Monthly Archives: December 2023

The Texas Medical Board can’t do anything about abortion

Posted on December 19, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I’m sorry, but this is a complete waste of time, and everybody involved knows it. In its ruling this week denying a Dallas woman’s petition for an emergency abortion, the Texas Supreme Court said it was the responsibility of physicians … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged abortion, Amanda Zurawski, Attorney General, Center for Reproductive Rights, Election 2024, hospitals, Kate Cox, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, Supreme Court, Texas, Texas Medical Board, The Lege | 1 Comment

What the Texas State Aquarium will be doing this winter

Posted on December 19, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Rescuing freezing animals, for one thing. The patient, rescued by a concerned stranger, had been in the hospital for almost a year since suffering in the cold around last Christmas. She had been eating well and gaining weight after her … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged Freeze 2021, Texas, Texas State Aquarium | Comments Off

Title IX complaint filed against Katy ISD

Posted on December 18, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Good, but more will be needed. A student activist group has filed a formal complaint with the U.S. Department of Education against Katy ISD, claiming that the district’s gender fluidity policy is discriminatory. The policy, approved by the school board … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters, School days | Tagged gay rights, Katy ISD, Students Engaged in Advancing Texas, Texas, Title IX, transgender rights, US Department of Education | 26 Comments

SCOTx declines to revive oligarch nuisance lawsuit against Beto

Posted on December 18, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Good. The Texas Supreme Court said Friday it would not consider Republican megadonor Kelcy Warren’s defamation lawsuit against former Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke after a state appeals court dismissed it earlier this year. The all-GOP court denied Warren’s petition … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Beto O'Rourke, blackouts, El Paso, Election 2022, Energy Transfer Partners, ERCOT, Freeze 2021, fundraising, Governor, Greg Abbott, Kelcy Warren, lawsuit, natural gas, Public Utility Commission, San Saba County, Supreme Court, Texas, Third Court of Appeals | Comments Off

Let’s host the Women’s World Cup, too

Posted on December 18, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I’m all in. The United States and Mexico submitted a joint bid Friday to co-host the 2027 Women’s World Cup that, if successful, would see the North American neighbours stage global soccer’s two showcase events in back-to-back years. Belgium, Germany … Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | Tagged Belgium, Brazil, Cindy Parlow Cone, FIFA, Germany, Mexico, soccer, The Netherlands, US Soccer, Women's World Cup | 1 Comment

Weekend link dump for December 17

Posted on December 17, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

“Fun fact: In re-recording his old tracks, some of which are over 40 years old at this point, Yankovic had the opportunity to do a studio version of “Another One Rides the Bus,” which he’d never actually recorded in a … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged linkdump | 1 Comment

City ordered to negotiate a contract with the firefighters

Posted on December 17, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

A day of reckoning is arriving. The city of Houston and the firefighters union are sparring over who bears responsibility for their years-long legal battle, following a judge’s request for them to start renegotiating the firefighters’ contracts within the next … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged budget, collective bargaining agreement, Election 2023, HFD, Houston, HPFFA, John Whitmire, lawsuit, Marty Lancton, Mayor, mediation, Supreme Court, Sylvester Turner | 2 Comments

Paxton versus the CCA

Posted on December 17, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

He’s on a revenge tour. Attorney General Ken Paxton is turning up the heat in the Republican primary for Texas’ highest criminal court, where three judges are up for reelection. Paxton has long made clear he would be going after … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged Barbara Hervey, Chika Anyiam, Constitution, Court of Criminal Appeals, David Schenck, Election 2024, Gina Parker, Holly Taylor, Jefferson County, judicial races, Ken Paxton, Lee Finley, Michelle Slaughter, Nancy Mulder, primaries, Sharon Keller, Texas, Zena Stephens | 1 Comment

Autonomous Metro shuttle 2.0

Posted on December 17, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Cool. Metro is restarting its delayed study of autonomous transit, with the full-throated support of outgoing Houston mayor Sylvester Turner as a vital step toward a region not further choking on cars and trucks. “Those objectives do not end at … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged driverless cars, electric buses, Federal Transit Administration, Houston, Metro, Sanjay Ramabhadran, Sylvester Turner, Third Ward, TSU | 1 Comment

HISD Board approve District of Innovation plan

Posted on December 16, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

No suspense there. Houston ISD will be allowed to extend the school year and begin it earlier after the district’s state-appointed board of managers unanimously approved a “District of Innovation” plan Thursday, marking the end of a process that began … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged Audrey Momanaee, Board of Managers, Dani Hernandez, District of Innovation, HISD, HISD Board of Trustees, Houston, Judith Cruz, Mike Miles, phonics, schools, Sue Deigaard | 2 Comments

Media Matters sues Ken Paxton

Posted on December 16, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Turnabout is fair play. Whether it’s justiciable or not, we’ll see. Media Matters for America sued Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in federal court late Monday, alleging that Paxton violated the First Amendment last month and chilled its work when … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged anti-semitism, censorship, Elon Musk, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, Maryland, Media Matters, Texas, Twitter | 2 Comments

Where are we going to count the primary votes?

Posted on December 16, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I’m a little puzzled by this. With the March primaries around the corner, Harris County still does not have a confirmed location to run its election operations. Two of the county’s regular sites – NRG Arena and George R. Brown … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024, Local politics | Tagged Commissioners Court, Election 2024, Harris County, Harris County Attorney, Harris County Clerk, primaries, Teneshia Hudspeth | Comments Off

One key takeaway from the SCOTx ruling in the Kate Cox case

Posted on December 15, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I’m sure you’re as mad about the Kate Cox case as I am. The thing you need to know is there is very much something you can do about it. Like, right now. When a majority of Texans want the … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged abortion, Bonnie Lee Goldstein, Center for Reproductive Rights, Christine Weems, DaSean Jones, Democratic primary, Election 2024, Jane Bland, Jimmy Blacklock, Joe Pool, John Devine, judicial races, Kate Cox, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, Randy Sarosdy, SCOTUS, Supreme Court, Texas | 8 Comments

School safety funding is still a farce

Posted on December 15, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Blame Greg Abbott and his voucher monomania. Public school administrators were well aware that the Texas House’s vote to block a school voucher program last month would likely mean getting no new money for teacher raises and inflation adjustments this … Continue reading →

Posted in School days, That's our Lege | Tagged budget, Dallas ISD, Greg Abbott, guns, schools, special session, Texas, Texas Education Agency, Texas School Safety Center, The Lege, Uvalde | Comments Off

Dispatches from Dallas, December 15 edition

Posted on December 15, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

This is a weekly feature produced by my friend Ginger. Let us know what you think. This week, in news from Dallas-Fort Worth, we have the end of the filing period for the March primaries, including a surprise primary matchup … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged Dallas, guest post, linkdump, Texas | Comments Off

SCOTUS takes up mifepristone appeal

Posted on December 14, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Get ready. The Supreme Court announced Wednesday that it will hear arguments on the accessibility of the abortion drug mifepristone in the biggest abortion case since Dobbs. The case stems from a widely panned decision handed down by notorious Donald … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters, National news | Tagged Donald Trump, Election 2024, FDA, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Joe Biden, Justice Department, lawsuit, mifepristone, pharmacies, SCOTUS, Texas, Xavier Becerra | Comments Off

The Ogg admonishment

Posted on December 14, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

This happened last night. District Attorney Kim Ogg was reprimanded on Tuesday night by the Harris County Democratic Party, which passed a resolution calling for her admonishment. By a vote of 129 to 61, precinct chairs approved the resolution accusing … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024, Local politics | Tagged Democratic primary, District Attorney, Election 2024, Harris County, HCDP, Kim Ogg, Sean Teare | 17 Comments

Texas TiKTok ban upheld

Posted on December 14, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Sorry, professors. A U.S. judge on Monday upheld Texas’ ban on state employees’, including public university employees, using Chinese-owned short video app TikTok on state-owned devices or networks. The Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University filed suit in July … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged ByteDance, China, Coalition for Independent Technology Research, cybersecurity, Greg Abbott, Knight First Amendment Institute, lawsuit, Montana, Texas, Texas A&M, TikTok, TSU, TxDOT, UH, University of North Texas, UT | Comments Off

Texas blog roundup for the week of December 11

Posted on December 14, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance is saving its pennies to buy a Cameo greeting from George Santos as it brings you this weeks roundup.

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged blog roundup, TPA | Comments Off

More filing deadline news and notes

Posted on December 13, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I’m going to use the Erik Manning Spreadsheet, the Patrick Svitek spreadsheet, and the Secretary of State webpage to put together some notes and observations about the 2024 filing deadline and primary lineups. Note that some of this may still … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged 14th Court of Appeals, Beto Cardenas, Brian Williams, Carl Sherman, CD07, CD12, CD16, CD18, CD26, CD30, CD32, CD37, CD38, Colin Allred, Congress, Constable, Court of Criminal Appeals, Danyahel Norris, Democratic primary, Election 2024, filing deadline, First Court of Appeals, Harold Dutton, Harris County, HCDE, HD131, HD139, HD142, HD149, Hubert Vo, Jarvis Johnson, Jasmine Crockett, John McGee, Josh Wallenstein, judicial races, Julie Johnson, Justice of the Peace, Karthik Soora, Lauren Ashley Simmons, Lizzie FLetcher, Lloyd Doggett, Mark Gonzalez, Michelle Bonton, Molly Cook, primaries, Richard Bonton, Richard Cantu, Roland Gutierrez, SD15, Senate, Shawn Thierry, Sheila Jackson Lee, Supreme Court, Texas, Todd Litton, Veronica Escobar | 2 Comments

Fifth Circuit does its thing with Galveston redistricting

Posted on December 13, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Death, taxes, and the Fifth Circuit being terrible. The U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has blocked a new political map imposed on Galveston County by a lower court from taking effect. Plaintiffs are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Commissioners Court, Election 2024, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, filing deadline, Galveston, Justice Department, lawsuit, Mark Henry, primaries, redistricting, SCOTUS, Southern Coalition for Social Justice, Stephen Holmes, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, Voting Rights Act | Comments Off

Amtrak gets some federal high speed rail funds

Posted on December 13, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

It’s something. Amtrak has been awarded a $500,000 federal grant to further study and develop a proposed high-speed railway between Houston and Dallas, a long-envisioned plan that until earlier this year had appeared to have fizzled out. Amtrak, the national … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged Amtrak, Commission for High-Speed Rail in Dallas/Fort Worth, Dallas, Federal High Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program, Federal Railroad Administration, Fort Worth, high speed rail, Houston, North Central Texas Council of Governments, Pete Buttigieg, stimulus, Texas, Texas Central High-Speed Railway, Texas Rail Advocates, US Department of Transportation | 3 Comments

SJL files for re-election

Posted on December 12, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

We have our answer. U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee will run for reelection in Texas’ 18th Congressional District, shaking up a Democratic primary that’s been in limbo since her resounding defeat in the race for Houston mayor on Saturday. Harris … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged Alan Rosen, Amanda Edwards, CD18, Christian Menefee, Congress, Constable, Danielle Bess, Danyahel Norris, Democratic primary, District Attorney, Election 2016, Election 2018, Election 2024, Harold Dutton, Harris County, Harris County Attorney, Harris County Sheriff, Harris County Tax Assessor, HCDE, HD107, HD142, Isaiah Martin, Josh Wallenstein, judicial races, May Walker, Nathan Johnson, Richard Cantu, SD15, SD16, Senate, Sheila Jackson Lee, Texas, The Lege, Umeka Lewis-Piccolo, Victoria Neave | 5 Comments

Kate Cox leaves Texas to get her abortion

Posted on December 12, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

My heart goes out to her and her family. After the Texas Supreme Court temporarily put a pregnant woman’s efforts to get an emergency abortion on hold, her lawyers said Monday that she had left Texas to get care in … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged abortion, Amanda Zurawski, Attorney General, Center for Reproductive Rights, Damla Karsan, Election 2024, hospitals, Justin Cox, Kate Cox, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, Supreme Court, Texas, The Lege | 6 Comments

The state of healthcare for trans kids today

Posted on December 12, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

It’s bad. In the past three years alone, life as a young transgender person in the U.S. has changed dramatically. Before 2021, gender-affirming medical care was legal in all 50 states. None had even tried to ban it. Today, 22 … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged abortion, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Medical Association, Campaign for Southern Equality, SCOTUS, Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine, Texas, transgender rights | Comments Off

Get ready for the SD15 special election

Posted on December 11, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

It’s closer than you think. The candidates looking to replace Mayor-elect John Whitmire in the Texas Senate may have to win as many as five elections next year before they ever get to vote on a piece of legislation. Whitmire, … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged Democratic primary, Election 2015, Election 2022, Election 2023, Election 2024, HD139, HD147, Houston, Jarvis Johnson, John Whitmire, Karthik Soora, Mayor, Molly Cook, runoff, SD15, Senate, special election, Texas, The Lege, Todd Litton | 1 Comment

So now what for SJL?

Posted on December 11, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

At least one big question about what comes next for Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee after losing the Mayoral runoff should be settled today. Following her decisive defeat in Saturday’s mayoral runoff, U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee now has less than … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2023, Election 2024 | Tagged Amanda Edwards, CD18, Congress, Democratic primary, Election 2023, Election 2024, fundraising, Houston, Isaiah Martin, Mayor, runoff, Sheila Jackson Lee, Texas | 3 Comments

Two Loving County 2022 elections overturned

Posted on December 11, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Wow. State District Judge David Rogers ruled that 10 Loving County voters did not have enough connection to the area to legally vote there. As a result, two local November 2022 elections must be redone because the number of ineligible … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2022, Legal matters | Tagged Amber King, Angela Medlin, County Judge, Election 2022, election contest, Holly Jones, James Alan Sparks, lawsuit, Loving County, Mozelle Carr, Skeet Jones, Susan Hays, Texas, The Lege, voter registration, Ysidro Renteria | Comments Off

Weekend link dump for December 10

Posted on December 10, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

“It would be nice if real life worked like this story. The world would be a better place if otherworldly spirits troubled the sleep of mercilessly exploitative men and gave to them all a vision of the celebration destined to … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged linkdump | 2 Comments

2023 runoff results: Whitmire and Hollins win

Posted on December 10, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I’m writing this at about 11:30 PM, with 169 of 450 voting centers reporting results. One race is very much in the balance, one other could possibly swing. Keep all that in mind. John Whitmire led 65-35 in Harris County … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged At Large #1, At Large #2, At Large #3, Carolyn Evans-Shabazz, Chris Hollins, Cynthia Reyes-Revilla, District D, District G, District H, Election 2023, Election Day, Houston, Houston City Controller, Houston City Council, John Whitmire, Julian Ramirez, Letitia Plummer, Mario Castillo, Mary Nan Huffman, Mayor, Melanie Miles, Nick Hellyar, Orlando Sanchez, Richard Cantu, Roy Morales, runoff, Sheila Jackson Lee, Tony Buzbee, Travis McGee, Twila Carter, Willie Davis | 13 Comments

Would you please fix that Verizon debacle, HISD?

Posted on December 10, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

It sure would be nice. Twelve state legislators representing the Houston ISD area sent a letter to Superintendent Mike Miles on Monday asking him to reconsider a decision to end a program that provided free Verizon internet access to tens … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged Board of Managers, Digital Promise, HISD, Houston, Internet, Mike Miles, New Education System, Penny Shaw, schools, The Lege, Verizon | Comments Off

Montana TikTok ban blocked

Posted on December 10, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Of interest. Montana’s first-in-the-nation law banning the video-sharing app TikTok in the state was blocked Thursday, one month before it was set to take effect, by a federal judge who called the measure unconstitutional. The ruling delivered a temporary win … Continue reading →

Paxton asks SCOTx to stop the emergency abortion

Posted on December 9, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Welp. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has asked the state Supreme Court to intervene and stop a Dallas woman from having an abortion. Paxton’s office petitioned the high court just before midnight Thursday, after a Travis County district judge granted … Continue reading →

Spring Branch ISD single member district lawsuit on hold as federal courts screw around with VRA

Posted on December 9, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Frustrating. A federal lawsuit that aims to change Spring Branch ISD’s election system to bring more representation to the school board will likely be delayed for months, pending decisions in several other cases that could impact the legality of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, lawsuit, SCOTUS, single member districts, Spring Branch, Texas, Virginia Elizondo, Voting Rights Act | Comments Off

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