Tag Archives: Greg Abbott

Friday redistricting roundup

Posted on August 1, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s take a moment and pour one out for the real victims of the proposed Congressional redistricting, Texas’ Republican Congressional incumbents. Democrats aren’t the only ones who won’t be happy with the way Texas Republicans on Wednesday proposed redrawing the … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2026, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

And just like that we have a map

Posted on July 31, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

That sure was fast. Good thing all those hearings are over. Texas GOP lawmakers released their first draft of the state’s new congressional map Wednesday, proposing revamped district lines that attempt to flip five Democratic seats in next year’s midterm … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Senate again passes THC ban

Posted on July 31, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

What are we even doing here? The Texas Senate on Wednesday preliminarily approved its second attempt to ban hemp-derived THC, setting up a showdown with the House, where hemp industry members say they’ll be getting more support. Senate Bill 5 … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Senate again passes THC ban

Redistricting roundup

Posted on July 30, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

While we wait for maps, we can ponder whether or not there will be a quorum break. As Republicans in Texas move full steam ahead with a plan to redraw the state’s congressional districts, Democrats are privately mulling their options, … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

More women have nearly bled to death following a miscarriage thanks to the abortion ban

Posted on July 30, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Brought to you by SCOTUS and the Republican Legislature. And Greg Abbott and Dan Patrick and Ken Paxton, too. Before states banned abortion, one of the gravest outcomes of early miscarriage could easily be avoided: Doctors could offer a dilation … Continue reading →

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

So is there a map yet or not?

Posted on July 29, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Hard to believe Republicans are flying blind on this. While the Republican redistricting effort is underway in Texas, the fight is on nationally. So, too, is the wait, as political observers – and anxious politicians – hold on for the … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Ken Paxton likes spending money

Posted on July 28, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

On fancy lawyers. Perhaps because he has to, as a result of his own actions. One day in late May 2024, lawyer Zina Bash spent 6 1/2 hours working on a case against Facebook parent company Meta on behalf of … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Ken Paxton likes spending money

Still no maps

Posted on July 27, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

It’s weird. Not unexpected – the Republicans have always loved some secrecy in the redistricting process – but weird. The Texas House’s redistricting committee visited Houston on Saturday to hear out local residents’ concerns on the state Legislature’s plans to … Continue reading →

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

The flood hearings

Posted on July 25, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a start. The Texas House and Senate quickly established special committees to focus on relief efforts and determine what preparations the state must make to be better prepared for future natural disasters. Now, these panels of state lawmakers are … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The flood hearings

Redistricting hearings

Posted on July 24, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Attend or watch if you can. The state House has scheduled redistricting hearings in Austin, Houston and Arlington, signaling a fast start to the Republican-backed effort to redraw the boundary lines for Texas congressional districts in the special legislative session that started Monday. … Continue reading →

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

Is Abbott now pro-THC banning?

Posted on July 23, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Kinda, yeah. Gov. Greg Abbott said Tuesday that he supports banning intoxicating hemp products, appearing to walk back his calls last month for lawmakers to regulate the state’s burgeoning THC industry like it does for alcohol. In interviews with media … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Start of the special session flooding roundup

Posted on July 22, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Just a reminder of why we’re supposedly here, the non-THC reason. Texas lawmakers largely ignored recommendations aimed at helping rural areas like Kerr County prepare for flooding Sixteen months had passed since Hurricane Harvey tore through the Texas coast in … Continue reading →

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

On pursuing rural voters

Posted on July 21, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

This is an op-ed written by former State Rep. Glenn Rogers, who was targeted and ousted by Greg Abbott in the 2024 primaries because he was anti-voucher. He has not taken that defeat lying down. Our great state is experiencing … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on On pursuing rural voters

There’s a map

Posted on July 20, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

The special session gavels in tomorrow and there’s a new proposed Congressional map, but before we get to that let’s look at the lay of the land going into the session. On Monday, state lawmakers held a call with U.S. … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2026 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Appeals court upholds “Death Star” law

Posted on July 20, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Bad, though not yet actually damaging. Two years after a district court declared that a new state law diluting the policy-making power of blue urban areas was unconstitutional, an appeals court on Friday overruled that decision. Texas lawmakers in 2023 … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Appeals court upholds “Death Star” law

The flood insurance problem

Posted on July 19, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

This is only going to get worse unless we take steps to mitigate it. Less than 5% of residential properties in high-risk areas in Kerr County were covered by flood insurance before the July 4 storm, according to a Houston … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Hands Off Our Districts protest tomorrow

Posted on July 18, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Dear Democrats, friends and neighbors, We’re asking everyone who believes in fair representation to join us this Saturday at 10:00 AM for the Day of Protest, “Hands Off Our Districts.” In solidarity with community leaders, elected officials, and precinct chairs across Harris County, … Continue reading →

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

Re-redistricting watch: El Paso in focus

Posted on July 17, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Not a big surprise. President Donald Trump’s request that Texas Republicans seek to create five new congressional seats for the GOP in an upcoming special legislation could involve redrawing boundaries in El Paso, a website focused on Congress says. Diluting … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2026 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Re-redistricting watch: El Paso in focus

The long haul of recovery

Posted on July 16, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

We only really have a best guess as to how many people are still missing from the Hill Country floods. More than 10 days after catastrophic July Fourth floods along the Guadalupe River in Kerr County, the official death toll … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The long haul of recovery

What the medical marijuana industry wants from the special session

Posted on July 15, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

To protect their interests, of course. Texas’ medical marijuana dispensaries entered into this year’s legislative session with a two-prong strategy to expand: to loosen the state’s rules on their industry that has made the program largely inaccessible to those who … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on What the medical marijuana industry wants from the special session

Just how intimate are those emails?

Posted on July 15, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

The mind reels. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott doesn’t want to reveal months of communications with Elon Musk or representatives from the tech mogul’s companies, arguing in part that they are of a private nature, not of public interest and potentially embarrassing. Musk had an … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Just how intimate are those emails?

Why does Greg Abbott hate FEMA?

Posted on July 13, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I mean, FEMA loves Texas, so… Gov. Greg Abbott was quick to request federal assistance last week after devastating floods hit the Texas Hill Country. But the Republican governor is simultaneously helping the Trump administration find ways to “wean off” … Continue reading →

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

This session’s fight over casinos was mostly billionaire-on-billionaire violence

Posted on July 13, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

A good read from Texas Monthly about how Miriam Adelson tried to throw a bunch of money around and hire every lobbyist in the state to get casino gambling on the ballot, only to run into a different billionaire throwing … Continue reading →

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

Opening look at the re-redistricting effort

Posted on July 12, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

They’re coming for our districts. More than one million Houstonians could have new congressional representation as early as next year under Gov. Greg Abbott’s push to redraw the state’s political maps. Abbott has ordered the Texas Legislature into a special … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2026, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Hill Country flood roundup

Posted on July 11, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Just some articles of interest, no real thread. Climate Change Helped Fuel Heavy Rains That Led to Devastating Texas Flood Climate scientists said the torrential downpours on July 4 exemplify the devastating outcomes of weather intensified by a warming atmosphere. … Continue reading →

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

So now the Lege will get involved

Posted on July 10, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

As I said yesterday, I don’t know if Greg Abbott would have called a special session to address the great tragedy happening in the Hill Country if one hadn’t already been on the calendar for other reasons. He didn’t call … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege, The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The flood warning history of Kerr County

Posted on July 9, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

They’ve tried for awhile to get some funding for a flood warning system. They’ve failed every time. Nearly a decade before catastrophic flash flooding killed at least 75 people in Kerr County, including 27 children, several local officials were hard … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Fifth Circuit keeps SB4 block in place

Posted on July 9, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

A bit of good news. A Texas law that would deputize state and local police to question and arrest people they suspect of being in the country illegally was blocked once again. The law would also authorize local judges to … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Fifth Circuit keeps SB4 block in place

California threatens retaliatory re-redistricting

Posted on July 5, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a thing they could do. House Democratic leadership, rank-and-file members and aides to at least one blue state governor have been meeting to decide how to retaliate if Texas Republicans follow through on the White House’s push to reshape … Continue reading →

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

A sudden surge in potential candidates

Posted on July 4, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Former San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg may be running for Governor. Sources say former Mayor Ron Nirenberg has been telling fellow Democrats he’s considering a run for governor in 2026 — a potentially grueling race against the formidable Republican Gov. … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2026 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on A sudden surge in potential candidates

Another lawsuit filed over the Ten Commandments law

Posted on July 3, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Keep ’em coming. Sixteen Texas families of different religious and nonreligious backgrounds filed suit in federal court today to block a new state law requiring all public elementary and secondary schools to display a Protestant version of the Ten Commandments in every classroom. … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

SD09 special election set for November

Posted on July 1, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

This could, and hopefully will, be interesting. Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday set a special election for Nov. 4 to fill the Texas Senate seat vacated by Republican Kelly Hancock, who resigned from the Legislature earlier this month to become the acting state comptroller. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2025 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on SD09 special election set for November

Lawsuit filed over Ten Commandments law

Posted on June 28, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Expect there to be a lot of litigation over bills passed this session(s). Six parents and religious leaders have filed a lawsuit seeking to block a newly signed law set to require the Ten Commandments in Texas public school classrooms. Leaders … Continue reading →

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

Abbott vetoes THC bill and calls special session

Posted on June 24, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Waited till the last minute because he’s such a drama queen. Gov. Greg Abbott on Sunday vetoed a contentious state ban on THC products and shortly after called a special legislative session asking lawmakers to instead strictly regulate the substance. … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments