Monthly Archives: August 2020

Now we’re getting favorable State House polls

Posted on August 14, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: A recent poll of Texas House District 126, conducted for Democratic challenger Natali Hurtado’s campaign shows her essentially tied with Republican incumbent Sam Harless. The poll of 401 likely voters, conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner, showed Hurtado … Continue reading →

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Harris County to join TDP lawsuit over vote by mail

Posted on August 14, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

They do lots of stuff at Commissioners Court. Harris County Commissioners Court voted on Tuesday to join a lawsuit by Texas Democrats suing Gov. Greg Abbott to expand vote-by-mail in Texas. The Democratic-led commissioners court voted 3-2 to join the … Continue reading →

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Hurricane season is just getting started

Posted on August 14, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Just, you know, because we don’t have enough to be anxious about. Already smashing records, this year’s hyperactive Atlantic hurricane season is about to get even nastier, forecasters predict. In the coming months, they expect to run out of traditional … Continue reading →

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We don’t need a vote to expand Medicaid

Posted on August 13, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

There’s a fundamental truth that needs to be addressed in this. On Tuesday, Missouri became the 38th state to expand Medicaid, opening healthcare to over 230,000 Missourians. It joins a lengthy list of GOP-led states in expanding healthcare, including Nebraska, … Continue reading →

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Harris County issues guidance for opening schools

Posted on August 13, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

They can’t issue mandates, so this will have to do. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo on Wednesday unveiled the county’s guidance for school reopenings, recommending based on a handful of COVID-19 metrics that schools offer only virtual instruction in the … Continue reading →

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Hemp lawsuit

Posted on August 13, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

This ought to be interesting. New rules prohibiting the retail sale and distribution of “smokable” hemp products are unconstitutional, companies argue in a lawsuit filed Wednesday in Travis County. When Texas legalized hemp last year, the legislation explicitly outlawed manufacturing … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of August 10

Posted on August 13, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance has been making the Jonathan Swan face for months as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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The Big XII will play football

Posted on August 13, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

That’s their plan, anyway. The start of the Big 12 Conference’s college football season will move forward as scheduled, conference officials said Wednesday, meaning four major Texas football programs are one step closer to playing this fall. “Ultimately, our student-athletes … Continue reading →

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Fallon fallout

Posted on August 12, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Of interest. After Sen. Pat Fallon’s impressive though not unexpected victory this weekend in the insider’s race to be the GOP nominee for Congressional District 4 – being vacated by Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe – rumors are flying … Continue reading →

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Appeals court upholds District B ruling

Posted on August 12, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

We will finally get a runoff election in District B. An appeals court ruled early Tuesday that Houston did not err when it declined to disqualify a District B city council candidate who had a felony conviction, clearing the way … Continue reading →

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Latino voter engagement 2020

Posted on August 12, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

We have a poll for that. Latinos in Texas say they are much more motivated to vote this November than they were in 2016, with gun safety being a big factor after the shooting in El Paso a year ago, … Continue reading →

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Big 10 and PAC 12 scrap football for this fall

Posted on August 12, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Boom. Big Ten Conference presidents and chancellors voted Tuesday to postpone all fall sports seasons, including football, with the hopes of playing in the spring, it announced Tuesday. “The mental and physical health and welfare of our student-athletes has been … Continue reading →

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Texas Dems ramp up mail ballot outreach

Posted on August 11, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a smart move, with some caveats. The Texas Democratic Party [announced] Monday that it is doubling down on its vote-by-mail campaign with a goal of reaching 1.7 million potential mail voters by the end of the month — the … Continue reading →

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More election innovation, please

Posted on August 11, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Some good stuff here: less than 90 days to E-Day & we’re pushing for Bexar to: ✅ send all 65+ reg voters app to vote by mail ✅ expand EV hrs to include at least one 24-hour site ✅ increase … Continue reading →

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So where are we with college football?

Posted on August 11, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Possibly on the brink of postponing the season. Commissioners of the Power 5 conferences held an emergency meeting on Sunday, as there is growing concern among college athletics officials that the upcoming football season and other fall sports can’t be … Continue reading →

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Who needs testing?

Posted on August 11, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

It’s the surest way to see the infection rate decline, am I right? The number of Texans being tested for the coronavirus has fallen sharply in recent weeks, a trend that has worried public health experts as officials consider sending … Continue reading →

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July 2020 campaign finance reports: State races, part 4

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

So yeah, after my previous entry I went and talked myself into checking on the finance reports from the 10 non-Houston-area seats that Dems flipped in 2018, plus four others of interest. It’s a sickness, I admit it, but here … Continue reading →

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Paxton (again) wants another judge on his case

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Round and round they go. Defense attorneys for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton — whose indictment for felony securities fraud is now more than five years old — are again asking for a different judge to oversee the case. It’s … Continue reading →

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In which Houston becomes more walkable

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a start. On 19th Street, one of Houston’s most enduring strips of shops and restaurants, there is a vacant lot tucked between two stores, about a block from the landmark “Heights” sign. When developers recently expressed interest in putting … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for August 9

Posted on August 9, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

“In much the same way that the toilet paper industry was overwhelmed by the coronavirus quarantine, so, too, is the agriculture industry dealing with a sudden and unexpected shift in their priorities.” “While the killing of George Floyd has galvanized … Continue reading →

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July 2020 campaign finance reports: State races, part 3

Posted on August 9, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Here I continue with a look at the State Rep races outside the Houston area where Dems are competing to flip seats. I did not look at the districts the Dems are defending, but I may return to that at … Continue reading →

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No eviction moratoriums

Posted on August 9, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

So opines Ken Paxton, and we all know what an unimpeachable source he is. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton advised Friday that local Texas governments’ attempts to delay evictions for renters grappling with the COVID-19 recession amounted to rewriting state … Continue reading →

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Once again with female Congressional candidates

Posted on August 9, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

This is another post that was drafted in the Before Times, specifically right after the March primary. I went through the runoffs and assessed all of the races that could or would contain a female candidate or incumbent against a … Continue reading →

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FBS versus FCS

Posted on August 9, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I’m referring in the title to the two types of Division I NCAA college football, the Football Bowl Subdivision, which includes the power 5 conferences, and the Football Championship Subdivision, which used to be known as 1-AA and which has … Continue reading →

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CD24 poll: Valenzuela 47, Van Duyne 41

Posted on August 8, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

From the Twitters: Big #TX24 numbers in Morning Score this AM @candacefor24 leading @Bethvanduyne 48-41 @JoeBiden leading @realDonaldTrump 49-45 — Cole Leiter (@coleleiter) 6:41 AM – 6 August 2020 You can see the poll info here. The 48-41 and 49-45 … Continue reading →

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The school situation remains a mess

Posted on August 8, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a mess of Greg Abbott’s making. Some superintendents say that despite Abbott’s statements to the contrary, their ability to respond to the pandemic is still limited, and many of their questions have gone unanswered even as school is slated … Continue reading →

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Let the sun shine in

Posted on August 8, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Make ’em disclose. Empower Texans, the deep-pocketed conservative advocacy group, is well-known for its heavy hand in steering the Texas GOP further to the right and for its shadowy setup that hides its funding sources from the public. But a … Continue reading →

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Your Harris County Republican Party

Posted on August 8, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

What can one possibly say? Keith Nielsen has taken office as the chairman of the Harris County GOP, despite saying he would not do so earlier this summer after facing backlash to an image he posted on Facebook juxtaposing a … Continue reading →

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It’s like we don’t want any extra Congresspeople

Posted on August 7, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

As someone once said, where’s the outrage? For months, as Texans have been asked to stay home to avoid the spread of the new coronavirus, Jennifer Edwards has been doing the rounds at gas stations in a trio of counties … Continue reading →

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Felony judges move to dismiss bail lawsuit

Posted on August 7, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Of interest. A group of district judges in Houston on Thursday argued for dismissal of a lawsuit alleging their felony bail practices are unconstitutional because they discriminate against poor people, keeping them jailed when they can’t pay bail. Among the … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 22 Comments

Rental assistance

Posted on August 7, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

We’re going to need a lot more like this. Houston on Wednesday added another $20 million to its rent relief program, aimed at helping thousands of tenants catch up on late rent payments. City council voted unanimously to add the … Continue reading →

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Optimism abounds in the AAC

Posted on August 7, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Good luck with that. In the face of a pandemic, the American Athletic Conference will attempt to conduct business as usual this football season. A plan announced Wednesday will allow AAC schools, including the University of Houston, to play a … Continue reading →

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July 2020 campaign finance reports: State races, part 2

Posted on August 6, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s move on to finance reports from the State House, which I will break up into two parts. Today’s look is on the various races in the greater Houston area, and after that I’ll look at the other races of … Continue reading →

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Another lawsuit against Abbott over emergency orders

Posted on August 6, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

This one is a bit more serious due to the lack of Hotze and Woodfill, but it’s still not a great way to have the debate about this issue. Five Republican Texas lawmakers are suing Gov. Greg Abbott over the … Continue reading →

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