Monthly Archives: January 2017

The coming legislative border battle

Posted on January 14, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Here we go again. House Republicans on Wednesday said they aren’t backing away from recent efforts to secure the southern border despite an incoming president who made beefed-up immigration enforcement a hallmark of his campaign. And as a final admonishment … Continue reading →

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Fire ant-killing robots

Posted on January 14, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s just luxuriate in the glory of that headline for a moment, shall we? Harley Myler is working on a “war of the worlds.” That’s what the Lamar Electrical Engineering Department chair calls his latest project: a walking robot that … Continue reading →

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Friday random ten: Ladies’ night, part 28

Posted on January 13, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

This is the last one of these during the Obama presidency. 1. Nowhere Man – Of Montreal (Dottie Alexander) 2. Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me – Oleta Adams 3. Magic – Olivia Newton-John 4. The Cap And … Continue reading →

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Precinct analysis: Texas Congressional districts

Posted on January 13, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

From Daily Kos: Texas’s GOP-drawn congressional map was designed to create 24 safely red seats and 11 safely Democratic districts, with only the 23rd District in the western part of the state being truly competitive. In 2012, Mitt Romney carried … Continue reading →

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Paxton’s trial date set

Posted on January 13, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Mark your calendars, and stock up on the popcorn. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s trial on criminal securities fraud charges is set to begin May 1. Jury selection will be held April 20-21 and April 27-28, according to a recent … Continue reading →

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Sheriff Gonzalez’s staff

Posted on January 13, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Sheriff Ed Gonzalez combines diversity with experience in his braintrust. New Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez has tapped a diverse wave of law enforcement veterans to fill his top command staff, sharply increasing the number of minority leaders and naming … Continue reading →

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Feds officially file appeal in transgender bathroom directive lawsuit

Posted on January 12, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

This may be the last stop. With two weeks left, the Obama administration has asked a federal appeals court to throw out a lower court’s decision that suspended policies designed to protect transgender people’s access to restrooms — a sign … Continue reading →

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The other “faithless elector” speaks up

Posted on January 12, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Meet Bill Greene, political science professor at South Texas College, and the other Texas member of the Electoral College who did not cast a vote for Dear Leader Trump. Greene, who has kept a low profile since the vote, explained … Continue reading →

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Patrick will run for re-election in 2018

Posted on January 12, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

In case you were worried that he was planning to “spend more time with his family”, or whatever. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick formally announced Monday he’s running for re-election, looking to finally quell speculation he’s interested in higher office. “Put … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of January 9

Posted on January 12, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The Office of Texas Progressive Alliance Ethics remains intact as we bring you this week’s roundup.

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The Trib looks at Fort Bend’s Democratic trend

Posted on January 11, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

It’s worth noting. Despite long being considered a Republican county, Fort Bend went blue on Nov. 8 when Hillary Clinton won the county with an almost seven-point margin of victory. It wasn’t just an electoral flip — it was a … Continue reading →

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Dawnna Dukes case to go before grand jury

Posted on January 11, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Awesome. Travis County prosecutors and Texas Rangers will present evidence to a grand jury that state Rep. Dawnna Dukes abused the power of her office, Travis County District Attorney Margaret Moore told the American-Statesman. Among possible charges: abuse of official … Continue reading →

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HISD Board appoints Meyers replacement

Posted on January 11, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Meet your new Trustee. Houston ISD’s Board of Education voted unanimously Monday night to name former Teach for America staffer Holly Maria Flynn Vilaseca as its new District VI trustee. Flynn Vilaseca, who will replace outgoing Trustee Greg Meyers, will … Continue reading →

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Here comes the fully extended Green Line

Posted on January 11, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Hallelujah. Oh what a rocky ride it’s been. Political opposition. A Buy America violation. Construction delays. Contaminated soil that sank an underpass. Overweight and badly-manufactured railcars. More construction delays. When trains finally start rolling along the new Green Line into … Continue reading →

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Here’s your 2018-19 revenue estimate

Posted on January 10, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

It’s pretty mediocre. Facing sluggish economic forecasts amid low oil prices along with billions in tax revenue already dedicated to the state highway fund, Comptroller Glenn Hegarannounced Monday that lawmakers will have $104.87 billion in state funds at their disposal … Continue reading →

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Dukes un-resigns

Posted on January 10, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Ugh. State Rep. Dawnna Dukes confirmed to the Texas Tribune in an email Monday that she is not resigning from her post with House District 46, just two days after blindsiding supporters and fellow lawmakers with her reverse decision. Dukes, … Continue reading →

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Business really doesn’t want a bathroom bill

Posted on January 10, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Because this can’t be said enough. Texas business leaders are gearing up for a fight with state lawmakers over Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s push to bar transgender Texans from bathrooms tied to their gender identity. Business groups vehemently oppose the … Continue reading →

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Booker T still running for Mayor

Posted on January 10, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

He says he’s serious. We’ll see. On Tuesday, [Booker T. Huffman] sat down with KHOU 11 News to tell us how he plans to court voters in this new year, nearly three years before Election Day. “I want the people … Continue reading →

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This fight feels different

Posted on January 9, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The more I read about the forthcoming fight between Dan Patrick and his minions and everyone else over the bathroom bill, the more I am struck by the thought that we have never seen anything quite like this before in … Continue reading →

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New school grading system looks pretty harsh

Posted on January 9, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Brace yourselves. Schools in poor neighborhoods overwhelmingly received the worst grades under Texas’ new rating system — but even typically high-performing districts got C’s and D’s, according to scores that will be released Friday. The “what if” grades show how … Continue reading →

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Rep. Sam Johnson to retire

Posted on January 9, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

One of Texas’ longest-serving members of Congress will call it quits next year. U.S. Rep. Sam Johnson announced Friday morning that he will not seek re-election to represent his Plano-based seat in Congress. Johnson, a Vietnam War veteran, made the … Continue reading →

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The history of the Chicken Ranch

Posted on January 9, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Chron columnist and Texas historian Joe Holley writes about an attempt to put a marker by the site of the infamous Chicken Ranch. It’s been 43 years since KTRK-TV’s crusading consumer affairs reporter (“Slime in the ice machine!!”) rolled into … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for January 8

Posted on January 8, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

“But none of that will dampen the fact that for these last eight years, the President of the United States actually listened to Native Americans and kept his promises to them. That is historic.” Just so we’re clear, there was … Continue reading →

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Judge rules for Pasadena plaintiffs

Posted on January 8, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Wow. A federal judge in Houston dealt a major blow Friday to the city of Pasadena in a closely watched voting rights case, ruling that officials deliberately diluted the clout of Hispanic voters by revising the system for electing City … Continue reading →

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What is the environmental impact of building an Ike Dike?

Posted on January 8, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe we should try to figure that out. Plans for building a massive storm-surge protection system for the Houston area are rushing ahead before officials determine whether the project could harm Galveston Bay, environmental groups say. The Sierra Club and … Continue reading →

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More MUD muddles

Posted on January 8, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Who needs collateral? When Houston businessman David Lucyk decided to develop land in northeast Harris County, he lined up a bank loan to pay for water pipes, sewers, roads and a stormwater detention pond. He offered the bank three items … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: No Questions Asked

Posted on January 7, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

A song I recently acquired, from the Flesh Eaters: I got that from the 1980 collection of the Fluxblog 1980s Survey Mixes, which you absolutely need to get if you like 80s music in all its ugly beauty. It’s a … Continue reading →

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O’Rourke and Dowd say they want to challenge Cruz in 2018

Posted on January 7, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Rep. Beto O’Rourke upgraded his chances of running for the Senate in 2018 to “very likely”. U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke said Thursday he is all but certain to make a run for U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz’s seat in 2018. “I’ve … Continue reading →

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Effort to expedite redistricting ruling denied

Posted on January 7, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

From the Lone Star Project: Earlier today, Federal District Court Judge Xavier Rodriguez denied the motion filed by the Texas congressional and State House redistricting plaintiffs calling on the three-judge federal district court in San Antonio to rule on the … Continue reading →

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CCA Judge Alcala not running for re-election in 2018

Posted on January 7, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Our first open office for the next cycle. A Texas Court of Criminal Appeals judge who is well known for her criticism of the death penalty announced on Thursday that she will not run for reelection when her term ends … Continue reading →

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Friday random ten: Ladies’ night, part 27

Posted on January 6, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

One last gasp of Christmas. 1. It’s Merry Christmas Time – Miranda Dodson 2. Hold it Like It Was Your Own – Miss Molly 3. Came For A Dance – The Mollys (Nancy McCallion and Catherine Zavala) 4. Just To … Continue reading →

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Patrick plunges ahead with his potty bill

Posted on January 6, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Brace yourselves. After months of sparring over whether transgender Texans should be allowed to use bathrooms that align with their gender identity, Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on Thursday officially set the legislative stage for the debate. Following North Carolina’s … Continue reading →

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Ogg to review Temple case

Posted on January 6, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll see how this goes. Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said Wednesday she will personally lead a review of the case of David Temple, whose conviction of murdering his pregnant wife was overturned by the state’s highest court amid … Continue reading →

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

Fifth Circuit hears immigrant harboring lawsuit appeal

Posted on January 6, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

This time it’s the state that’s appealing a lower court ruling. A federal appeals court in New Orleans heard oral arguments Wednesday about whether a key portion of Texas’ omnibus border security bill is legal. Lawyers for the state of … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments