Monthly Archives: November 2022

Anti-gay Waco JP’s lawsuit still tossed

Posted on November 8, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Good. An Austin intermediate appellate court has upheld a Travis County judge’s decision to throw out McLennan County Justice of the Peace Dianne Hensley’s lawsuit against the state panel that sanctioned her in 2019 for refusing to perform same-sex weddings. … Continue reading →

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Fifth Circuit releases the True the Vote duo

Posted on November 8, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Thanks for making the streets less safe. After spending nearly a week in jail, Catherine Engelbrecht and Gregg Phillips — leaders of Texas-based right-wing voting activist group True the Vote — have been released. They’d been held for contempt of court since Halloween, … Continue reading →

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

Texas blog roundup for the week of November 7

Posted on November 8, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance really hopes you voted and voted wisely as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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Today is Election Day

Posted on November 8, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Get out and vote if you haven’t done so yet. It’s time to represent Harris County! ☑️ Election Day is Tuesday with 782 Polling Locations spread across the county. 📍 Find a location near your work or home at http://harrisvotes.com/Polling-Locations … Continue reading →

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Fewer mail ballots rejected in November

Posted on November 7, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Good, but still could be better. Local election officials in Texas are reporting a drop in the percentage of mail ballots that have so far been flagged for rejection during the ongoing midterm elections, as compared with a spike earlier … Continue reading →

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A True the Vote twofer

Posted on November 7, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

An update on a different lawsuit they’re involved in. A disgruntled supporter of the True the Vote campaign to find voter fraud in the 2020 election preserved a claim on appeal, at least temporarily, against the organization’s law firm. While … Continue reading →

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

More on hoax school shooter reports

Posted on November 7, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t know when this ends, but I continue to be worried that they will cause a major problem eventually. This year has seen a significant number of hoax calls across the country. In the three weeks between mid-September and … Continue reading →

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It always comes down to fluoride

Posted on November 7, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I swear, it’s at the root of most election conspiracy fantasies. Laura Pressley and three other people huddled inside a Fredericksburg courtroom Monday, bowing their heads, closing their eyes, holding hands, and beginning to pray in hushed voices. “In Jesus’ … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for November 7

Posted on November 6, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

“In both instances, no significant damage was done to the paintings. The question is: was any harm done to them, the people being glued (and gluing)? Upon reading about these incidents, we couldn’t help but wonder: what are the mechanics … Continue reading →

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Final November 2022 EV totals: Catching up

Posted on November 6, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

First, some slightly outdated numbers from the Chron. Fewer Harris County voters cast ballots during this year’s early voting period than in the 2020 and 2018 elections, according to unofficial voter counts released after polls closed on Friday night. From … Continue reading →

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We have already entered Speaker’s Race season

Posted on November 6, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

And I’m already exhausted. State Rep. Tony Tinderholt, R-Arlington, announced Friday he is running for speaker, challenging fellow Republican Dade Phelan. Tinderholt is one of the furthest-right Republicans in the chamber, and in a statement, he made clear he would … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

There is still a right to free speech at Collin College

Posted on November 6, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Good. A Texas professor who said she was fired from Collin College in North Texas after she publicly criticized the school’s response to the coronavirus pandemic has won her job back for two more years according to a legal settlement … Continue reading →

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The Ken Paxton problem is bigger than Ken Paxton

Posted on November 5, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

It’s that there’s just no accountability, barring the election result we’re all desperately hoping for. In the wake of the 2020 presidential election, Republican officials around the country have been giving increasing attention and resources to investigating election crimes. Most … Continue reading →

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Army Corps ordered to pay $550K to reservoir flooding victims

Posted on November 5, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

This could turn into a lot more if it is upheld. More than five years after their homes and businesses were flooded, residents above the Addicks and Barker dams are learning how much money the federal government owes them for … Continue reading →

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Beware of RSV

Posted on November 5, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Worrying. Two common respiratory viruses continue to keep Houston pediatric hospitals unusually busy this time of year, with both the flu and RSV seeing a second surge following a rise in cases over the spring and summer, respectively. Before the … Continue reading →

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Gonzaga looking at the Big XII

Posted on November 5, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

The first real conference move by a non-football school is being discussed. Conference realignment chatter for months has centered mainly around college football. That hasn’t stopped Gonzaga from being proactive behind the scenes in discussions with at least three power … Continue reading →

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Here’s the result of the Republican Commissioners’ budget busting

Posted on November 4, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

The Republican minority on Commissioners Court made this happen. Harris County will eliminate more than 500 vacant jobs, delay some flood control projects, postpone a sheriff deputy cadet class, and cancel raises and cost of living adjustments for county law … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The surge in mail order abortion pills

Posted on November 4, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll see how long this lasts. We know the Lege is going to take aim at it. Requests for mail-order abortion pills continued to spike in Texas, nearly doubling this summer after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, … Continue reading →

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November 2022 Day Ten EV totals: Two to go

Posted on November 4, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

This is the data from Wednesday. It came in a little later than usual. Since yesterday was the vote-till-10PM day, I thought I’d provide this update now, and will give the final EV totals on Sunday. Final EV totals from … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

John Scott keeps wanting to have it both ways

Posted on November 3, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

You’re kind of close to getting it, John. You do need to do better, though. Speaking in July to a group of concerned conservative voters in Dallas, Texas Secretary of State John Scott declared that Texas elections were the nation’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

By the way, the grid is still not fixed

Posted on November 3, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

In case you were wondering. A federal assessment indicates the Texas electricity grid remains almost as vulnerable to extreme winter weather as it was when it nearly collapsed during a prolonged deep freeze in February 2021 — although state utility … Continue reading →

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Mayor Turner’s cancer treatment

Posted on November 3, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I’m very glad to hear he’s doing well. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner revealed Wednesday that he was diagnosed with cancer this summer, for which he had surgery and received six weeks of radiation treatment. Turner said he went to the … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of October 31

Posted on November 3, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance says that the only thing scarier than Halloween is not voting. Think about that while you read this week’s roundup.

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Endorsement Regrets Watch: She’s not going to do that

Posted on November 3, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I can’t. I just can’t. Why do two West Texas oil billionaires — Christian nationalists waging war against secular public schools — care who becomes the next chief executive of Harris County, hundreds of miles from their homes? Why did a Houston real … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Collin County DA accused of sexual harassment

Posted on November 2, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Oh, boy. Six individuals who currently work or have worked in the Collin County District Attorney’s office filed a federal civil suit Monday, alleging that they were sexually harassed, discriminated against because of their gender, and faced retaliation after reporting … Continue reading →

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Taking seriously the threat of election violence

Posted on November 2, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

This is the reality we face. U.S. security agencies have issued a heightened threat advisory, warning of a potential attacks on political candidates, election officials and others. The alert came Friday, the same day that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband … Continue reading →

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Larry Veselka: The Chron got it wrong in the County Judge endorsement

Posted on November 2, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

(Note: The following is a guest post that was submitted to me. I occasionally solicit guest posts, and also occasionally accept them from people I trust.) A couple of weeks ago the Chronicle Editorial Board endorsed Judge Hidalgo’s opponent in … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , | 22 Comments

November 2022 Day Nine EV Totals: Still lagging

Posted on November 2, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Nine days down, three to go: Final EV totals from 2018 are here and from 2014 are here. The Day Nine totals for 2022 are here. Year Mail Early Total =============================== 2014 60,400 191,432 251,832 2018 80,279 557,264 637,543 2022 … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

DMN\UT-Tyler: Abbott 50, Beto 44 (LV) – Abbott 47, Beto 44 (RV)

Posted on November 1, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Pick your preference. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott holds a 6 percentage point lead over Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke as the race to the Nov. 8 election grinds toward the finish line, a poll released Sunday by the University of Texas … Continue reading →

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True the Vote leaders officially held in contempt

Posted on November 1, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

How long do you think they’ll be willing to sit in jail? Federal marshals escorted two leaders of True the Vote out of a Houston courtroom on Monday morning and into a holding cell. Catherine Engelbrecht and Gregg Phillips have … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

From the department of “The rent is too damn high”

Posted on November 1, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

A lawsuit to watch. Renters are suing Richardson-based RealPage and some of the largest property management firms in the nation for allegedly forming what they call a “cartel” to artificially inflate apartment prices above competitive levels. Five renters are challenging … Continue reading →

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White Oak bike trail extension: The final polish

Posted on November 1, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I haven’t seen a news story or press release to say that the White Oak bike trail extension is now fully open, but what I have seen is bicyclists using the trail. So open it must be. And since the … Continue reading →

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