Tag Archives: Annise Parker

Another ReBuild Houston lawsuit

Posted on October 26, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Gotta say, this puzzles me. A pair of Houston residents filed a lawsuit against Mayor Sylvester Turner and city council Monday, accusing them of failing to follow the will of voters who approved a charter amendment last year for funding … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Do you believe in magical thinking?

Posted on September 24, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I did not read this long profile of Tony Buzbee, because life is short and we all have better things to do. I did briefly scan the print version a bit, and in doing so I noticed the following paragraph, … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2019 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Checking in on the Mayor’s race

Posted on September 4, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Remember the Mayor’s race? Yeah, that. “The candidates have been running for months but were focused on fundraising and defining their message,” said Nancy Sims, a Houston political analyst. “Labor Day is when people tune into the election.” The stretch-run … Continue reading →

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We have a consent decree

Posted on July 11, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

It appears to be a done deal. Houston would add $2 billion to its planned sewer system improvements over the next 15 years under a proposed deal with state and federal regulators that is expected to produce higher water bills … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

By the way, Commissioners Court updated the county’s nondiscrimination and anti-harassment policies

Posted on June 27, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Nice. The Commissioners Court voted 3-2 along party lines to [add sexual orientation and gender identity to the county’s nondiscrimination and anti-harassment policies]. County Judge Lina Hidalgo, along with Commissioners Rodney Ellis and Adrian Garcia — all Democrats — voted … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Appeals court upholds dismissal of term limits lawsuit

Posted on June 26, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Score one more for the city. A Texas appeals court on Tuesday upheld a lower court ruling that struck down a lawsuit seeking to invalidate a 2015 voter-approved referendum extending term limits for city officials. At issue in the suit … Continue reading →

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

Garbage fee on the agenda

Posted on March 22, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t think this is going to pass, but it will get a vote. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner on Wednesday said he would put a proposed garbage fee on next week’s city council agenda, but will not vote for it. … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

We’re about to find out how much we’ll pay to fix Houston’s sewer system

Posted on March 13, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Be prepared. Houston would ramp up spending on its sewer system by $2 billion over 15 years under a proposed deal with state and federal regulators that is expected to produce higher water bills as soon as next year. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Same sex employee benefits lawsuit tossed again

Posted on February 25, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

This is great, but as always that’s not the end of it. The lawsuit dates back to 2013, when pastor Jack Pidgeon and accountant Larry Hicks sued the city to end the policy. In 2015, after the U.S. Supreme Court … Continue reading →

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Now how much would you pay to fix Houston’s sewer system?

Posted on September 24, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

We may be about to find out. Federal and state authorities sued the city of Houston over its long-running struggle to limit sewage spills on Friday, marking the beginning of the end of a years-long negotiation that could force the … Continue reading →

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

Woodfill and Hotze take their next shot at same sex employee benefits

Posted on August 19, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Here we go again. Anti-LGBTQ activists are again asking a Harris County judge to halt benefits for the same-sex spouses of Houston city employees, according to a recently filed motion. The motion for summary judgment in Pidgeon v. Turner, a … Continue reading →

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

July 2018 finance reports: City of Houston

Posted on August 15, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Every level of government requires finance reports in January and June, whether or not there is an active election cycle in that year. That includes the city of Houston, whose january report data we inspected here. Our next election is … Continue reading →

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The long range plan for municipal waste

Posted on August 13, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Something you probably missed (I know I did) from recent City Council action. Last week Houston City Council voted to hire a company that will help local officials create and adopt a long-range waste and recycling plan. This wasn’t all … Continue reading →

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

Rape kit lawsuit dismissal will be appealed

Posted on August 11, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

To be expected. Two women who on Friday lost a lawsuit against the City of Houston and a variety of officials over a rape kit backlog will file an appeal, an attorney for the women announced in a news release … Continue reading →

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

Rape kit backlog lawsuit dismissed

Posted on August 4, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting. A federal judge has dismissed a 2017 lawsuit two rape victims filed against Houston’s current mayor and police chief and five sets of predecessors, among others, for allowing a backlog of rape kits to accumulate over decades without being … Continue reading →

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

Another homeless feeding lawsuit dismissed

Posted on July 20, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Not the end of the story, though. A state district judge this week dismissed a lawsuit a local activist filed last year against Houston’s ordinance regulating the charitable feeding of the city’s homeless, but the case is proceeding on with … Continue reading →

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

Are you nostalgic for some strip club litigation?

Posted on June 8, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Then this is your lucky day. The legal fight over the striptease business in Houston has heated up, again. Two topless bars are suing the city of Houston over a controversial, years-old legal settlement they say unfairly hampers business at … Continue reading →

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

Judge sides with city in term limits lawsuit

Posted on May 12, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

The city wins for now, but we all know it’s not over yet. Politicians at City Hall can continue serving four-year terms — at least for now — after a state district judge sided with the city of Houston Friday … Continue reading →

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Anti-same sex employee benefits lawsuit moved back to state court

Posted on April 15, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

On and on we go. Nearly three years after the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, the city of Houston continues to battle for the rights of its gay workers. On Tuesday, a judge struck down Houston’s attempts to … Continue reading →

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

Feds sue city over HFD sex discrimination claims

Posted on March 2, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Yikes. The Justice Department has sued the city of Houston over sex discrimination claims launched by two female firefighters who say their male coworkers tormented them by urinating on the women’s bathroom walls and sinks and scrawling vulgar slurs on … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Houston’s health care costs

Posted on November 28, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Because dealing with pensions wasn’t enough. Taxpayers also face a $2.1 billion liability for retiree health care costs in the coming decades, and Houston – like many state and local governments – has not set aside a penny to pay … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , | 12 Comments

HFD and disaster preparedness

Posted on October 4, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

There’s a lot here to think about, and to do something about. The Houston Fire Department’s limitations quickly became clear as Harvey’s floodwaters rose. Just one high-water rescue vehicle. Decades-old evacuation boats. Sparse training for swift-water rescues. And limited staffing … Continue reading →

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Lawsuit filed over untested rape kits

Posted on October 3, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

This could be a big deal. A former Houston woman is suing the City of Houston and a long list of current and former mayors and police chiefs for failing to investigate a backlog of more than 6,000 untested rape … Continue reading →

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Pastoral malignancy

Posted on August 23, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Know your enemy. A day before the Texas Legislature ended its special session this week, a session that included a high-profile fight over a “bathroom bill” that appeared almost certainly dead, David Welch had a message for Gov. Greg Abbott: … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 22 Comments

Houston city employees file their own lawsuit (again) on spousal benefits

Posted on August 15, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

A shame it’s had to come to this, but this is where we are. On Thursday, three married couples from Houston filed a lawsuit in federal court aimed at forcing the city to preserve health coverage and other benefits for … Continue reading →

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Lina Hidalgo for Harris County Judge

Posted on August 9, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox, our first announced candidate for Harris County Judge: Today, Lina Hidalgo, a young, Harvard and Stanford-educated immigrant, announces her candidacy for Harris County Judge, the top seat on the Harris County Commissioners Court. Ms. Hidalgo and her … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , | 15 Comments

EcoHub sues over OneBin failure

Posted on August 8, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

All right. Continuing the saga that has unfolded at City Hall — in which City Council members have said a deal with one company “smelled,” and in which another company, EcoHub, claims Mayor Sylvester Turner snubbed him out of the … Continue reading →

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July 2017 campaign finance reports – City of Houston

Posted on July 31, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s continue our survey of campaign finance reports with reports from the city of Houston. Name Raised Spent Loans On Hand ================================================ Turner 520,430 138,068 0 1,643,519 Stardig 59,470 36,402 0 102,289 Davis 5,500 13,231 0 147,050 Cohen 5,000 8,382 … Continue reading →

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There will be no city elections this November

Posted on July 26, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the early version of the story. I’ll add a link to the full story in the morning. The Texas Supreme Court on Monday denied plantiffs’ attempts to expedite their case challenging the [2015 term limits referendum] ballot language that … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2017, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Recycling deal gets a rough reception at Council

Posted on July 20, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Feisty. Houston City Council members blasted a proposed 20-year recycling deal Tuesday, questioning the $48 million price tag, the process by which the winning bidder was chosen and Turner administration officials’ reluctance to share information about the deal. The proposal … Continue reading →

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Firefighters’ lawsuit over pension reform law tossed

Posted on July 3, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

There it goes. A state district judge on Friday dismissed Houston firefighters’ lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the city’s pension reform package, removing a potential barrier to the city’s efforts to solve a 16-year fiscal crisis. State District Judge Patricia … Continue reading →

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Mayors (still) against climate change

Posted on June 5, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Someone’s gotta do it. On Thursday, President Donald Trump officially announced that the United States would be withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement, citing the deal’s failure “to serve American interests.” Hours later, governors, mayors, and environmental groups all had … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

January 2017 campaign finance reports: Houston officeholders

Posted on February 24, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Normally, at this time I would be scanning through Houston candidate campaign finance reports, to see where incumbents stand at the start of the season. Of course, barring near-term court action there is no season for Houston municipal officeholders this … Continue reading →

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Texas Dems look to 2018

Posted on February 13, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I have a few things to say about this. A tight-knit group of Texas Democratic leaders traveled to the state capital [in late January] to begin preliminary conversations about the 2018 midterm races. According to over a dozen interviews with … Continue reading →

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