Tag Archives: ACLU

Lawsuit filed against North Carolina anti-equality law

Posted on March 29, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

That was fast. It took only one day for North Carolina’s legislature to pass the country’s most sweeping anti-LGBT bill (HB2), and only four days after that for Lambda Legal and the ACLU of North Carolina to file a lawsuit … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters, National news | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Lawsuit filed against North Carolina anti-equality law

“Prison gerrymandering” tossed by federal court

Posted on March 28, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Noted for the record. The Federal District Court for Florida’s Northern District ruled Monday that the prison gerrymandering in Florida’s Jefferson County unconstitutionally dilutes the voting power of its residents. By packing inmates who can’t vote into a district, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on “Prison gerrymandering” tossed by federal court

State strikes out on Syrian refugees again

Posted on February 9, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Too bad. Now give up already. A federal judge has again denied a bid by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to block the federal government from resettling Syrian refugees in the state. Dallas-based U.S. District Judge David C. Godbey on … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on State strikes out on Syrian refugees again

Syrian refugee litigation update

Posted on January 12, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

From Trail Blazers: The legal jousting continues over Texas’ effort to bar the settlement of Syrian refugees in the state. Attorneys for the federal government and an aid agency this week filed briefs reiterating their opposition to Attorney General Ken … Continue reading →

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

No hearing on request to bar refugees till January

Posted on December 8, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

So much for that. A Dallas-based federal judge has denied a request by Texas state officials for an expedited hearing regarding Syrian refugees and will not rule on the case until mid-January at the earliest. Judge David Godbey informed lawyers … Continue reading →

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

Violence against transgender people

Posted on December 6, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

There’s way too much of it. For a few transgender Americans, this has been a year of glamour and fame. For many others, 2015 has been fraught with danger, violence and mourning. While Caitlyn Jenner made the cover of Vanity … Continue reading →

Posted in Society and cultcha | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

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 →

Posted in Election 2015 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Planned Parenthood petitions Fifth Circuit for en banc review of HB2 ruling

Posted on April 11, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Today, Planned Parenthood affiliates in Texas filed a petition on behalf of their patients to request that the full bench of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals consider the constitutionality of harmful abortion restrictions that were struck down … Continue reading →

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

On, Wisconsin

Posted on February 5, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

From the ACLU of Wisconsin: The American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Wisconsin and the law firm of Mayer Brown filed a federal lawsuit today on behalf of four same-sex couples who wish to marry in Wisconsin or are … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on On, Wisconsin

VRA 2.0

Posted on January 17, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Texas Redistricting: [Thursday] morning, Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI), Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and Congressman John Conyers (D-MI) introduced proposed amendments to the Voting Rights Act that would rework the section 5 coverage formula invalidated by the Supreme Court in Shelby … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on VRA 2.0

Utah will not recognize same sex marriages

Posted on January 13, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Not until they are forced to. Utah Gov. Gary Herbertannounced Wednesday that the state will not recognize the 1,000-plus same-sex marriages performed in the state since Dec. 20, when a U.S. district judge ruled that the state’s ban on gay … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Utah will not recognize same sex marriages

Student RFID bill gets House hearing

Posted on March 22, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

We knew this day would come. Last fall, San Antonio’s Northside ISD began issuing radio-frequency identification (RFID) enhanced student IDs to help with its attendance records. Austin began a small opt-in RFID program last fall, and in 2010, two Houston-area districts began tracking … Continue reading →

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

No smokers need apply

Posted on November 10, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Boy, is this a big can of worms. Methodist Hospital System in Houston this month announcedit will implement a tobacco-free hiring policy on Jan. 1, joining the Texas Medical Center and Memorial Hermann Healthcare System, which have had similar policies … Continue reading →

Posted in Bidness | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

All DNA, all the time

Posted on February 18, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

How often should we collect DNA from someone who’s been arrested? Some people think the answer should be a lot more often than we do now. Texas is one of several states that draw DNA samples from anyone convicted of … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on All DNA, all the time