Tag Archives: transgender rights

Dan Patrick buys airtime for anti-HERO ads

Posted on October 21, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Of course he does. With the start of early voting Monday, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick began lending his voice and his pocketbook to radio and TV ads urging Houston voters to reject the city’s embattled equal rights ordinance. At a … Continue reading →

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My sense of where things stand right now

Posted on October 19, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s an aggregation of the polls we’ve seen so far: Candidate HAR HRBC KHOU KPRC Avg ======================================== Turner 19 24 19 20 20.50 Garcia 19 14 9 13 13.75 King 10 18 9 14 12.75 Bell 10 11 6 12 … Continue reading →

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KPRC poll: Turner 20, others close together

Posted on October 17, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Yet another poll with Sylvester Turner in the lead. As of Oct. 15, State Representative Sylvester Turner finishes just ahead of the rest of the pack of 13 candidates with 20 percent of the vote; attorney Bill King gets 14 … Continue reading →

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The phony “bathroom” issue

Posted on October 17, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I am so tired of this. Although Houston’s 36-page equal rights ordinance makes no mention of public restrooms, access to restrooms has become the focus of a raging public debate with the law set to go before voters on election … Continue reading →

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Who cares about Bob McNair?

Posted on October 16, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Another bad decision. Houston Texans owner Bob McNair donated $10,000 this week to opponents of the city’s embattled equal rights ordinance, entering the political fray over the law headed to voters in November. McNair, a frequent GOP donor, mailed the … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: The state propositions

Posted on October 15, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

There are seven constitutional amendments awaiting your vote on the November ballot. The Chron evaluates them. Proposition 1 The amendment would boost homestead exemption amounts for school district property taxes from $15,000 to $25,000. It also would reduce the amount … Continue reading →

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KHOU poll: Turner 19, King and Garcia 9

Posted on October 13, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Our third poll result in the past week. Sylvester Turner remains the front-runner, but Adrian Garcia has lost his once firm grip on second place and Bill King rises into the top tier of contenders in the race for Houston … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Did we mention that you should vote for HERO?

Posted on October 13, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron reiterates its endorsement of the HERO. All’s fair in love and local politics, we presume, although a campaign of fear-mongering and false claims against Houston’s equal rights ordinance is unworthy of this city. HERO, Proposition 1 on the … Continue reading →

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Mimi Swartz’s Mayoral campaign rant

Posted on October 10, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Here it is. What if they held a mayoral race and nobody came? That’s the question plaguing many people currently involved in Houston politics—even if no one else in town is asking it. This phenomenon isn’t entirely new: in 2009,* … Continue reading →

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HRBC poll: Turner 24, King 18

Posted on October 9, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Looks like we’re going to see more polling than usual this cycle. This was sent as a press release from the Bill King campaign, which was kind enough to forward the full poll data to me when I requested it: … Continue reading →

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HAR poll

Posted on October 8, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

And some more good news here. With less than four weeks to go before the election, the Houston mayoral race remains “fluid,” according to a new poll commissioned by the Houston Association of REALTORS® (HAR). The poll finds Adrian Garcia … Continue reading →

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30 day finance reports: Pro- and anti-HERO

Posted on October 8, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Some good news here. Supporters of Houston’s contentious equal rights ordinance raked in $1.26 million during seven weeks of official fundraising, more than doubling opponents’ efforts and fueling a fierce and frenzied media campaign to court voters before the law … Continue reading →

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Interview with Lou Weaver

Posted on October 7, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

This week’s interviews are going to be about the referendum for the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance, which the Supreme Court ordered to be on the ballot. It is City of Houston Proposition 1, with a Yes vote being in favor … Continue reading →

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Interview with Monica Roberts

Posted on October 6, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

This week’s interviews are going to be about the referendum for the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance, which the Supreme Court ordered to be on the ballot. It is City of Houston Proposition 1, with a Yes vote being in favor … Continue reading →

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Interview with Richard Carlbom

Posted on October 5, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

This week’s interviews are going to be about the referendum for the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance, which the Supreme Court ordered to be on the ballot. It is City of Houston Proposition 1, with a Yes vote being in favor … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: A bad call

Posted on October 2, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I’m sorry, I don’t get this at all. The race for the At-Large 4 City Council seat offers two of the most capable candidates running this fall. Amanda Edwards, a municipal finance attorney with Bracewell & Guiliani, and Laurie Robinson, … Continue reading →

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Bad choice, Lance

Posted on September 29, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Very disappointing. Lance Berkman, former Houston Astros star and Texas native, has waded into the fight for LGBT protections, sharing his views in a new ad campaign this week. At the center of Berkman’s concern is Houston’s Equal Rights Ordinance … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: HERO ain’t everything

Posted on September 24, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I predicted that the Chron would endorse CM Kubosh, so I can’t say that I’m surprised that they endorsed him. That said, their logic is always a sight to behold. At a City Hall filled with lawyers, urban planners and … Continue reading →

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GOP versus Hall

Posted on September 23, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Pass the popcorn. The Harris County Republican Party released a flyer Monday attacking Houston mayoral candidate Ben Hall for his Democratic ties and previous support for a nondiscrimination ordinance. Among top-tier mayoral candidates, Hall, a Democrat, is the most ardent … Continue reading →

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We’re (about to be) Number 3!

Posted on September 21, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

In population. By the year 2025. Suck it, Chicago! Hidden in the haze of the petrochemical plants and beyond the seemingly endless traffic jams, a Texas city has grown so large that it is poised to pass Chicago as the … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: What needs to be said

Posted on September 21, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron’s endorsement of HERO is both the most obvious call they’ll make and a pleasant surprise in terms of how they did it. Let’s be frank: The organized opposition to Houston’s proposed equal rights ordinance is mendacious, deceitful and … Continue reading →

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Business groups get into the HERO campaign

Posted on September 19, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Welcome to the table, fellas. Three major local business and hospitality groups are warning voters that the city’s economy could take a hit if Houston’s embattled equal rights ordinance is repealed in November, boosting supporters’ attempts to cast the law … Continue reading →

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Hickman’s “plan” for an LGBT policy

Posted on September 19, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

It’s sort of something, I guess. Lou Weaver grew up respecting the badge. His father was a cop. His father’s friends were cops. And so Weaver never feared the police. That changed when Weaver, who is transgender, was pulled over … Continue reading →

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A broader overview of the Mayor’s race

Posted on September 15, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The TL;dr version of this is basically “meh, not much happening”. With a bevy of candidates and midyear fundraising that collectively topped $7 million, Houston’s 2015 mayoral race has been poised to be a blockbuster. Yet, just five weeks before … Continue reading →

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Chron Mayoral profile: Ben Hall

Posted on September 15, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

This is the fourth in a series of profiles on the top candidates running for mayor in Houston. His dedication to accomplish whatever he sets out to do – regardless of public reaction – has jumped out for friend and … Continue reading →

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Houston Unites’ first ad

Posted on September 2, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Not bad: The story: Supporters of Houston’s equal rights ordinance released their first official radio ad Friday, countering opponents’ claim that the law presents a public safety threat and seeking to reframe the debate before voters consider the issue in … Continue reading →

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The anti-HERO horde

Posted on September 1, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

There’s a lot of them out there, though many of them claim their mostly last-minute filings didn’t really have to do with HERO. Members of the anti-HERO campaign and other prominent conservative activists disputed suggestions of a widely-coordinated effort, saying … Continue reading →

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Wilson denied by Supreme Court

Posted on August 30, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Some good news that came in late Friday. Anti-gay activist Dave Wilson’s attempt to amend City Charter and bar men “who perceive or express themselves as women” from entering women’s restrooms will likely not appear on the November ballot after … Continue reading →

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HERO ballot language set

Posted on August 28, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Here we go. City Council on Wednesday approved the language that will appear on the November ballot for voters to decide the fate of Houston’s equal rights ordinance, one week after the Texas Supreme Court ruled that the original wording … Continue reading →

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First anti-HERO radio ad airs

Posted on August 26, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Here it comes. In the ad, a young woman talks about the perceived threat to public safety the ordinance presents. Critics have long asserted that the broad non-discrimination law, which includes protections for gay and transgender residents, would allow male … Continue reading →

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Supreme Court requires HERO ballot language change

Posted on August 20, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Whatever. The Texas Supreme Court has again overruled Mayor Annise Parker’s administration in connection with the legal fight over her signature nondiscrimination ordinance, ruling Wednesday that the mayor and City Council erred in choosing the language that will appear on … Continue reading →

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The contours of the HERO fight

Posted on August 18, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll see how this goes. When City Council sent Houston’s embattled equal rights ordinance to the November ballot two weeks ago, the vote raised the curtain on dueling campaigns that had been bracing in the wings for a political showdown … Continue reading →

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Houston Unites

Posted on August 14, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The pro-HERO campaign has been launched. Supporters of Houston’s nondiscrimination ordinance launched a formal campaign Wednesday urging voters to defend the measure this November. ACLU of Texas Executive Director Terri Burke urged Houstonians to “send a message that this is … Continue reading →

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Students against Dave Wilson

Posted on August 12, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

OUT SA, the website for out students and allies at Houston Community College, reviews a litany of Dave Wilson’s recent activities and discusses what can be done about them. Mr. Wilson has created a hostile environment for LGBT students, staff, … Continue reading →

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