Monthly Archives: March 2017

More on Mack Beggs

Posted on March 7, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I like this kid. In the wake of winning a controversial Texas state girls’ wrestling title over the weekend, Mack Beggs, a 17-year-old transgender wrestler, spoke to the need to “stay strong” while also calling on state policymakers to “change … Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

County approves defense attorneys for bail hearings

Posted on March 7, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Long overdue. Harris County commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to develop a pilot program that would make public defenders present at bail hearings, a move aimed at reducing what officials say is the unnecessary jailing of thousands of defendants because they … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Lillie Schechter elected HCDP Chair

Posted on March 6, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Six candidates were nominated for HCDP Chair at Sunday’s County Executive Committee meeting: Dominique Davis, Johnathan Miller, Chris Spellmon, Keryl Douglass, Eartha Jean Johnson, and Lillie Schechter. Each candidate was given two minutes for a speech in a pre-determined order, … Continue reading →

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Patrick versus the House

Posted on March 6, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas House isn’t all onboard with Dan Patrick’s agenda, and our Lite Guv has his shorts in a bunch about it. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick celebrated a milestone Wednesday: His Senate had acted on all four of Gov. Greg … Continue reading →

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The long-term future of public transit

Posted on March 6, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

By “long-term” I mean by 2050 or so. For an agency that’s spent decades guiding freeway expansion, it was a stark admission for members of the Houston-Galveston Area Council’s transportation policy council. “Future growth and the resulting travel is expected … Continue reading →

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Ogg sides with bail reformers

Posted on March 6, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

As well she should. District Attorney Kim Ogg on Friday filed a brief supporting bail reform in the lawsuit brought against Harris County’s misdemeanor judges to change the bail system. The civil rights lawsuit, filed in federal court, is expected … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Weekend link dump for March 5

Posted on March 5, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Six tips for parenting your toddler President. We may never see another catcher’s balk again. Now this is what one might call an employment benefit. Where to find good data. “In just the last month since the concept of a … Continue reading →

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O’Rourke sure sounds like a candidate for Senate

Posted on March 5, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Sure feels like it’s a matter of when and not if Rep. Beto O’Rourke announces his candidacy for US Senate. U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke, D-El Paso, is sailing toward a 2018 Senate campaign — an uphill battle that would pit … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Sandra Bland Act

Posted on March 5, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Good. State Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston, on Thursday filed House Bill 2702, dubbed the Sandra Bland Act. The exhaustive piece of legislation would expand what qualifies as racial and ethnic profiling; mandate people experiencing a mental health crisis and substance … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , | 19 Comments

A brief look at Pearland’s elections

Posted on March 5, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Pasadena isn’t the only area city with a name that starts with P that will be electing a new Mayor this May. Every weekday morning, Quentin Wiltz drives about 30 miles from his home in Pearland to his job in … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2017 | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

To the moon!

Posted on March 5, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

If this is on your bucket list, you may be in luck. SpaceX, the ambitious rocket company headed by Elon Musk, wants to send a couple of tourists around the moon and back to Earth before the end of next … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: Ordinary Day

Posted on March 4, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

This is Alva Leigh, with a song from 2012: That’s from a Nashville Film Festival mixtape I got on Noisetrade. Mellow, but I like it. Now here’s Great Big Sea: Bodhrans and rugby – what more could you want?

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Paxton beats SEC rap again

Posted on March 4, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Not a surprise. A federal judge has again thrown out securities fraud charges against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, effectively ending one of two legal battles that have dogged Paxton for close to a year. U.S. District Judge Amos Mazzant … Continue reading →

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More businesses against SB6

Posted on March 4, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: In an open letter to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, House Speaker Joe Straus and state lawmakers, nearly 70 Texas businesses and chambers of commerce voice their opposition to Senate Bill 6, saying the … Continue reading →

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Get ready for more I-45 chaos

Posted on March 4, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Lord have mercy on our souls. Relieving one of Houston’s worst bottlenecks will come with some lengthy complications for northbound drivers on Interstate 45 headed into Houston’s central business district, starting Friday night. After years of delay, work is starting … Continue reading →

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Tough times for Presidential heads

Posted on March 4, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

This makes me sad. As polarized politics continue to rage in the Beltway, rural Virginia still has a place where Democrats, Republicans — and some Whigs — stand shoulder to shoulder. The busts of the first 43 U.S. presidents, each … Continue reading →

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Friday random ten: Ladies’ night, part 35

Posted on March 3, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

March already. We need more months to go by this quickly. 1. Feel So Different – Sinead O’Connor 2. Spellbound – Siouxsie And The Banshees (Susan Ballion, a/k/a Siouxsie Sioux) 3. Papa Dean – Sister Nancy (Ophlin Russell) 4. He’s … Continue reading →

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Abby Whitmire: Why I’m running for Humble ISD Board of Trustees

Posted on March 3, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

(Note: As you know, I solicit guest posts from time to time. I am also working to follow the May 2017 elections more closely, to do my part for the renewed sense of purpose and desire to make a difference … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2017 | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Mike Collier will run for Lt Gov

Posted on March 3, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is getting a Democratic challenger for re-election in 2018. The Texas Democratic Party said Thursday that Mike Collier is stepping down as finance chairman to start a campaign for lieutenant governor. “Dan Patrick has proven … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

No one ever said pension reform was going to be easy

Posted on March 3, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The firefighters’ pension fund isn’t happy with the way things are going. The plan to reform the City of Houston’s pension system is running into opposition from the Houston Firefighters’ Relief and Retirement Fund (HFRRF). In a recent letter sent … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Restricting restrictions on AirBnB

Posted on March 3, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I have issues with this. A legislative proposal that would limit local government control of short-term home rentals in Texas has reawakened a fight over regulations that has already played out in cities across the state. Senate Bill 451 by … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Once more with feeling on voter ID

Posted on March 2, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Slate’s Mark Joseph Stern says that Tuesday’s arguments about whether Texas’ voter ID law was enacted with discriminatory intent or not went well for the plaintiffs, and not for the state or its new buddies in the Justice Department. Tuesday’s … Continue reading →

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

Supreme Court hears ridiculous same-sex marriage appeal

Posted on March 2, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Was this trip really necessary? Same-sex couples are entitled to the same treatment as opposite-sex couples, a lawyer for the city of Houston argued before the Texas Supreme Court on Wednesday in a case challenging the city’s benefits policy for … Continue reading →

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No decision yet in the Temple case

Posted on March 2, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Give it two more months. Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said Monday it will be at least another 60 days before a decision is made on whether to re-try the murder case against former Katy football star and Alief … Continue reading →

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

Texas blog roundup for the week of Feburary 27

Posted on March 2, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance is always happy to celebrate the start of spring training as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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Precinct analysis: Dallas county elections

Posted on March 1, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

One more look at Dallas County, this time with the county-level judicial races. I like to use these partly because they’re a pretty good proxy for partisan preference, and partly because they provide a straight up two-party comparison, which is … Continue reading →

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State Supreme Court hears same sex marriage appeal today

Posted on March 1, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Gird your loins. Almost two years after same-sex marriage was legalized nationwide, Texas Republicans are still fighting the ruling — and they’re getting another day in court. The Texas Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments on Wednesday in … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Huberty says vouchers are dead this session

Posted on March 1, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Always nice to hear. The top education policy official in the Texas House said Tuesday that he would not allow the approval of school vouchers this legislative session, a blunt pronouncement that could be fatal to the prospects for legislation … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

“Texas lives on immigrant labor”

Posted on March 1, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Ain’t that the truth. In Texas, an estimated 400,000 construction workers reside illegally, according to one study. If they were forced to leave the country, contractors say, state construction companies would face a difficult fallout, including higher labor costs, construction … Continue reading →

Posted in Bidness, La Migra | Tagged , , , , , , , | 13 Comments