Monthly Archives: November 2017

New Braunfels can ban is back

Posted on November 11, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

A blast from the past. New Braunfels officials plan to resume enforcement of the “can ban” and limits on coolers on rivers on Wednesday even as opponents of the controversial municipal codes continue to pursue a legal challenge to them. … Continue reading →

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

Friday random ten: Blue bayou, part 1

Posted on November 10, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Do we have the blues? We have them enough for multiple lists. 1. Blue Always Finds Me – Hotel Lights 2. Blue Baiao – Susanna Sharpe and Samba Police 3. Blue Christmas – Collective Soul 4. Blue Comet Blues – … Continue reading →

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The secret sexual predators of Texas politics

Posted on November 10, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Come in, sit down, make yourself comfortable. Maybe a nice cup of hot tea? There now, all settled in? Good. Now steel yourselves and read this. More than a year before the now-infamous “shitty media men” list, women in Texas’s statehouse … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

SB4 at the Fifth Circuit

Posted on November 10, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Hoping for the best as always, but the Fifth Circuit has a way of stomping on that. Tuesday’s hearing was on whether U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia’s August decision to block several of the law’s provisions should stand while the … Continue reading →

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School districts affected by Harvey ask for a break on testing

Posted on November 10, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

One way or another we’re going to have to reckon with this. Leaders of school districts heavily affected by Hurricane Harvey told a legislative panel on Monday that they would like to see Texas’ accountability and testing requirements relaxed in … Continue reading →

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My thoughts following the 2017 election

Posted on November 9, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

1. Turnout in Houston was considerably higher than anyone predicted. Adding in Fort Bend to Harris yields 101,178 voters. Harris County had 149,730. The Houston share of Harris County was 66.43%, which is lower than I expected as well. 2. … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2017 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Justin Nelson to run against Paxton

Posted on November 9, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

About time we got an official candidate for this race. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is getting his first Democratic opponent for re-election. Attorney Justin Nelson is entering the race to be the state’s top lawyer with just over a … Continue reading →

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Julian 2020?

Posted on November 9, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

He has raised the possibility. Texas Democrat Julian Castro confirmed Sunday he is seriously considering running for president in 2020 and former state Sen. Wendy Davis left open the possibility she will take another run at running for governor in … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018, The making of the President | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Texas blog roundup for the week of November 6

Posted on November 9, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance congratulates 2017 World Series champion Houston Astros as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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2017 results: HISD and HCC

Posted on November 8, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

There were still precincts to be counted as I was writing this so there are a couple of races where I’ll have to equivocate, but here’s what happened in the local races that had actual candidates in them. Let’s start … Continue reading →

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2017 results: National

Posted on November 8, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s a pretty good indicator of what kind of day it was yesterday for Democrats: Big win in the Virginia Governor’s race (and the other VA statewide races), despite a couple metric tons of pearls being clutched going into Tuesday. … Continue reading →

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2017 results: City bonds

Posted on November 8, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Pension obligation bonds pass easily. Houston voters passed a $1 billion pension bond referendum by a wide margin late Tuesday, securing Mayor Sylvester Turner’s landmark reform package and, the mayor hopes, marking the beginning of the end of a 16-year … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2017 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Rep. Ted Poe to retire

Posted on November 8, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

We’re verging on a mass exodus here. U.S. Rep. Ted Poe, R-Humble, announced Tuesday evening that he will retire from Congress. “Thanks to the good Lord, I’m in good health, but it’s time for the next step,” Poe said in … Continue reading →

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Election Day 2017

Posted on November 7, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

It’s time to vote if you haven’t already. Not many people have, as we know. Harris County turnout is expected to remain feeble through Election Day, with no marquee race to draw voters to the polls and thousands still displaced … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2017 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Lupe Valdez

Posted on November 7, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Now here is some potential-candidate news of interest. Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez has emerged as potential Democratic challenger to Gov. Greg Abbott in 2018. In an interview Monday, Valdez described herself as “in the exploratory process,” looking at the … Continue reading →

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

Background checks

Posted on November 7, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

This should make you angry. A mistake by U.S. Air Force officials in reporting Devin Patrick Kelley’s past conviction for domestic violence allowed him to buy four guns, including the semi-automatic rifle used in the Sunday shooting at a South … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Late money in the HISD races

Posted on November 6, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Here it comes. A political action committee mostly funded by the nation’s largest teachers’ union has received $225,000 to spend on supporting four candidates for the Houston ISD school board election and a city ballot measure, campaign finance reports show. … Continue reading →

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

Freedmen’s Town may get UNESCO designation

Posted on November 6, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

That’s cool. For all the years the historic bricks of Freedmen’s Town in Fourth Ward were questioned, devalued and disturbed, a new international spotlight is bringing a renewed appreciation for the strenuous efforts to validate, treasure and preserve them. UNESCO … Continue reading →

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Improving how animals are rescued

Posted on November 6, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

One of the lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina was the need to rescue pets along with their owners, and to do everything possible to keep them together afterwards. This Texas Monthly story describes how that went with Harvey. There are … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Sutherland Springs

Posted on November 6, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t even know what to say. I worry more about some random asshole with a gun more than I do about anything else that could harm me or my family. I’ll say it again, because I keep having to … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , | 11 Comments

Weekend link dump for November 5

Posted on November 5, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

“It is rare for a new animal species to emerge in front of scientists’ eyes. But this seems to be happening in eastern North America”. What if horror movies actually stop crime, not cause it? It was the flu pandemic, … Continue reading →

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2017 EV daily report: Final numbers and our attempt at projecting turnout

Posted on November 5, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Here are the final numbers. Believe it or not, people did vote on Friday despite the fact that the entire metro area appeared to be at the Astros parade. Here are the daily totals from previous years: 2015 2013 2011 … Continue reading →

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

More on Democratic Congressional candidate fundraising

Posted on November 5, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

From the Statesman, with a focus on Austin-area candidates, but also with a more holistic view of what the atmosphere is like. “Trump’s lower than average net approval ratings for a Republican in Texas, as well as anger and dismay … Continue reading →

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Save the bats

Posted on November 5, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

In case you needed something else to worry about. Texas researchers have closely watched the state’s bat population for years, looking for signs of a disease that has killed millions of North American bats: the white, powder-like substance on their … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: Sledgehammer

Posted on November 4, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s Fifth Harmony: As you may surmise, they’re one of those artists I know about thanks to my kids. They have several songs I like, this one included, so that’s a win. Those of you who aren’t millennials or proximate … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Second trimester abortion lawsuit hearings begin

Posted on November 4, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Deja vu all over again. Texas abortion providers argued in court Thursday that it is not medically necessary to require women to undergo injections or other procedures in order to comply with a new state law restricting the most common … Continue reading →

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Tracking earthquakes

Posted on November 4, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a thing. Texas, home to two of the nation’s busiest oilfields, now has a new way for the public to track in real time how many earthquakes are rattling the Lone Star State since the expanded use of new … Continue reading →

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Houston Press ceases print operations

Posted on November 4, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

End of an era. Voice Media Group announced today that the Houston Press ceased print publication with its November 2 edition, capping a 28-year run as one of the nation’s leading alternative weekly newspapers and concluding a wild ride as … Continue reading →

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Friday random ten: All hail the Astros

Posted on November 3, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I break the pattern once again in honor of the Astros’ World Series win. 1. Born To Win – Hurray For The Riff Raff 2. Playing To Win – Shalamar 3. The Winner Takes It All – ABBA 4. You … Continue reading →

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Is this development really necessary?

Posted on November 3, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Boy, the optics of this sure are lousy. The Houston City Council has indefinitely postponed a proposal to build hundreds of homes in a west Houston floodplain amid questions about whether city leaders’ actions would match their rhetoric about mitigating … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina, Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Lamar Smith to retire

Posted on November 3, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Good riddance. U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith, R-San Antonio said Tuesday he is retiring from Congress. “For several reasons, this seems like a good time to pass on the privilege of representing the 21st District to someone else,” he wrote in … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Patrick gets a primary challenger

Posted on November 3, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The plot thickens. Former Rockwall City Council member Scott Milder will challenge Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick in next year’s Republican primary, Milder announced formally on Thursday. Milder, a public education advocate and resident of North Texas, is the first Republican … Continue reading →

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TCDLA pulls Paxton prosecutors brief

Posted on November 3, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Get your act together, y’all. A leading organization of criminal defense lawyers on Tuesday withdrew its legal brief in support of prosecutors who are fighting to get paid for work on the criminal case against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. … Continue reading →

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Garry Brown

Posted on November 2, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

We now have at least two officially declared Democratic candidates for Governor. On a beautiful Sunday afternoon, Garry Brown of Austin announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for governor in 2018. It was a simple affair on Brown’s front … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments