Monthly Archives: January 2021

Census apportionment shenanigans to be officially curtailed

Posted on January 21, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

As it should be. The Trump administration’s protracted efforts to keep some immigrants from being counted when congressional seats are divvied up after the 2020 census ended with the former president’s departure from the White House, but President Joe Biden’s … Continue reading →

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Our petty Governor

Posted on January 21, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Sheesh. Gov. Greg Abbott met with hospital executives in Houston on Tuesday to discuss the state’s coronavirus vaccine rollout, while appearing to snub city and county officials who are overseeing a bulk of the distribution. The Republican governor said the … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

On capping restaurant delivery app fees

Posted on January 21, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Fine by me, but I’ll bet more than fifteen percent of my most recent delivery tab that this does not go anywhere. High delivery fees by third-party apps, such as DoorDash and Uber Eats, are often cited by restaurant operators … Continue reading →

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

Texas blog roundup for the week of January 18

Posted on January 21, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance is excited for the official start of the Biden Administration as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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If we’re lucky, Congress will short circuit the Lege’s attempts to curtail voting

Posted on January 20, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

That would be nice. Elections have consequences. So does the Republican enabling of the worst, most corrupt chief executive in the nation’s history. Hence, the first piece of legislation to be introduced in the new Democratic Senate will be S. 1, The for the … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Some good local environmental news

Posted on January 20, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Good news for Houston, in particular Sunnyside. The old landfill in Sunnyside sat closed for 50 years, an enduring reminder of the city’s choice to dump and burn its trash in the historically Black community. On Wednesday, Houston City Council members took … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 44 Comments

More vaccination hubs

Posted on January 20, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Keep ’em coming. State health officials Saturday announced 79 hub providers that are expected to receive allotments of COVID-19 vaccines this week, including newly designated hubs in some suburbs of Houston. The hub providers include two in Galveston County, one … Continue reading →

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Precinct analysis: County Clerk 2020 and 2018

Posted on January 19, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Introduction Congressional districts State Rep districts Commissioners Court/JP precincts Comparing 2012 and 2016 Statewide judicial Other jurisdictions Appellate courts, Part 1 Appellate courts, Part 2 Judicial averages Other cities District Attorney County Attorney Sheriff Tax Assessor We weren’t supposed to … Continue reading →

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It’s going to be lawsuit season again

Posted on January 19, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Not looking forward to it, but it’s better than the alternative. President-elect Joe Biden has big plans for his first 100 days in office, when he’s vowed to roll back the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, push policies addressing climate change … Continue reading →

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

Maybe this is the year we get rid of Confederate Heroes Day

Posted on January 19, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I know it shouldn’t boggle my mind that we even still have such a thing as “Confederate Heroes Day” in Texas in the year of our Lord 2021, but we do and it does. And so, some lawmakers will try, … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 29 Comments

Precinct analysis: Presidential results by Congressional district

Posted on January 18, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

From Daily Kos Elections, the breakdown of how Presidential voting went in each of Texas’ 36 Congressional districts: Two districts did in fact flip on the presidential level: Trump lost the 24th District in the Dallas-Fort Worth suburbs while recapturing … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

SCOTUS rejects TDP petition on vote by mail

Posted on January 18, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Back to the lower court, I think. The U.S. Supreme Court turned away a Democratic bid to force universal vote-by-mail in Texas, leaving intact a state law that lets people cast no-excuse absentee ballots only if they are 65 or … Continue reading →

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Drinks to go on the legislative menu

Posted on January 18, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Looks likely to succeed. As the 87th legislature kicks into high gear in Austin tomorrow, a new bill introduced in both the Texas House and Senate is aiming to make to-go alcohol from restaurants and bars permanent. Venues in Texas … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for January 17

Posted on January 17, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

“David Hasselhoff is auctioning off KITT from Knight Rider“. “The ongoing breach affecting thousands of organizations that relied on backdoored products by network software firm SolarWinds may have jeopardized the privacy of countless sealed court documents on file with the … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged | 19 Comments

Legislative diversity report 2021

Posted on January 17, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a tiny bit more diverse, but not by much. In a perennial takeaway of The Texas Tribune’s demographic analysis, the Texas Legislature remains mostly white and male. When the 2021 legislative session begins Tuesday, 3 of every 5 lawmakers … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 19 Comments

Vax and the cities

Posted on January 17, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Makes sense. A group of mayors representing some of the United States’ most populous cities — including Austin, San Antonio and Houston — is asking President-elect Joe Biden to give them direct access to coronavirus vaccines. In a Wednesday letter, … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

State Capitol closed again

Posted on January 17, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

At least through Inauguration Day, which is to say Wednesday. The Texas Department of Public Safety abruptly announced the closure of the state Capitol Friday evening after uncovering new intelligence that intensified security concerns and prompted the agency to ramp … Continue reading →

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And we already have our first COVID cases from the Lege

Posted on January 16, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Surely not the last. A Texas House member tested positive for the coronavirus after being on the chamber floor for three straight days, giving lawmakers an early indication of the dangers of governing during the pandemic. State Rep. Joe Deshotel, … Continue reading →

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

Here comes the casino push

Posted on January 16, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Expect this to get louder and louder, though whether it’s successful or not remains to be seen. When a big political player comes waltzing into Texas spending big money from out of state, it’s usually a good sign that he … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

More on the Metro security robot

Posted on January 16, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Looks like this is finally getting rolled out. Typically, when a security guard weighs 400 pounds, it means they are not well suited for foot patrols. K5, however, was built for it. Soon the spaceship-shaped sentries will roll into action … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

House adopts its rules

Posted on January 15, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Here you go. The Texas House unanimously adopted rules Thursday that will require members to wear masks in the chamber and during committee hearings and allow them to cast votes on legislation from outside the House floor. But the chamber … Continue reading →

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The five-ninths rule

Posted on January 15, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

All hail the new “smaller than three-fifths” rule. The Texas Senate on Wednesday approved a fundamental alteration of its rules, ending the minority party’s ability to block legislation it unanimously opposes in the Republican-controlled upper chamber. In a 18-13 vote, … Continue reading →

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Ken Paxton couldn’t be more on brand if he tried

Posted on January 15, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

News item: Texas laws protecting whistleblowers don’t apply to Attorney General Ken Paxton, his agency argues in bid to quash lawsuit. Who among us didn’t already know that Ken Paxton doesn’t think the law applies to him? The Texas Attorney … Continue reading →

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

How bad will the attack on voting be this session?

Posted on January 14, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Hard to say, but there’s no reason to be particularly optimistic. As the country’s political polarization reaches a boiling point — illustrated vividly Wednesday by the violent takeover of the U.S. Capitol by supporters of the president who believed his … Continue reading →

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

Why would he condemn something he supported?

Posted on January 14, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

We know who and what Ken Paxton is. Texas Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton is the only state attorney general to decline to join letters over the past week condemning the Capitol riot. In a Jan. 12 letter, 50 state … Continue reading →

Posted in National news, Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 36 Comments

Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price not running for re-election

Posted on January 14, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Here now is the most interesting election for May 2021. Betsy Price, the longest serving mayor in Fort Worth’s history, will not seek another term after a decade in office. Price made the announcement that she wouldn’t run for an … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of January 11

Posted on January 14, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance calls for the swift prosecution and punishment of everyone involved in the violent assault on the Capitol as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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Precinct analysis: Tax Assessor 2020 and 2016

Posted on January 13, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Introduction Congressional districts State Rep districts Commissioners Court/JP precincts Comparing 2012 and 2016 Statewide judicial Other jurisdictions Appellate courts, Part 1 Appellate courts, Part 2 Judicial averages Other cities District Attorney County Attorney Sheriff Tax Assessor Ann Harris Bennett is … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

What is the direction of voting by mail?

Posted on January 13, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

It was different in 2020, but that doesn’t mean it’s permanently different. Democratic voters in Texas were more likely to cast their ballots by mail than Republican voters in the last election. Today, that may sound like a forgone conclusion, … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Vaccine roundup

Posted on January 13, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Just a few news stories (and a Twitter thread) of interest from recent days. How do you get a COVID-19 vaccine? In Texas’ rollout, it’s a game of luck and chance Still, the contrast shows just how sharp and seemingly … Continue reading →

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

We have our Speaker

Posted on January 13, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Congratulations. The Texas House on Tuesday elected state Rep. Dade Phelan as the next House speaker, ushering into office a new leader who will oversee a chamber facing its toughest set of legislative challenges in years against the backdrop of … Continue reading →

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Here’s the official budget forecast

Posted on January 12, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

“Could be worse” remains the watchword. Texas lawmakers will enter the legislative session this week with an estimated $112.5 billion available to allocate for general purpose spending in the next two-year state budget, a number that’s down slightly from the … Continue reading →

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Abbott speaks about the vaccination effort

Posted on January 12, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

It’s going great! We swear! More than 877,000 Texans have received a COVID-19 vaccine since they first began arriving in Texas nearly four weeks ago, and that number is expected to increase by at least 50,000 more per day, Gov. … Continue reading →

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The Minute Maid mega-vaccine center

Posted on January 12, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

More like this, please. The city partnered with the Astros organization to transform [Minute Maid Park] into a site to provide the Moderna vaccine to up to 3,600 health care workers, residents ages 65 and older, and patients with underlying … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments