Tag Archives: Senfronia Thompson

Here come the candidates for SD13

Posted on June 29, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Here we go again. State Rep. Borris Miles came prepared with signs Saturday when Rodney Ellis all but secured a seat on Harris County’s Commissioners Court – not in support of Ellis, but to launch his own campaign. Ellis’ selection … Continue reading →

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Ellis wins Precinct 1 nomination

Posted on June 26, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

In the end, it wasn’t close. State Sen. Rodney Ellis on Saturday won the Democratic nomination for Precinct 1 Commissioner, effectively guaranteeing the veteran lawmaker the office. Ellis will be sacrificing 26 years in the Texas senate to become the … Continue reading →

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Legislators ask for a task force to review Capitol monuments to the Confederacy

Posted on July 10, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Fine by me. On the same day that the South Carolina Legislature voted to remove the Confederate flag from its Capitol grounds, five Democratic lawmakers asked Gov. Greg Abbott to consider the appropriateness of the Confederate monuments at their own … Continue reading →

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Bill to ban anti-fracking ordinances likely to go forward

Posted on April 16, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Disappointing. Despite vociferous opposition from local elected officials, environmentalists and citizens, many Democrats in the Texas Legislature are supporting controversial legislation that would strip local governments of the power to regulate or ban fracking. House Bill 40, by Rep. Drew … Continue reading →

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Marijuana reform advocates get their day

Posted on April 8, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

This will be worth watching closely. Four proposals to relax penalties for possessing pot have been scheduled for a hearing Wednesday in the Texas House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee, setting up what is sure to be a closely-watched debate in the … Continue reading →

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More on this session’s beer bills

Posted on April 6, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

A story from the DMN about the state of microbreweries and beer-related legislation in Texas. Brewers say they rely on word of mouth among diehard enthusiasts, so they want drinkers — particularly those from out of state — to introduce … Continue reading →

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Re-redistricting HISD

Posted on December 3, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Well, this would be different. The Houston school board would grow from nine elected trustees to 17 under a bill filed by state Rep. Senfronia Thompson, who said she wants to give residents of the former North Forest school district … Continue reading →

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What would you have done differently?

Posted on June 27, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Lisa Falkenberg remembers the Wendy Davis filibuster and complains about what has and hasn’t happened between then and the one-year commemoration of it. You don’t just dust off a social movement because a year has passed and you need to … Continue reading →

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Just a reminder, the Ledbetter bill was bipartisan

Posted on March 31, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

I mean, it had to be bipartisan to pass in the Lege, but let’s keep that in mind as the debate continues. After 42 years in the Texas House, Rep. Senfronia Thompson has earned a nickname – “Miz T” – … Continue reading →

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State Bar investigating Charles Sebesta

Posted on March 8, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Good. The State Bar of Texas has opened an investigation into Charles Sebesta, the former Burleson County District Attorney who prosecuted death row exoneree Anthony Graves. The organization that oversees lawyers is investigating alleged professional misconduct by Sebesta, which, if … Continue reading →

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Charles Sebesta needs to be held accountable

Posted on January 26, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Amen to this. Former Texas death row inmate Anthony Graves, who spent 18 years behind bars before he was exonerated in the bloody 1992 slaying of a Somerville grandmother, her daughter and four grandchildren, is seeking justice against the man … Continue reading →

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Unfair pay

Posted on August 9, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Patricia Kilday Hart uncovers some skulduggery in one of Rick Perry’s vetoes. Gov. Rick Perry vetoed a bill that would have let victims of wage discrimination sue in state court after receiving letters against the measure from the Texas Retailers … Continue reading →

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Yeah, they’re still working on a transportation funding bill

Posted on August 5, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The committee hearings will continue until morale improves. After consulting with members from both the House and Senate, state Rep. Joe Pickett decided to make some minor changes to his latest transportation funding proposal. On Thursday — the third day … Continue reading →

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On sexism in the Legislature

Posted on August 4, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Just go read Olivia Messer’s story in The Observer about that great bastion of good-ol-boyism, the Texas Legislature. It’s appalling, but sadly not unexpected, nor unsurprising. I’ve heard way too many stories like it, from way too many women, in … Continue reading →

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Monday House action

Posted on June 18, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The main action on Monday in the House was the House Redistricting Committee hearing. Where there’s a redistricting hearing, there’s Greg with a liveblogging session. Pay close attention to the stuff Greg writes about the questions that the Dems, in … Continue reading →

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Lege passes a Lilly Ledbetter bill

Posted on May 25, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

This is some fine work, but it’s a little early to be giddy about it. A bill that seeks to prevent pay discrimination against women narrowly passed the Texas Senate on Wednesday. “Employers who are doing the right thing and … Continue reading →

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Michael Morton Act signed into law

Posted on May 19, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Excellent news. With exoneree Michael Morton by his side, Gov. Rick Perry on Thursday signed a measure that aims to avoid wrongful convictions by preventing prosecutors from suppressing evidence. “This is a major victory for integrity and fairness in our … Continue reading →

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Not so fast on the North Forest charter plan

Posted on March 13, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Not everyone is convinced that the plan to allow a consortium of charter schools to take over North Forest ISD is a good idea. In interviews Monday, state Rep. Senfronia Thompson and Sens. Rodney Ellis and John Whitmire, all Democrats, … Continue reading →

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Bike trail on utility rights-of-way bills filed

Posted on February 21, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

This is a big show of support for making bike trails on CenterPoint’s rights of way happen. Houston voters last fall approved a $166 million bond measure to expand the city’s trail system, to be matched by $105 million in … Continue reading →

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Second attempt at Sunday liquor sales

Posted on January 22, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

If at first you don’t succeed. Democratic Rep. Senfronia Thompson filed a bill last week that proposed liquor stores be allowed to operate seven days a week. Under the current law, liquor stores may operate from Monday through Saturday from … Continue reading →

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African-American State Reps state their map objections

Posted on December 7, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Black-lawmakers-blast-revised-Texas-voting-maps-2346838.php Contending that African Americans have been an afterthought during the contentious yearlong redistricting process, four Houston lawmakers on Monday voiced their objections to the interim House map a three-judge panel drew recently. “A lot of emphasis over the past … Continue reading →

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House passes budget

Posted on June 11, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The main objective of the special session has now been accomplished. But not before one of the House’s biggest homophobes nearly derailed it on Thursday. Lengthy debate on a key budget bill featured many retreads of contentious topics from the … Continue reading →

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More on the microbrew compromise

Posted on March 23, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Brewed And Never Battered gives its report from the House Licensing and Administrative Procedures Committee hearing yesterday. Briefly on HB 602: No one expressed opposition, not even the Wholesale Beer Distributors of Texas, who have opposed the bill in the … Continue reading →

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Interview with State Rep. Senfronia Thompson

Posted on August 4, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

State Rep. Senfronia Thompson is an institution in the Texas House. First elected in 1973, she is the longest serving female member, and the longest serving African American member of that chamber. Her list of achievements is long enough that … Continue reading →

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Richie re-elected as TDP Chair, Two-Step survives

Posted on June 27, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The first, Boyd Ritchie’s re-election as TDP Chair, was expected. The second was more unexpected. Texas Democrats this afternoon overwhelmingly rejected a proposal to scrap the Texas Two-Step system of awarding presidential delegates through both a primary and caucuses. Those … Continue reading →

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Did I mention that election season is officially underway?

Posted on September 17, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Why, yes, I did. Add to the Controller email shenanigans questions about who does or doesn’t support Peter Brown, which recalls his own curious dual endorsement from 2007; allegations about who is or isn’t a Republican, and allegations about Gene … Continue reading →

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Strip club fee dies

Posted on June 2, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Boy, I had sure thought that HB982, the alternate strip club fee bill by Rep. Senfronia Thompson had passed the Senate, but apparently the vote to pass it was reconsidered and was never taken up again, so as a result, … Continue reading →

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Windstorm insurance bill passes House committee

Posted on May 21, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve mentioned the prospect of a special session several times lately. One of the issues that could be the cause of a special session is windstorm insurance, as the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association took it on the chin last year … Continue reading →

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The fees not paid

Posted on May 18, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The battle over the dueling strip club bills in the Lege this session has mostly been over how much revenue each would collect. But the state has to actually collect that revenue for any of that to be relevant. Dozens … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Cohen pulls strip club bill

Posted on May 14, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The battle of the strip club bills is over, as Rep. Ellen Cohen has pulled her bill, thus killing it for the session. She said “it was clear there was an attempt to find a point of order” — a … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Tuesday Lege roundup

Posted on May 12, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Some more notes about what has been happening in the Lege… – It looks like the program to test high school athletes for steroids will be scaled back. Texas lawmakers have reached a deal to slash steroid testing of public … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Monday Lege roundup

Posted on May 11, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Lots of legislative action today beyond the voter ID vaudeville act. Here’s a quick roundup of some other bills of interest. – HB1736, also known as the Tim Cole Act for the man who was posthumously exonerated this February, has … Continue reading →

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Followup on Keller impeachment resolution

Posted on May 1, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I had a brief conversation with Rep. Lon Burnam about HR480, the House resolution to impeach Court of Criminal Appeals Presiding Judge Sharon Keller, which had a hearing on Monday. He’s working on getting enough support in the House Committee … Continue reading →

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Ethics and finance bills to get their turn

Posted on April 13, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

One never really expects bills relating to ethics and campaign finance reform to make it through the process, but it’s still a good idea to keep an eye on them. In the last session, for example, at least 105 bills … Continue reading →

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