addition to selecting a Democratic nominee for County Commissioners Court in Precinct 1, precinct chairs everywhere in Harris County will get to select two judicial nominees, for newly-created courts. There are three people who have expressed … Continue reading →

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Our first general election poll of Texas

Posted on June 23, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: In a poll released today and conducted June 13-14, 2016, Texas voters are specifically rejecting Donald Trump’s lies and the corruption of State GOP elected officials. While Trump leads Hillary Clinton by 7 points (36.8 % – … Continue reading →

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Commissioners Court candidate questionnaire responses

Posted on June 23, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Last week, the HCDP sent out a questionnaire to the candidates who had expressed an interest in the nomination for Commissioners Court in Precinct 1. You can see the responses that they got here. Only four candidates submitted answers: Sen. … Continue reading →

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