Monthly Archives: October 2021

Fifth Circuit does the expected with the SB8 appeal

Posted on October 15, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Was it ever in doubt? Texas’ near-total abortion ban can continue to be enforced while the law’s constitutionality is decided, a panel of federal appellate judges ordered late Thursday. The three justices of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Vote No on Prop 3

Posted on October 15, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Yes, there are Constitutional amendments on the ballot this fall. Most of them are pretty innocuous, but one of them is not, and you should vote No on it. Proposition 3, on this year’s ballot, would enact a constitutional amendment … Continue reading →

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Interview with Jharrett Bryantt

Posted on October 14, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

There are four HCC Trustee races this year – you can see the full list of candidates here. Three of the four races include a candidate backed by the execrable Dave Wilson, including the District 6 race where Wilson himself … Continue reading →

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House approves its map

Posted on October 14, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

We’re getting close to the finish line. The Texas House on Wednesday approved proposed political boundaries for the lower chamber’s 150 districts that aim to fortify Republicans’ strength in the state House for the next decade. House Bill 1, authored … Continue reading →

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More on the Abbott max anti-vaxx order

Posted on October 14, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Businesses will face a choice that they would rather not have to face. Companies doing business in Texas face new and complicated challenges after Gov. Greg Abbott this week banned COVID-19 vaccine mandates for all entities in the state — … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of October 11

Posted on October 14, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance is dining al fresco as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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Endorsement watch: Garza Lindner and Vilaseca

Posted on October 14, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron goes against an incumbent in HISD District I. Trustee Elizabeth Santos, 39, is asking voters to keep her on the board representing Houston ISD District I. They shouldn’t. Santos’ connection to the district is deep. She grew up … Continue reading →

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Interview with Eva Loredo

Posted on October 13, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

We now move over to HCC District 8, which is my district, and a visit with two-term incumbent Eva Loredo. Loredo spent 36 years as an educator, serving as teacher and principal, and is now a consultant. She consulted with … Continue reading →

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Justice Department files its brief with the Fifth Circuit

Posted on October 13, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Good luck. They’re going to need a lot of it. The Biden administration urged the courts again to step in and suspend a new Texas law that has banned most abortions since early September, as clinics hundreds of miles away remain … Continue reading →

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Abbott goes max anti-vaxx

Posted on October 13, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

He really wants us dead. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday issued another executive order cracking down on COVID-19 vaccine mandates — this time banning any entity in Texas, including private businesses, from requiring vaccinations for employees or customers. Abbott … Continue reading →

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HD118 runoff on November 2

Posted on October 13, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Should help a bit with turnout, I guess. Better than some random day in January, anyway. Gov. Greg Abbott announced Monday that Nov. 2 will be the date of the special election runoff to replace former state Rep. Leo Pacheco, … Continue reading →

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Interview with Reagan Flowers

Posted on October 12, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Dr. Reagan Flowers was appointed to the HCC Board of Trustees in District 4 following the election of Carolyn Evans-Shabazz to Houston City Council in 2019. Flowers is an educator and entrepreneur, the founder of C-STEM Teacher and Student Support … Continue reading →

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An overview of abortion attitudes in Texas

Posted on October 12, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

From the Texas Politics Project: Since the political rise of the pro-life movement in the 1990s, it’s often been suggested that elected Republicans were less seriously committed to banning abortion than their public pronouncements may have conveyed. The rationale behind … Continue reading →

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The fate of the Paxton trial location is once again with the CCA

Posted on October 12, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

As you recall, the very long-awaited securities fraud trail of Ken Paxton is ticketed to go back to Collin County after the First Court of Appeals denied a request for an en banc hearing to reconsider the court’s previous ruling … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Deigaard and Guidry

Posted on October 12, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

We are in the last week before early voting begins for the 2021 election, and that means it’s time for Chronicle endorsements. This would be waaaaaaaay late in a more normal year, but as we know there aren’t that many … Continue reading →

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Interview with Adriana Tamez

Posted on October 11, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Early voting for the 2021 election begins in a week – I know, with so much going on this has kind of snuck up on all of us. This week I will be focusing on candidates for HCC Trustee (with … Continue reading →

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Federal lawsuit over mask mandate ban in schools has its hearing

Posted on October 11, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

A big case with potential national implications. School district leaders should have the right to make decisions about mask mandates based on the needs of their students and local coronavirus spread data, attorneys argued Wednesday in federal court. Lawyers with … Continue reading →

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Does this sound like a guy who’s running for Governor?

Posted on October 11, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I mean, probably not. But you never know. Actor Matthew McConaughey is apparently not interested in running for Texas governor unless he thinks the role would allow him to truly make a difference. On Thursday, the Texas-born actor went on … Continue reading →

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For now, some Texas women can travel to other states for abortions

Posted on October 11, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

For now. The new Texas abortion ban has spurred a flood of women traveling sometimes hundreds of miles to access the procedure in neighboring states. The law, which prohibits abortion after six weeks of pregnancy and calls for lets private citizens … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for October 10

Posted on October 10, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

“11 Netflix Settings Everyone Should Know About”. “It’s one thing to sell out for a $200,000 car, it’s another to do it for a fast casual milkshake.” “Why the Texas Abortion Law May Galvanize Young Women Politically Like Never Before”. … Continue reading →

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30 day campaign finance reports: HISD

Posted on October 10, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

HISD and HCC elections are the main event this November, and as we approach the start of early voting, we can now look at the 30-day campaign finance reports for the candidates. Here’s what things look like in HISD. Elizabeth … Continue reading →

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We wait until at least Tuesday for a chance at justice with SB8

Posted on October 10, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

In case you missed it. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals late Friday temporarily allowed Texas’ near-total abortion ban — the strictest in the nation — to again be enforced after freezing a federal judge’s temporary block of the … Continue reading →

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What’s in a ballot name, 2021 edition

Posted on October 10, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

This is unfortunate. A candidate for the Houston ISD Board of Education said Friday his name has been printed incorrectly on ballots and county elections officials said it is too late to change the name. Lee “Mac” Walker, running for … Continue reading →

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The kids are all right

Posted on October 10, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

This is the best thing you’ll read today. Patrick Kisindja spends his days combating vaccine hesitancy. Sometimes he calls people, other times he drives to their homes to explain the science behind the shot. Then, in the afternoon, Kisindja drives … Continue reading →

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State appeals SB8 restraining order to Fifth Circuit

Posted on October 9, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I’m sure they expect the usual room service from the appeals court. It’s just a matter of how quickly they can get it. Texas asked a federal appeals court Friday to step in “as soon as possible” to restore the … Continue reading →

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Senate passes Congressional map

Posted on October 9, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Start the litigation countdown. Yes, I know, this still has to pass the House, but still. The Texas Senate approved a map Friday that would largely protect incumbents in Congress while reducing the number of districts in which Black and … Continue reading →

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Climate change is bad for Texas

Posted on October 9, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

In case you were wondering. Climate change has made the Texas heat worse, with less relief as nighttime temperatures warm, a report from the state’s climatologist published Thursday found. Climate data also show that the state is experiencing extreme rainfall … Continue reading →

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Still more driverless trucks

Posted on October 9, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

A familiar story by now. Some trucks hauling FedEx deliveries from Dallas to Houston may soon be missing a key feature: drivers. Autonomous vehicle company Aurora announced this month it has partnered with FedEx and truck-manufacturer PACCAR to begin testing … Continue reading →

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Federal judge blocks SB8

Posted on October 8, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Some justice for now, but we’ll see how long it lasts. A federal judge temporarily blocked Texas’ near-total abortion ban Wednesday as part of a lawsuit the Biden administration launched against the state over its new law that bars abortions … Continue reading →

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More proof that vaccine mandates work

Posted on October 8, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

In the end, most people just get the damn shots. The rest is sound and fury. Protests, lawsuits and national media coverage surrounded Houston Methodist Hospital in June when it became the country’s first major health system to require a … Continue reading →

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House committee advances anti-trans sports bill

Posted on October 8, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

They finally found a path to pass it. They sure put plenty of energy into it. A Texas bill prohibiting transgender student athletes from joining school sports teams aligned with their gender identity is heading to the full Texas House, … Continue reading →

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No vax needed to see a Rockets game

Posted on October 8, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

No, thanks. The Rockets will not have any entry or seating restrictions beyond those required by NBA health and safety rules this season, according to Rockets president of business operations Gretchen Sheirr. The team does provide an option for fans … Continue reading →

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Interview with Greg Degeyter

Posted on October 7, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

There are two challengers running in HISD District VI, and today I present to you an interview with one of them, Greg Degeyter. Degeyter is an attorney who specializes in helping people get disability benefits, after having been a meteorlogist … Continue reading →

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If in Texas you can’t get justice…

Posted on October 7, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

…Try somewhere else. An abortion provider in Texas took the unusual step Tuesday of asking a federal judge in another state to declare unconstitutional the six-week-ban on the procedure that took effect last month in Texas. Lawyers for Dr. Alan Braid, … Continue reading →

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