Monthly Archives: April 2017

Would a contested primary for Senate be bad for Dems in 2018?

Posted on April 14, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. A primary showdown between two well-liked and well-funded Democrats would add an extra layer of time and money for [Rep. Beto] O’Rourke and potentially [Rep. Joaquin] Castro – and could make it … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Lawsuit filed over Muslim ban documents

Posted on April 14, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit [Wednesday] demanding government documents about the on-the-ground implementation of President Trump’s Muslim ban. Today’s action is part of a total of 13 … Continue reading →

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

Improving Metro service for disabled riders

Posted on April 14, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a work in progress. Many elderly and disabled people in the region rely on the bus, and a 6-foot stretch of missing sidewalk can cut off their access completely. Advocates expect better from the city with the world’s largest … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Improving Metro service for disabled riders

Making vaccination information public

Posted on April 14, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I support this. While most parents in Texas vaccinate their children, the number of parents opting out of immunizations for non-medical reasons is on the rise. Since Texas changed its laws to allow parents to opt out citing a conscientious … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Paxton’s trial date set for September 12

Posted on April 13, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Mark your calendars. Attorney General Ken Paxton’s newly relocated criminal trial is scheduled to begin Sept. 12. The judge in the case set the trial date Wednesday, a day after moving the proceedings to Harris County. The trial had originally … Continue reading →

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

Settle the damn bail lawsuit already

Posted on April 13, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Enough. Harris County commissioners Tuesday voted to add high-profile, conservative litigator Charles Cooper to a growing team of attorneys defending the county and several public officials against a civil rights lawsuit alleging the county’s bail system unconstitutionally jails the poor. … Continue reading →

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

“Strongly held religious beliefs” do not justify discrimination

Posted on April 13, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

This is a very bad idea. Legislation that would allow county clerks in Texas to decline to issue same-sex marriage licenses if it conflicts with their religious beliefs was tentatively approved Tuesday by the Texas Senate. State Sen. Brian Birdwell, … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Texas blog roundup for the week of April 10

Posted on April 13, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance really just wanted to celebrate the return of baseball as it brings you this week’s roundup.

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged , | Comments Off on Texas blog roundup for the week of April 10

Paxton trial moved to Harris County

Posted on April 12, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The circus is coming to town, with none of those morally questionable animal acts to get all angsty about. Attorney General Ken Paxton will face a jury in Harris County on felony criminal charges he committed securities fraud and failed … Continue reading →

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

Voter ID education was a massive failure

Posted on April 12, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

This is outrageous. The University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs recently completed a report, “The Texas Voter ID Law and the 2016 Election,” based on surveys of registered voters who sat out the 2016 elections in the state’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2016 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Castro will decide this month

Posted on April 12, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

We should know soon if there are two Democratic challengers to Sen. Ted Cruz. After Joaquin Castro exhorted a room full of Dallas-area activists Sunday to mobilize against Republican Sen. Ted Cruz in 2018, a man asked the San Antonio … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , , | 19 Comments

Stockman trial date set

Posted on April 12, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Mark your calendar. Former U.S. Rep. Steve Stockman is set to go to trial June 5 on federal corruption charges. Stockman, a Houston-area Republican, has pleaded not guilty to charges of funneling hundreds of thousands of dollars in charitable donations … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, Scandalized! | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Stockman trial date set

Voter ID law declared discriminatory

Posted on April 11, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Again. A federal judge has ruled — for the second time — that Texas lawmakers intentionally discriminated against Latino and black voters in passing a strict voter identification law in 2011. U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos ruled Monday that … Continue reading →

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

Stockman pleads not guilty

Posted on April 11, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

And we’re off. Standing tall, with his hands hanging loosely at his sides, former U.S. Congressman Steve Stockman told a federal magistrate in Houston Monday he understood the criminal charges against him and pleaded not guilty to theft of about … Continue reading →

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

O’Rourke’s “calculated gamble”

Posted on April 11, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The Trib takes a look back at Rep. Beto O’Rourke’s successful for for Congress in 2012 to see what we might learn about his current campaign for the Senate. In announcing Friday his challenge to U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on O’Rourke’s “calculated gamble”

Interview with Pat Van Houte

Posted on April 10, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

There’s a lot of interest in the May elections this year, driven in large part by a newfound level of engagement from progressives and other Trump opponents. Of the races in the Houston area, the most consequential is the Pasadena … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2017 | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

The first step is admitting you have a problem

Posted on April 10, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Rewire points out an issue that should have been obvious. Earlier this month, about 70 Texas businesses signed a letter condemning a discriminatory bill now circulating in the state legislature that would largely bar transgender people from using public restrooms … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The first step is admitting you have a problem

A happy ending

Posted on April 10, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

This was a long time coming. When I first reported on this family a year ago, the boys – who had behavioral issues and delays likely stemming from abuse, neglect and being shuttled through foster placements – had just been … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Weekend link dump for April 9

Posted on April 9, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The original ending for Frozen, in which Elsa was the villain. So why do cartoon characters only have four fingers, anyway? “VPNs can be a useful tool for protecting one’s privacy online. However, it’s important to understand the limitations of … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged | 6 Comments

Some Texas voting rights lawsuit updates

Posted on April 9, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

This has been a busy week for litigation related to voting rights issues in Texas. Here are updates to some cases, all of which happened this past week. From Texas Redistricting: The three-judge panel in the Texas redistricting case has … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

One more thing about vouchers

Posted on April 9, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I’m going to enjoy this just a little bit more. The Texas House of Representatives all but killed Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s prized school choice bill Thursday, dealing the powerful Republican a major loss as he struggles to push his … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Steve Stockman claims he’s broke

Posted on April 9, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Pobrecito. Former Congressman Steve Stockman told a federal magistrate Wednesday he can’t afford to pay for a lawyer to represent him against allegations he helped steal about $800,000 in charitable donations intended for conservative organizations. U.S. Magistrate Judge Nancy Johnson … Continue reading →

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

Saturday video break: The Power Of Love

Posted on April 8, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

One of Texas’ treasures, the fantastic Marcia Ball: That video is from 1990, which is around when I first saw her play at a dive bar on Washington Avenue. I’ve been a fan ever since. She’s a virtuoso on the … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged , | Comments Off on Saturday video break: The Power Of Love

House passes its budget

Posted on April 8, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Mostly shenanigan-free, with a nice little side order of shade for a few people who deserve it. After 15 and a half hours of debate on hundreds of amendments to the Texas House budget, lawmakers in the lower chamber passed … Continue reading →

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

Houston hyperlooping

Posted on April 8, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

How soon can this be built? A Texas plan using the Hyperloop concept envisioned by Tesla founder Elon Musk is one of 35 proposals from around the globe competing this week in Washington for bragging rights as the best initial … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Dukes fails to get charges tossed

Posted on April 8, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Too bad for her. A Travis County state district judge denied a motion by state Rep. Dawnna Dukes to dismiss four felony counts against her for tampering with public records. Dukes’ attorneys on March 8 asked Judge Brad Urrutia to … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, Scandalized! | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Dukes fails to get charges tossed

Friday random ten: Ladies’ night, part 40

Posted on April 7, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I’m so happy, ’cause today I found my friends… 1. Icicle – Tori Amos 2. Heart And Soul – T’Pau (Carol Decker) 3. Fast Car – Tracy Chapman 4. Crimes Of A Misspent Youth – Trish & Darin (Trish Murphy) … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged , | Comments Off on Friday random ten: Ladies’ night, part 40

Steeleworkers unite

Posted on April 7, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

So there I was perusing the Campaign Events section of the weekly HCDP email blast, when I spotted this Facebook event and damn near fell out of my chair. Have coffee with the candidates for US House District 36! On … Continue reading →

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

Pension reform bill passes House committee

Posted on April 7, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Two for two. Houston’s pension reform bill will now move to the floor of each legislative chamber after a Texas House committee joined its Senate counterparts in passing the measure 6-1 Wednesday. With Rep. Roberto Alonzo, D-Dallas, opposed, the pensions … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Pension reform bill passes House committee

Pasadena Council not happy with redistricting appeal

Posted on April 7, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Or maybe they’re just not happy with soon-to-be-former Mayor Isbell. Either way, they showed it. In a sign of waning confidence in its legal position, the Pasadena City Council voted Tuesday to withhold payment from the law firm that’s trying … Continue reading →

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

Marijuana decriminalization bill passes House committee

Posted on April 7, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Progress. The House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee advanced a marijuana decriminalization bill on Monday with the help of two Republicans. With a 4–2 vote, the committee approved House Bill 81, authored by Chair Joe Moody, D-El Paso, at Monday’s hearing. Under … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Five anti-Texas Central bills approved by Senate committee

Posted on April 6, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

It just got real. Five bills filed by state lawmakers fearful a high-speed rail project planned between Houston and Dallas will be a dud and need help from the state passed a key committee Wednesday, breezing their way past opposition … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Bail bondsmen complain about bail reform bill

Posted on April 6, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I understand their concerns, but that doesn’t mean I agree with them. Legislation touted as a fix-all to reform Texas’ controversial jail-release system was blasted Tuesday by bail bondsmen and attorneys who said it would destroy the bail-bond industry and … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Bail bondsmen complain about bail reform bill

What HISD is saying about recapture

Posted on April 6, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s their official webpage. I think you’ll be able to discern their position. HISD voters will be asked on May 6 how the district should pay its Recapture obligation to the state of Texas: by Purchasing Attendance Credits or through … Continue reading →

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