Monthly Archives: July 2022

Protecting those poor, discriminated against gun manufacturers

Posted on July 23, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. Texas lawmakers, frustrated with what they viewed as liberal political activism from some of the titans of American industry, banned banks last year from doing business with Texas municipalities unless they could … Continue reading →

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The religious freedom argument for abortion

Posted on July 23, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Hope this works. For obvious reasons, I’m not terribly optimistic. But it’s worth a shot. The rabbi whose progressive synagogue sued the state of Florida over a bill that would ban abortions after 15 weeks, arguing that it infringes on religious … Continue reading →

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

UIL still nixes NIL

Posted on July 23, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Sorry, Texas high school athletes. You’re still not getting paid. Even if state lawmakers change legislation to allow high school athletes in Texas to profit off their name, image and likeness, the University Interscholastic League may not be ready to … Continue reading →

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Arredondo won’t be fired just yet

Posted on July 23, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Gonna have to wait a little longer. Uvalde school officials have postponed a scheduled Saturday meeting to decide whether to fire police Chief Pete Arredondo at the superintendent’s recommendation. Arredondo’s lawyer asked the district to postpone the meeting amid due-process … Continue reading →

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House passes bill to protect access to contraception

Posted on July 22, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

They’re on a roll. The House on Thursday passed legislation that would protect access to birth control, the latest move in a broader effort by Democrats to enshrine into federal law rights they fear could come under threat by the … Continue reading →

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A piece of the voter suppression law is blocked

Posted on July 22, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Buckle up, this will take a bit of explanation. Parts of a 2021 Texas voting law that cracked down on assistance for voters with limited English skills and voters with disabilities can no longer be enforced. A federal judge in … Continue reading →

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The State Bar’s response to Paxton

Posted on July 22, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

As you know, the State Bar of Texas filed a lawsuit against Ken Paxton in a Collin County district court in order to proceed with the complaint filed against Paxton for his attempt to overthrow the 2020 election by filing … Continue reading →

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UT and OU swear they’re still in the Big XII until 2025

Posted on July 22, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe they even believe that, though I remain doubtful. Almost a year later, UT’s and OU’s bombshell decision to leave the Big 12 for the Southeastern Conference is still being felt in the latest round of conference realignment. After an … Continue reading →

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House passes bill to protect same-sex marriage

Posted on July 21, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

A surprisingly bipartisan vote, by which I mean “more Republicans than you can count on your fingers voted for it as well”. The Democrat-led House of Representatives on Tuesday voted to pass a bill that would enshrine protections for same-sex … Continue reading →

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Uvalde school superintendent recommends firing Arredondo

Posted on July 21, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I suspect he’ll get his wish. Uvalde school officials will decide the fate of district police Chief Pete Arredondo during a special meeting Saturday after Superintendent Hal Harrell recommended the police chief’s firing. The meeting falls almost two months after … Continue reading →

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The current state of the hospitals

Posted on July 21, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Worse than before, but not nearly as bad as before that. A small but growing share of Houston healthcare workers are calling in sick with COVID, exacerbating long-running staffing issues at some hospitals amid the virus’s resurgence. But despite spreading … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of July 18

Posted on July 21, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance remains overwhelmed by the news but brings you weekly roundups anyway.

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Baseball fans are mostly OK with the idea of robot umps

Posted on July 21, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

So says a poll, so it must be true. MLB fans, it may be time to welcome your robot overlords. Baseball is known for its long-standing traditions, unwritten rules about players’ on-field conduct and a fan base that skews older … Continue reading →

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The Republicans just want to punish everyone for every abortion ever

Posted on July 20, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

They want to put you in jail. More than 70 Republican state lawmakers have signed onto a friend-of-the-court brief siding with Attorney General Ken Paxton in arguing that a nearly century-old law imposing criminal penalties against those who help a … Continue reading →

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The birth control gap

Posted on July 20, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

The state of Texas will do nothing to address this as long as the current government is in place. Ramírez’s situation reflects an immense need in the country: 21 million women of reproductive age needed publicly funded contraceptive care as … Continue reading →

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White Oak Bike Trail extension: Look! Concrete!

Posted on July 20, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

A few days after the Fourth of July, I saw this on the White Oak Bike Trail extension: See here for the previous update. That’s the view from where the current trail had ended. I actually saw this bit of … Continue reading →

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July 2022 campaign finance reports: Congress

Posted on July 19, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

The runoffs are now over, and we’re fully into the fall election season. As before, I’ve consolidated this list down to the elections of interest, which means I’ve dropped CD30 as it was a primary-only affair. I’m also dropping CD10 … Continue reading →

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Now DPS is checking on its officers that were at the Uvalde mass shooting?

Posted on July 19, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I have one simple question about this. The Texas Department of Public Safety is reviewing how 91 state troopers and Rangers responded to the Robb Elementary School shooting to determine if any violated policies or laws. The agency’s announcement Monday … Continue reading →

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More on abortion travel benefits and the legislative threats to them

Posted on July 19, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Taking a broader look at what’s out there right now, it’s understandable that some companies are just hoping to not become targets. Republican Texas legislators who sent a threatening letter to Sidley Austin last week over the law firm’s policy … Continue reading →

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House committee report on the Uvalde massacre

Posted on July 18, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

The special State House committee that was tasked with investigating the response to the Uvalde mass shooting released its report yesterday. The report identified numerous failures, in law enforcement and in the school and in other systems, though it’s clear … Continue reading →

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When abortion is outlawed, pregnant people will be denied health care

Posted on July 18, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

It’s already happening. The Texas Medical Association is asking state regulators to step in after it says several hospitals afraid of violating the state’s abortion ban have turned away pregnant patients or delayed care leading to complications, The Dallas Morning … Continue reading →

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There’s no cheap housing in Houston any more

Posted on July 18, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

What are we going to do about that? In the sprawling Houston region, those who could not afford homeownership in the city’s urban core always had options. They could trade proximity for affordability. But as rising home prices and mortgage … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for July 17

Posted on July 17, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

“The highest Court in the most powerful nation in the world appears to have decided that it only needs to follow the law when it feels like it.” “In one corner, there are laws and contracts and old-school conventions about … Continue reading →

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Hinojosa retains TDP chair

Posted on July 17, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

It’s fine. Gilberto Hinojosa won reelection as chairman of the Texas Democratic Party on Saturday, defeating two challengers who sought to tap into members’ simmering frustrations over a lack of progress in the state, especially after their disappointing 2020 election. … Continue reading →

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House passes national abortion access bill

Posted on July 17, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

They’re doing what they can. It’s the Senate that’s the problem. The U.S. House on Friday passed two bills that would restore abortion access across the country and prevent states like Texas from barring patients from crossing state lines to … Continue reading →

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This is why you don’t put a crook in charge of enforcing the law

Posted on July 17, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Y’all, Ken Paxton. For the past two and a half years, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has declined to sue hundreds of candidates and elected officials who altogether owe more than $700,000 to the state in unpaid fines for campaign … Continue reading →

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Bitcoin and the firefighters’ pension fund

Posted on July 17, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Okay. When the Houston Firefighters Relief and Retirement Fund bought $25 million in cryptocurrencies, with the fund’s chief investment officer touting their potential, retired fire Capt. Russell Harris was concerned. Harris, 62, has attended the funerals of 34 firefighters killed … Continue reading →

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Beto raises $27 million since Feb 20

Posted on July 16, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

A new record for that sort of thing. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke raised a staggering $27.6 million from late February through June, outraising Republican incumbent Greg Abbott and setting a new record for campaign fundraising in Texas. O’Rourke’s campaign … Continue reading →

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Big Law versus the Forced Birth Caucus

Posted on July 16, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Place your bets. The Texas Freedom Caucus may have kicked a hornet’s nest when it threatened Sidley Austin partners with civil and criminal penalties and disbarment in a letter last week, according to firm leaders in Texas and managing partners … Continue reading →

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Texans settle all the lawsuits from Watson accusers

Posted on July 16, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Very efficient of them. The Texans have settled claims with all 30 women who accused former quarterback Deshaun Watson of sexual assault during massage appointments, according to the plaintiff’s attorney and the football team. The settlement comes weeks after a … Continue reading →

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Multiple restaurants hit by “bad Google review” scam

Posted on July 16, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

This is on Google to fix. Multiple Houston restaurants are being targeted by a scam involving one-star Google reviews and a demand for digital gift cards to remove the negative post. The number of restaurants being extorted has grown in … Continue reading →

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Paxton sues over emergency guidance to doctors

Posted on July 15, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

This is what “leaving it to the states” looks like. Texas is suing the Biden administration over guidance released Monday telling the nation’s doctors they’re protected by federal law to terminate a pregnancy as part of emergency treatment — and … Continue reading →

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That UH/Hobby poll has Judge Hidalgo up by one in Harris County

Posted on July 15, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Don’t know how many of these polls we’re going to get. Democrat Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo holds a 1 percentage point lead over Republican opponent Alexandra del Moral Mealer in polling results released Thursday by the University of Houston. … Continue reading →

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Hollins and Edwards report big Mayoral fundraising numbers

Posted on July 15, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Yes, we’re going to need to start paying attention to this. Houston’s next mayoral election is not for another 18 months, but the early contenders already are raising heaps of cash. Former Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins has taken in more than … Continue reading →

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