Monthly Archives: March 2019

Senate files its school finance bill

Posted on March 11, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Here it is. On the night of the deadline to file bills this legislative session, Texas Senate leaders turned in their first crack at legislation designed to reform school finance — rounding out a series of proposals in the upper … Continue reading →

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How different would baseball be, if baseball were different?

Posted on March 11, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

We’re about to find out. Baseball’s potential future will be showcased in the independent Atlantic League this year, and it includes robot umpires, a 62-foot, 6-inch distance between the pitcher’s mound and home plate, and no infield shifting. Those three … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for March 10

Posted on March 10, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Facebook moderator is an unbelievably crappy job, for crappy pay. More Joe Bob Briggs, please. “God, these people are idiots.” “If we really want to help people being victimized, we will try to change the conditions that make people vulnerable … Continue reading →

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Bills to restore Open Meetings Act filed

Posted on March 10, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

This is good to see. Two state legislators are aiming to restore a provision of the Texas Open Meetings Act that was struck down last week by the state’s highest criminal court. Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, and Rep. Dade Phelan, … Continue reading →

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Firefighter layoffs

Posted on March 10, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Hoo boy. Mayor Sylvester Turner plans to lay off up to 400 firefighters as he prepares to award pay raises required by Proposition B, the voter-approved charter amendment that grants firefighters the same pay as police of corresponding rank, according … Continue reading →

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What’s wrong with the I-45 expansion plan?

Posted on March 10, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Urban planner Jeff Speck, in a recent lecture in Houston, lays out the following problems with the planned I-45 expansion: The brief list of negatives include: I-45 will wreck your bayou parks. I-45 will destroy wildlife habitat. I-45 will make … Continue reading →

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Add one more to the list of potential Cornyn opponents list

Posted on March 9, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Joe Kopser, who made a strong showing in CD21 in 2018, puts himself on the roster of possible not-Beto challengers for John Cornyn in 2020. Call it the other “Beto Effect“. Just months after Democrat Beto O’Rourke outperformed expectations by … Continue reading →

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Vote centers approved for Harris County

Posted on March 9, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Today, Texas Secretary of State David Whitley approved Harris County as one of six Texas counties with a population of more than 100,000 to participate in the Countywide Polling Place Program. With over 2 million registered voters, … Continue reading →

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In the cloud

Posted on March 9, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Gotta say, this makes sense. What do a warehouse in North Austin and a building at Angelo State University have in common? They hold trillions of bytes of data about some of Texans’ most sensitive information, including health and education … Continue reading →

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Cornyn still thinks he may face Beto

Posted on March 8, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

He could be right, but I would not expect it. Beto O’Rourke has ruled out another run for the Senate, and as he edges closer to a bid for president, Texas Democrats are still searching for someone to challenge Sen. … Continue reading →

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Turner officially announces his re-election bid

Posted on March 8, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

And he’s off. Mayor Sylvester Turner made it official Wednesday, launching his re-election campaign for Houston’s top elected office. Turner announced the news in a 96-second video that appeared on a revamped campaign website, where the mayor also posted notice … Continue reading →

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Senate presents disaster relief bills

Posted on March 8, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Better late than never, though why they’re late remains a subject of interest. More than a year and a half after Hurricane Harvey ravaged the state, Texas Senate leaders announced a $1.8 billion trio of disaster relief bills on Wednesday that they … Continue reading →

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What about Wendy?

Posted on March 7, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

If not Beto and not Joaquin… Wendy Davis of Texas said Tuesday she is considering a U.S. Senate run in 2020 but is waiting to see whether another high-profile Democrat, Rep. Joaquin Castro, goes through with challenging Republican incumbent John … Continue reading →

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What’s wrong with the Permanent School Fund?

Posted on March 7, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

For starters, it should have more money in it. It was a grand promise, one our forefathers made 165 years ago to all Texas children, to theirs and ours and those not yet born. With $2 million and the state’s … Continue reading →

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Scooter study bill

Posted on March 7, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: State Representative Eddie Rodriguez filed a bill directing the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, in consultation with the Texas Department of Transportation, to conduct a study on the use of motor-assisted scooters. Under HB 2715, the study must … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of March 4

Posted on March 7, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance has been thinking thoughts of spring training as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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Ridiculously early UT/TT poll: “Not Trump” leads

Posted on March 6, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I’ll take it. A slight majority of Texas voters would choose someone other than Donald Trump in a presidential race held right now, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. While 45 percent said they would “definitely vote … Continue reading →

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Here comes the House school finance plan

Posted on March 6, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Not surprisingly, they go bigger than the Senate. With Texas House lawmakers unveiling their long-awaited school finance proposal Tuesday and the Senate’s version likely close behind, teacher pay appears to be emerging as one of the biggest sticking points between … Continue reading →

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Morales wins HD145

Posted on March 6, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the election night report. The margin was basically 61-39 with 42 of 45 precincts reporting, and turnout in the 3,000 range. Morales’ election fills two of the seats that were vacated by resignations following the November election. Dems won … Continue reading →

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Blaming DPS

Posted on March 5, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Meet your new scapegoat for the SOS non-citizen voter advisory fiasco. Amid the fallout surrounding his administration’s botched review of the voter rolls, Gov. Greg Abbott has picked a side. Who’s to blame for the state’s mistaken challenge to the … Continue reading →

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Metro working on sidewalks

Posted on March 5, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I heartily approve of this. Metropolitan Transit Authority is taking the lead on leveling sidewalks and bus stops to give riders an easier path to transit — or, in some cases, actual access to it. “This is a model of … Continue reading →

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Today is Runoff Day in HD145

Posted on March 5, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

From the Inbox: Tuesday, March 5, 2019, is Election Day for voters in Texas State Representative District 145. There will be 27 Voting Locations open from 7 am to 7 pm. Voters may visit the County Clerk’s election page, www.harrisvotes.com … Continue reading →

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January 2019 campaign finance reports: Congress

Posted on March 4, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

We come to the last of our January finance report roundups. The next one will be in April, for Congressional candidates, which will be our first indicator of who among the repeaters and the newcomers has gotten off to a … Continue reading →

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Can we turn the anti-vax tide in the Lege this session?

Posted on March 4, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

It sure would be nice, and this needs to be the primary goal. In Texas, children are required to have certain sets of vaccinations before they can be enrolled in public school – including the vaccine for measles. But parents … Continue reading →

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What can you legally wear when you go to vote?

Posted on March 4, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

That’s the subject of a lawsuit involving voters from Houston and Dallas. A Houston woman who was forced to turn a firefighters T-shirt inside out at the polls and a Dallas-area man who tried to vote in his Trump MAGA … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for March 3

Posted on March 3, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

“The Republican dilemma is that they hate the only solution that would approximate what they actually want. They hate it because President Obama signed it into law. They hate it because they’ve lied about this law nonstop for more than … Continue reading →

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Final EV totals in HD145

Posted on March 3, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

A bit less than Round One so far. Early voting in the House District 145 special election runoff ended Friday with a spike in turnout, though only a small fraction of registered voters have cast ballots so far in the … Continue reading →

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The Heidi Group grift

Posted on March 3, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

You’re not mad enough right now. Read this, that’s fix it. On a Monday evening in May 2016, Carol Everett sent an email to fellow anti-abortion activists detailing “an extraordinary pro-life opportunity.” Her nonprofit, the Heidi Group, she said, had … Continue reading →

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Bush coins

Posted on March 3, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Feels like it’s been awhile since we’ve had a good dollar coin story. A bill introduced in the U.S. Senate would authorize the U.S. Treasury to mint $1 coins honoring former President George H.W. Bush and his wife, Barbara, for … Continue reading →

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What about Joaquin

Posted on March 2, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

If Beto O’Rourke is indeed not running for Senate, Rep. Joaquin Castro may step up to do it. Democratic presidential candidate Julián Castro told the Associated Press on Thursday that his twin brother, U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, is … Continue reading →

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Seriously, what is happening at HCDE?

Posted on March 2, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I’m just flabbergasted. Six trustees of the Harris County Department of Education’s board have voted to accept an investigation alleging fellow Trustee Michael Wolfe sexually harassed a female job candidate and spread rumors about her sex life after she twice … Continue reading →

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Schlitterbahn indictments dismissed

Posted on March 2, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Some good news for the company, following the worst thing that ever happened at a Schlitterbahn water park. A Wyandotte County judge on Friday said that the Kansas Attorney General ‘irreparably tainted’ a grand jury with prejudicial evidence to obtain indictments … Continue reading →

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Ridiculously early Quinnipiac poll: Trump has a small lead

Posted on March 1, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Consider this to be for entertainment purposes only. In a very early look at possible 2020 presidential matchups in Texas, President Donald Trump is essentially tied with former Vice President Joe Biden, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders or former U.S. Rep. … Continue reading →

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Not so open meetings

Posted on March 1, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll have to see how big a deal this is. In a major blow to the state’s government transparency laws, Texas’ highest criminal court has struck down a significant provision of the Texas Open Meetings Act, calling it “unconstitutionally vague.” … Continue reading →

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