Tag Archives: campaign finance reform

Chartering

Posted on October 13, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

There will be more than just the Mayor’s race going on in 2015. Houston is guaranteed a frantic 2015 political season with an open mayor’s race on the ballot, but it could get busier still with growing talk of placing … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2015 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Abbott claims Davis’ book tour constitutes an illegal campaign contribution

Posted on September 9, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

I guess he has to do something to distract from what’s actually in Sen. Davis’ book. Republican gubernatorial nominee Greg Abbott asked the Texas Ethics Commission on Monday to rule whether opponent Wendy Davis’ book deal and tour crosses the … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Abbott claims Davis’ book tour constitutes an illegal campaign contribution

More about TPJ

Posted on August 29, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron profiles Texans for Public Justice, the group that filed the complaint that led to Rick Perry’s indictments. [Craig] McDonald’s Texans for Public Justice, which operates out of a small office west of the University of Texas-Austin campus and … Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized! | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on More about TPJ

Shine a light on dark money

Posted on August 26, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

I totally favor this. Secret campaign donors in Texas may soon be forced out of the shadows. The Texas Ethics Commission, already fighting a conservative group in court over whether it can regulate dark money disclosure, appears poised to approve … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Shine a light on dark money

Who watches the fox while he guards the henhouse?

Posted on July 24, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

The Railroad Commission needs an ethics upgrade. The race for Texas railroad commissioner has revived — at least in the short term — debate around a series of thwarted legislative proposals to overhaul the state’s curiously named oil and gas … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Who watches the fox while he guards the henhouse?

Another entry for the judicial election files

Posted on June 21, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Get Wallace Jefferson on the phone for me, will ya? Three justices on the Tennessee Supreme Court are facing an election-year attack, not for any particular decision they have authored or even for any unpopular opinion they have espoused. No, … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Another entry for the judicial election files

FEC approves Bitcoin for campaign contributions

Posted on May 14, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

It’s the right call. The Federal Election Commission on Thursday voted to allow political committees to accept Bitcoin donations and outlined the ways that the virtual currency can be used by federally regulated campaigns. Responding to a request from a … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on FEC approves Bitcoin for campaign contributions

The money is the problem

Posted on May 11, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

A story of interest from North Carolina. The ad first appeared on television the Friday before last, a black-and-white spot charging that Justice Robin Hudson coddled child molesters and “sided with the predators” in a North Carolina Supreme Court dissent. … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The money is the problem

Wallace Jefferson is still going on about judicial elections

Posted on April 22, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

In an interview in The Atlantic, former Supreme Court Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson rides his favorite hobbyhorse of partisan judicial elections. I’ve been talking about this for a long time. And I am not the first one. Republican or Democrat … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Revisiting George Fleming

Posted on February 23, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Lisa Falkenberg catches up with an old friend. Trial lawyer George Fleming was calm and gracious when he took questions back in 2012, insisting that his bankrolling of a respected judge’s no-name opponent had nothing to do with his own … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Time to talk term limits again

Posted on January 3, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

The subject keeps coming up, though it never seems to get anywhere. As the inauguration of Houston’s elected leaders begins Thursday morning, supporters and spectators gathered at the Wortham Center downtown will see six new City Council members walk across … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Bell lawsuit award against RGA tossed by appeals court

Posted on October 14, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Some old history got raked up recently. An attorney for failed 2006 Democratic gubernatorial candidate Chris Bell is considering appealing a state appeals court’s decision to throw out a $2 million award to Bell in a lawsuit where Bell contended … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Bell lawsuit award against RGA tossed by appeals court

More leftover campaign cash

Posted on July 28, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron writes about a subject I’ve covered before. Former Rep. Shelley Sekula-Gibbs of Houston used leftover campaign funds to buy a life membership in the National Rifle Association. Former Rep. Martin Frost of Dallas paid a $6,000 Federal Election … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on More leftover campaign cash

Perry vetoes “dark money” bill

Posted on May 26, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Not a surprise. Gov. Rick Perry has vetoed a divisive measure that would have forced some tax-exempt, politically active nonprofits to disclose their donors. That effectively kills the measure for this session; lawmakers stripped a similar amendment from an Ethics … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Money in judicial races isn’t about partisanship

Posted on March 16, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Dan Patrick isn’t the only one seeking to change how we select judges in Texas. Freshman state Rep. Justin Rodriguez, D-San Antonio, is an attorney who has been frustrated for years by this state’s hyper-political process for selecting judges (and … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Money in judicial races isn’t about partisanship

Straight ticket voting and judicial races elsewhere

Posted on December 4, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

You may be wondering, after reading my post about straight ticket voting and judicial races if the same thing is true in counties other than Harris. I got to wondering that myself, so I checked out the results from a … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Support Senate Concurrent Resolution 2

Posted on December 4, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Until something is done at the federal level about the awful Citizens United ruling, there’s not much states can do about it. One thing they can do is tell the feds that they want them to take action against this … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Support Senate Concurrent Resolution 2

Can you believe it’s been ten years?

Posted on December 3, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Ten years (and one week) ago, four defeated Democratic candidates for the State House filed a lawsuit against the Texas Association of Business, claiming that TAB funneled illegal corporate contributions into state legislative races in the 2002 election. As you … Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized! | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Can you believe it’s been ten years?

If eliminating straight ticket voting is the solution, then what’s the problem?

Posted on November 20, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

With the opening day of bill-filing season comes the recurrence of a not-so-old chestnut that like many other bills is a solution in search of a problem. Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, said he wants to end straight-ticket voting for judges … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

30 Day finance reports, Harris County candidates

Posted on October 16, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s a look at the 30 day campaign finance reports for Harris County candidates. All reports can be found by going to the Harris County Clerk campaign finance reports page. Candidate Office Raised Spent Loans Cash ========================================================== Garcia Sheriff 192,670 … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2012 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

HISD takes another crack at ethics reform

Posted on August 20, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Good luck. Houston school trustees on Thursday renewed serious talks about tightening their ethics rules after failing to agree on new policies late last year. The proposed changes, meant to restore public confidence that the Houston Independent School District is … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on HISD takes another crack at ethics reform

Politicians come and go, but campaign cash is forever

Posted on June 10, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

It seems that way, anyway. With the defeat of several incumbents in last week’s primaries, there’s a lot more unneeded campaign war chests lying around. Millions in unspent contributions have long lurked in former state lawmakers’ campaign bank accounts, often … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Endorsement watch: Kirkland

Posted on May 11, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Nearly all of the judicial primary action this year is on the Republican side, since nearly all of the incumbents running for re-election are Democrats; there are no contested Democratic primaries for the few Republican-held benches. The one contested Democratic … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2012 | Tagged , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Again with judicial elections

Posted on April 4, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Here we go again. Texas is one of seven states that holds partisan elections for judges, a practice that one watchdog group says can lead to conflicts of interest. “We have a judiciary at the highest level, the Texas Supreme … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Again with judicial elections

Mighty pricey Main Street you’ve got there

Posted on March 3, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

My Irony-O-Meter goes to eleven. A Houston-based super PAC is targeting a dozen Democratic and Republican incumbents to reshape the political landscape in five states, including Texas where critics say an election law loophole is being used by a wealthy … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2012 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Two modest campaign finance reform suggestions

Posted on February 21, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

What to do about this? As indicted ex-constable Jack Abercia fights federal corruption and bribery charges brought against him last month, a lack of money for his legal defense isn’t one of his problems. The former Precinct 1 Harris County … Continue reading →

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

Credit where credit is due

Posted on March 1, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

State Supreme Court Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson calls on the Lege to protect legal aid funding. The budget crisis threatens to leave the state’s neediest without legal representation, Jefferson said, and even now “the courthouse door is closed to many … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Credit where credit is due

Will the Lege change the rules about corporate campaign contributions?

Posted on January 5, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I think the answer to that question is probably “No”, but given the Citizens United ruling and the effect it had in the 2010 election, one cannot rule it out. Immediately after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision, the Texas Ethics … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Will the Lege change the rules about corporate campaign contributions?

Meet the Mostyns

Posted on July 22, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I have two things to say about this. Attorney Steve Mostyn said Tuesday he and his wife, Amber Anderson, are committed to putting a “substantial” amount of money that likely will exceed $3 million into ending hard-right Republican politics in … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2010 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Why these term limits?

Posted on April 27, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

David Mincberg has an op-ed about the city’s term limits law that makes some interesting points but doesn’t quite get at the issue of whether the system we actually have now is the best way to meet the goals of … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

The effect of the “Citizens United” decision on judicial elections

Posted on February 7, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Republican attorney David Schenck makes the case in the Trib that the recent Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. FEC, which basically said that corporations could spend money as they saw fit in political campaigns, signals the imminent death … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

From the “It’s good to be the czar” files

Posted on January 12, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Every few years we get an article like this one about how the sweetest gig in the state is being a Harris County Commissioner. Commissioners may have the safest jobs in Harris County politics. No incumbent has lost an election … Continue reading →

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

Has the TEC grown some teeth?

Posted on November 21, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Well, no. But they do seem to be levying bigger fines, so maybe their gums are a little harder. By every measure, the agency is issuing more — and larger — fines, the records show. “There’s been a shift to … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Term limits review on the horizon

Posted on October 15, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Without much fanfare, the Houston City Council agreed to the creation of a committee to study the often talked about issue of term limits. Currently, the Mayor, Controller, and City Council are elected for two years terms a maximum … Continue reading →

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