Monthly Archives: July 2019

No SOS

Posted on July 31, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Just in case you were wondering. Just as they do every year, hundreds of county officials from all over Texas are packing a hotel ballroom in Austin this week for three days of all things elections. On the agenda are … Continue reading →

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Commissioners Court approves bail lawsuit settlement

Posted on July 31, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Excellent. Harris County Commissioners Court approved a historic settlement Tuesday fixing a bail system a federal judge found unconstitutional and ushering in a new era for criminal justice in one of the nation’s largest metropolitan areas. The deal resulted from … Continue reading →

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An update on election security

Posted on July 31, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Nothing to see here. Russian hackers probed election systems in all 50 states, a new Senate report confirmed Thursday. The report comes one day after former special counsel Robert Mueller told Congress that the Russian government is working to meddle … Continue reading →

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July 2019 campaign finance reports: Open City Council seats, part 2

Posted on July 30, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

We come down to the last three open Council seats to examine, all the result of term-limited incumbents. The first post, with Districts A, B, and C, is here, and the rest of the non-Mayoral races is here. As before, … Continue reading →

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Once more with more prosecutors

Posted on July 30, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

This time, it might work. The Harris County District Attorney’s Office is asking county commissioners once again for more prosecutors to handle fallout from the botched Houston drug raid that left a Pecan Park couple dead earlier this year. The … Continue reading →

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Keep that popcorn coming

Posted on July 30, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Oh, yeah. Four days after a hardline conservative activist accused him and GOP caucus chairman Dustin Burrows of plotting to target 10 fellow Republicans in primary elections, House Speaker Dennis Bonnen forcefully denied the allegations Monday afternoon. “Let me be … Continue reading →

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July 2019 campaign finance reports: Open City Council seats, part 1

Posted on July 29, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

There are seven more Council races to examine, all open seats thanks to a couple of incumbents either stepping down (Steve Le in F) or running for something else (Dwight Boykins in D, at least for now). I’m going to … Continue reading →

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HGAC makes its pledge to TxDOT for I-45

Posted on July 29, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Lots of pushback, but not enough to change the outcome. Local transportation officials now have skin in the game when it comes to widening Interstate 45 north of downtown Houston, approving on Friday a $100 million commitment for the project … Continue reading →

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The city bird of Houston

Posted on July 29, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s tackle a serious question, shall we? The Houston Audubon Society seeks your nomination for the Bird of Houston, a bird you believe symbolizes the spirit of our Bayou City. Asking you to nominate the city’s emblematic bird is part … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Weekend link dump for July 28

Posted on July 28, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

“The Zero for Zeros campaign is asking companies with pro-equality records to stop bankrolling the fiercest opponents of equality.” This is the best Twitter thread I’ve ever read about the Kodak corporation, the International Fixed calendar, and nuclear bombs. “As … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged | 3 Comments

The crowded Senate primary

Posted on July 28, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

It’s all good. Two days after longtime state Sen. Royce West launched his U.S. Senate campaign here, one of his primary rivals swung through the city with an unequivocal pitch. “I’m the fighter that it’s gonna take to beat John … Continue reading →

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The Bonnen-MQS kerfuffle

Posted on July 28, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

As they say, pass the popcorn. Less than three weeks after state lawmakers wrapped up their 2019 legislative session, an unusual meeting convened with unlikely conferees from opposite ends of the Texas Capitol power structure. On one side: Republican House … Continue reading →

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Big Bend yields a new dinosaur species

Posted on July 28, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Cool. A new, more primitive species of dinosaur was discovered at Big Bend National Park this week. The fossil of the new specials, Aquilarhinus palimentus, was unearthed in the 1980s by Texas Tech University Professor Tom Lehman. But because the … Continue reading →

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Final bail settlement reached

Posted on July 27, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

We are coming to the end of a very long road. A long-awaited settlement in Harris County’s historic bail lawsuit won tentative approval Friday from all parties, setting up a possible end to a contentious system that kept poor people … Continue reading →

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The Dutch way to mitigate against floods

Posted on July 27, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

We can learn a lot from this largely-below-sea-level country. On a sunny Friday in late May, a jubilant wedding party scrambled to the top of a colossal sand dune in this tiny Dutch beach town for a photoshoot, bridesmaids’ arms … Continue reading →

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Astrodome song

Posted on July 27, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

A little bit of nostalgia for you today. Like many of us, Bruce Robison has driven by the Astrodome and gotten emotional. He is of that age — born in 1966, one year after the Dome opened — that gives … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston, Music | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Pete Olson not running for re-election

Posted on July 26, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Least surprising story of the week. U.S. Rep. Pete Olson, R-Sugar Land, announced Thursday afternoon that he is retiring from Congress at the end of his term. The retirement sets up what will likely be one of the most competitive … Continue reading →

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Paxton wants to move his case back to Collin County

Posted on July 26, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Of course they do. Paxton’s defense team has asked that the case be moved back to his hometown of Collin County, years after it was moved from there to Harris County. The case was moved hundreds of miles southeast after … Continue reading →

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We’re still #4

Posted on July 26, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll probably be that for awhile. According to the new report from the Greater Houston Partnership, the domestic population growth for the Houston region has slowed down over the last eight years. The report, which is based on population estimates … Continue reading →

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July 2019 campaign finance reports: Harris County

Posted on July 25, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Before we get to the numbers, please read this. The widow of former Harris County Precinct 1 Commissioner El Franco Lee has emptied most of her late husband’s $3.8 million campaign account by donating to community groups and charities. Ethel … Continue reading →

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No bail in

Posted on July 25, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

No surprise, I’m afraid. Texas won’t have to seek federal approval when state lawmakers draw new election maps in two years, a three-judge panel in San Antonio decided Wednesday. The judges, however, cautioned Texas that its next process will “undoubtedly” … Continue reading →

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Consent decree to fix sewers approved

Posted on July 25, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

As we have discussed before, there are concerns about how the extra cost of this decree will affect low-income residents. Houston is facing a federal mandate to upgrade its embattled sanitary sewer system, stirring concerns among advocates and civic leaders … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of July 22

Posted on July 25, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance stands with Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Presley, Ilhan Omar, and Rashida Tlaib and against Donald Trump’s appalling and unacceptable racism as it brings you this week’s roundup.

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged , | 13 Comments

Davis raises $250K on her first day as a candidate

Posted on July 24, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Well, that would be one reason why people wanted her to run. Former Texas Sen. Wendy Davis raked in more than $250,000 in the first 24 hours after she announced her bid for U.S. Rep. Chip Roy’s 21st District seat … Continue reading →

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Still tweaking the Metro referendum

Posted on July 24, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Extending one rail line to Hobby Airport instead of two has generated some savings in the projected cost, which can then allow for other things to be done. The expected price of extending the Green Line and Purple Line light … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Houston sues over water rights

Posted on July 24, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

This could be interesting. The city of Houston sued the state and the Brazos River Authority Monday, seeking to block the implementation of a new law that would force the city to sell its water rights in a proposed reservoir … Continue reading →

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

Royce West makes it official

Posted on July 23, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

He’s in. State Sen. Royce West made it official Monday: He’s running for U.S. Senate, joining a crowded and unsettled Democratic primary in the race to unseat Republican John Cornyn. “I’m battle tested,” West told supporters at a campaign launch … Continue reading →

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Wendy Davis is in for CD21

Posted on July 23, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

For some reason it hadn’t occurred to me that this was likely to happen on Monday. And here we are. Former Texas state Sen. Wendy Davis is running for Congress. Early Monday morning, Davis announced her candidacy for the Democratic … Continue reading →

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It’s up to cities to make the Census work

Posted on July 23, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

The Lege shirked its duty, so this is what’s left. Across the country, states are spending millions on making sure they get a better headcount of their residents. For example, California officials announced they are investing as much as $154 … Continue reading →

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July 2019 campaign finance reports: Congress

Posted on July 22, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s move over to Congress and the Senate, where there are several new candidates, with more on the way. The January roundup is here, which closed out the 2017-18 election cycle, and the April report is here. For comparison, the … Continue reading →

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Dem debate will be at TSU

Posted on July 22, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

We have a location. Texas Southern University will host the third Democratic primary debate, scheduled for Sept. 12 and 13. The agreement between TSU and ABC News was announced on the network’s “This Week” show on Sunday morning. “As the … Continue reading →

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How anti-choicers have won even as they’ve lost

Posted on July 22, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

The number of clinics that provide abortion care in Texas will never be what it was before HB2 was passed, despite the SCOTUS ruling that struck it down. It’s been three years since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down parts … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for July 21

Posted on July 21, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

How the Atlanta Braves wound up in the original NL West. “Unlike immigrants, natural-born citizens such as Carlson are neither screened nor forced to pass a citizenship test nor made to swear an oath. And when they stray from the … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged | 9 Comments

July 2019 campaign finance reports: Incumbents and challengers for Council and Controller

Posted on July 21, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Let me start by saying that I began this post before Amanda Edwards became a candidate for Senate. I’m going to keep the AL4 race in here, in part to include Edwards’ June report totals, and in part because I’m … Continue reading →

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