Monthly Archives: September 2024

Interview with Katie Shumway of the League of Women Voters of Houston

Posted on September 30, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

This week we’re going to spend some time with people who are working on the nuts and bolts of this election. For over 100 years, the League of Women Voters of Houston has been the premier organization for information about … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Vote harvesting provision of omnibus voter suppression law SB1 blocked in federal court

Posted on September 30, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Very timely, even if it took forever to get here. A federal judge ruled on Saturday that part of a Texas law that enacted new voting restrictions violated the U.S. Constitution by being too vague and restricting free speech. The ruling, made by … Continue reading →

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

More on Fertitta and the WNBA

Posted on September 30, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

He does sound serious. The Houston Rockets are putting together a proposal to bring a WNBA franchise back to the city but are currently awaiting further instruction from the league’s representatives, Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta and president of business operations … Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Weekend link dump for September 29

Posted on September 29, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

“Parental Rights Face a Surprising Moment of Truth at the Supreme Court”. “Immigrants are unsung heroes of global trade and value creation”. “Elon Musk, from behind a massive army of bodyguards, now tweeting 150+ times a day”. Lost was a … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged | 4 Comments

Is the Texas Republican Party actually worried?

Posted on September 29, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I hope so. The Republican Party of Texas has vowed a “major investment” in South Texas legislative races amid ongoing criticism from county-level leaders over its fundraising and voter outreach efforts. On Monday, the party announced a commitment to knock … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Court reform has to be about more than just SCOTUS

Posted on September 29, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Exhibit A. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton returned to court on Thursday to press his case against the Biden administration’s workforce protections for transgender employees. Texas’s lawsuit, filed in federal court on Thursday against the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and … Continue reading →

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

PAC-12 sues Mountain West over exit fees

Posted on September 29, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Realignment season keeps heating up. The Pac-12 is suing the Mountain West over what it calls an unlawful and unenforceable “poaching penalty” that would cost the rebuilding conference more than $40 million for adding Boise State, Fresno State, Colorado State … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters, Other sports | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on PAC-12 sues Mountain West over exit fees

SCOTx rejects Paxton’s State Fair appeal

Posted on September 28, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Game over, you lose. The Texas Supreme Court denied a request by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to block a gun ban by the State Fair of Texas, meaning the fair will go forward this weekend with the gun ban … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on SCOTx rejects Paxton’s State Fair appeal

KP George indicted on charges of misrepresenting his identity

Posted on September 28, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a misdemeanor, but still. As a general rule, you don’t want “indicted” to be the verb in a sentence where your name is the subject. Fort Bend County Judge Kyle Prasad (KP) George was indicted Thursday on a misdemeanor … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Another immigration nonprofit sues Paxton

Posted on September 28, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

He just can’t quit harassing them. An El Paso nonprofit that provides legal services to immigrants and migrants has filed a lawsuit that attempts to block an investigation by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who has increasingly targeted groups on … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Another immigration nonprofit sues Paxton

Get ready for a lot more Allred and Cruz ads on TV

Posted on September 27, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Keep the remote nearby so you can hit “mute” as needed. U.S. Senate Democrats are sending millions to Texas in a new round of investments to unseat Sen. Ted Cruz, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee announced Thursday. The DSCC will … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

The students are leaving and they’re not coming back

Posted on September 27, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Down, down, down… Houston ISD is on track in 2024-25 to see its largest single-year enrollment loss since the pandemic, with the majority of student departures coming from campuses overhauled under a controversial new model implemented by state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles. Records … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Endorsement watch: Two good ones

Posted on September 27, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron gives an enthusiastic endorsement for a full term for the newest State Senator, Molly Cook. Maybe only an emergency room nurse could think that a 14-hour day working at the Capitol is easy. That seems to be the … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Endorsement watch: Two good ones

Dispatches from Dallas, September 27 edition

Posted on September 27, 2024 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, more on Eddie Garcia’s departure from the Dallas Police Department and the resignation (ahead of the sack) … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Dispatches from Dallas, September 27 edition

Some Bexar County polling

Posted on September 26, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

New pollster alert, checking in on Bexar County. A survey conducted by the UTSA Center for Public Opinion Research suggests San Antonio residents are tepid about plans for a new sports complex for the San Antonio Spurs — a project … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Cards Against Humanity against Elon Musk

Posted on September 26, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

We live in such strange times. The game company Cards Against Humanity is suing Elon Musk’s SpaceX for $15 million, accusing the corporation that launches rockets from Texas of illegally trespassing on South Texas land and destroying property. The lawsuit, … Continue reading →

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

City reaches collective bargaining agreement with HOPE

Posted on September 26, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Houston municipal workers will get raises of 12.5 percent over three years under a tentative contract announced by the mayor and union officials Monday. Under the proposal, all employees will receive an additional $116 per pay period, about $3,000 … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Texas blog roundup for the week of September 23

Posted on September 26, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance stands with the people of Springfield, Ohio (who among other things deserve to have a Senator that actually represents them) as it brings you this week’s roundup.

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged , | Comments Off on Texas blog roundup for the week of September 23

Interview with Ruth Kravetz

Posted on September 25, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

On Monday you heard the case for the HISD bond referendum. It’s fair to say there’s a lit of loud opposition to the referendum, with most of that opposition coming from people and organizations that are normally big boosters of … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Interview with Ruth Kravetz

One “Trump Train” defendant found liable

Posted on September 25, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

The rest were cleared. An Austin jury cleared all but one of six Donald Trump supporters who were accused of breaking federal law when they surrounded a Joe Biden campaign bus driving down a Texas highway days before the 2020 … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on One “Trump Train” defendant found liable

Appeals court rejects Paxton in State Fair gun case

Posted on September 25, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Good. A Texas court of appeals has denied the request by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to block a gun ban by the State Fair of Texas. The fair will go forward this weekend with the gun ban in place. … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Paxton appeals State Fair ruling

Posted on September 24, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

As expected. Days before the State Fair of Texas is set to begin, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is again seeking to block enforcement of the fair’s new policy banning most people from bringing guns to the fair this year. … Continue reading →

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

The yarn-based activists against the HISD bond

Posted on September 24, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t know how big this group is, but they are visible. Jessica Catrett sat cross-legged on the grass beside Sophie Grace-Rojas, a Project Chrysalis Middle School student, with bundles of yarn on a breezy Sunday morning outside the Houston … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Endorsement watch: Still catching up

Posted on September 24, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

A couple of endorsements of interest for you. First, the Chron stuck with incumbent Sheriff Ed Gonzalez. A routine inspection of the state’s largest jail really shouldn’t garner headlines. Meeting “minimum safety standards” should never be cause for celebration for … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Endorsement watch: Still catching up

Interview with Plácido Gómez and Dani Hernandez

Posted on September 23, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

This week we are talking about the HISD bond referendum. We’ve already had plenty to say about this referendum, whose level of public support is unclear because of the questionable polling that’s been done so far. There are plenty of … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Some Republicans consolidate around one Speaker candidate

Posted on September 23, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

As is always the case, the field has narrowed. In the most concerted attack to date on Republican Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan from within the GOP House ranks, 48 representatives and nominees for House districts selected Rep. David Cook … Continue reading →

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

Fertitta to bid on a WNBA expansion franchise

Posted on September 23, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Rooting for him to succeed. Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta on Thursday confirmed his intention to bid on an WNBA expansion franchise, a step toward returning the league to Houston at a time the WNBA is setting ratings and attendance records. … Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Weekend link dump for September 22

Posted on September 22, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

“On Tuesday, Sept. 10, the Ultimate World Cruise made its final stop in Miami, returning to where it started. How do the passengers feel now that they’re returning to their normal routines? And what will they miss (or not) about … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged | 1 Comment

A curious thing about the polls of Texas

Posted on September 22, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

You’ve probably seen this headline by now. For the first time in their hotly contested campaign, a poll shows U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, trailing challenger U.S. Rep. Colin Allred. The Morning Consult poll, conducted between Sept. 9 and 18, places … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024, The making of the President | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Taral Patel and KP George

Posted on September 22, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

What a mess. Investigators believe Fort Bend County judge KP George coordinated with his former chief of staff, Taral Patel, in posting from fake social media accounts in 2022 to influence the outcome of an election, a new search warrant … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Jury deliberations begin in “Trump Train” lawsuit

Posted on September 22, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Axiously awaiting a verdict. A jury in Texas began to deliberate Friday whether the so-called “Trump Train” that surrounded a Biden-Harris campaign bus days before the 2020 election in a heated highway encounter amounted to political intimidation. “This case is … Continue reading →

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

Uplift Harris lawsuit 2.0

Posted on September 21, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Pretty much as expected. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is again suing Harris County over its guaranteed income initiative, alleging that the latest version of the program still violates the Texas Constitution despite modifications officials made to pass muster. “The … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Uplift Harris lawsuit 2.0

You can count non-citizen voters on one hand

Posted on September 21, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

And still have fingers left over. Data compiled by the conservative Heritage Foundation shows that noncitizen voting in Texas isn’t a widespread problem and instead shows other instances of voter fraud committed by U.S. citizens are more prevalent. Since 2017, … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on You can count non-citizen voters on one hand

What can the state do to help create more affordable housing?

Posted on September 21, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Probably a few things, though it’s not clear what is on tap at this time. If Texas wants to rein in its high housing costs, it needs more homes, Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar’s office said Tuesday — the latest sign … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment