Tag Archives: The Lege

The death of bad bills is always worth celebrating

Posted on May 31, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Good, good, good. A handful of bills that would have stopped local governments from enacting their transportation priorities and hamstrung local transit efforts are likely dead. The measures failed to pass before key deadlines as the legislative session draws to … Continue reading →

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Abbott’s decision and Patrick’s tantrum

Posted on May 30, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

A brief roundup of some THC stories… What will Greg Abbott do? Gov. Greg Abbott has been tight-lipped about whether he’ll sign the bill on his desk that would ban THC in Texas. I don’t envy him. There’s really no … Continue reading →

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Film incentive bill passes

Posted on May 29, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Probably won’t be that big a deal, but we’ll see. The Texas House gave final approval to a bill increasing the amount of money the state spends to attract film and television productions. Senate Bill 22, filed by Houston Republican … Continue reading →

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Bill targeting abortion pills appears to be dead

Posted on May 28, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Three cheers for the end of session death-by-calendar watch. A major Texas bill that was poised to offer a blueprint for abortion restrictions has likely died in the state legislature. Senate Bill 2880, a top priority for the state’s abortion … Continue reading →

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So about that Compassionate Use program…

Posted on May 27, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Psyche! A plan to expand Texas’ struggling medical marijuana program has been stripped down by a state Senate committee, just days after the House agreed to the upper chamber’s plan to ban all recreational THC. New draft language for House … Continue reading →

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We need a better class of wingnut billionaire overlords

Posted on May 27, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I read this story about the latest dude in politics with more money than sense and I just shake my head. In mid-September, Alex Fairly accepted an invitation to spend the day with one of the state’s richest and most … Continue reading →

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THC retailers upset by THC ban

Posted on May 26, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

What are y’all going to do about it? Sydney Torabi, co-founder of Austin-based Restart CBD, could only watch in disbelief late Wednesday night as the Texas House delivered a key vote to push through a ban on all products containing … Continue reading →

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Fort Worth’s view of the HISD takeover

Posted on May 25, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

As recently noted, Fort Worth ISD has been notified by the Texas Education Agency that they are required to intervene in that district. While it’s not been determined yet what that means, a takeover is on the list of possibilities. … Continue reading →

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Measles update: El Paso the exception

Posted on May 24, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Weird. As soon as measles started spreading in West Texas, El Paso health officials began preparing schools and day care facilities for the day the virus would inevitably arrive. But now that it’s here, it’s not kids who are making … Continue reading →

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Trojan “abortion exceptions” bill passes

Posted on May 24, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

For better or worse. A bill clarifying when doctors can perform abortions under Texas’ near-total ban will now go to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk after the House approved the bill with wide bipartisan support. Despite some concerns raised by conservative … Continue reading →

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Lege goes for full THC ban

Posted on May 23, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Welp. The Texas House late Wednesday gave initial approval to a bill that would ban all products containing tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, likely spelling the end for the state’s short-lived hemp industry. Under the legislation, which is nearing the governor’s desk … Continue reading →

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Long-awaited Texas redistricting trial begins

Posted on May 21, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Been waiting a long time for this one. Questions over whether Latinos had their voting power diminished in the Dallas area will be a focus of a federal trial in El Paso that begins Wednesday. U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas, … Continue reading →

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Bail disreform advances

Posted on May 20, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Bad. The Texas House on Monday advanced a sweeping package to crack down on bail laws, setting a longtime priority of Gov. Greg Abbott’s — to keep more dangerous people accused of violent crimes behind bars — on its clearest … Continue reading →

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Lege set to do more social media bans

Posted on May 20, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. The Texas Legislature is poised to impose sweeping restrictions on how minors use social media, from banning them from signing up for accounts and requiring parental consent to download applications, to placing … Continue reading →

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Five DAs sue Paxton over new reporting requirements

Posted on May 19, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I wish them good luck. Five Texas district attorneys are suing Attorney General Ken Paxton in two separate lawsuits filed Friday over new rules that would give the state’s top law enforcer meticulous access to their office’s records. The two … Continue reading →

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So are we about to see the beginning of the end of the Mike Miles regime?

Posted on May 18, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe. With weeks until the deadline to announce a potential extension of the state takeover of Houston ISD, Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath expressed strong support Wednesday for the “spectacular” reforms that have occurred in the district since June 2023. Morath must … Continue reading →

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Measles update: Maybe we really are slowing to an end

Posted on May 17, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Can’t get much slower than that. Texas health officials reported only one new case of measles on Friday, the smallest increase since the outbreak began four months ago. The latest update from the Texas Department of State Health Services shows … Continue reading →

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The end of the road for the Texas Lottery Commission

Posted on May 17, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

And possibly for the Lottery, though not immediately. The Texas Senate unanimously approved a bill that would abolish the Texas Lottery Commission, move the state’s game to a different agency and add several new restrictions on how lottery tickets can … Continue reading →

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Houston hospitals have done worse with the abortion ban than Dallas hospitals have

Posted on May 16, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Unacceptable. Nearly four years ago in Texas, the state’s new abortion law started getting in the way of basic miscarriage care: As women waited in hospitals cramping, fluid running down their legs, doctors told them they couldn’t empty their uterus … Continue reading →

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Fort Worth ISD could be subject to takeover

Posted on May 9, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Look out. The Texas education commissioner is now officially weighing his options for Fort Worth ISD after a now-closed school triggered the state’s school intervention law. In a May 5 letter to Superintendent Karen Molinar and board President Roxanne Martinez, … Continue reading →

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More on the May elections

Posted on May 6, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

In my first post, I promised I’d look for a recap of the school board races from Franklin Strong. Here he is. That was a drubbing. I’ve been covering Texas school board elections for seven cycles, and as I have documented over and over again, book … Continue reading →

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Lottery Commission bans that thing it said it couldn’t ban

Posted on May 5, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Things are going great over there. The Texas Lottery Commission unanimously voted Tuesday to ban lottery courier companies from selling tickets online amid lawmakers’ ongoing criticism of the practice. The vote was an about-face for the agency, whose officials previously … Continue reading →

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School districts have those “our insurance is too expensive” blues

Posted on April 30, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Hopefully, the Lege will do something to help. Hurricane Harvey ravaged the Port Aransas Independent School District when it hit in 2017, damaging every classroom and prompting weeks-long school closures. The district is still facing ripple effects today, but in … Continue reading →

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Two action items

Posted on April 30, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Wanted to pass along a couple of notices of action items for those of you looking for something to do this week. Item #1, from the inbox: On Thursday, May 1, 2025, attorneys, judges, law students, and others committed to … Continue reading →

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San Marcos and Austin marijuana ordinances struck down

Posted on April 28, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Strike one. A state appeals court has shot down a voter-approved ordinance that decriminalized marijuana in San Marcos. The Fifteenth Court of Appeals last week overturned a ruling that denied a temporary injunction to block the law’s enforcement in the … Continue reading →

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How much does Houston want to piss off its neighbors?

Posted on April 28, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

This is me, shaking my head. A proposal to cut Houston in on revenue generated through the county’s toll roads is threatening the city’s relationship with county officials and neighboring jurisdictions. The legislation making its way through both the Texas House … Continue reading →

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Fair for Houston sends a warning

Posted on April 25, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

They’ve been more than patient. A Houston advocacy group warned Mayor John Whitmire and council members Thursday that the city is risking a lawsuit if it continues to ignore the will of voters by participating on a regional planning board … Continue reading →

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Just another reminder that abortion bans kill women

Posted on April 24, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

In case you needed it. Pregnant people living in states with abortion bans are almost twice as likely to die during pregnancy or soon after giving birth, a report released Wednesday found. The risk is greatest for Black women in … Continue reading →

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Another Texas Lottery Commission director resigns

Posted on April 24, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting. Ryan Mindell, the embattled executive director of the Texas Lottery Commission, has resigned, according to a terse press release published on the agency’s website Monday afternoon. Mindell’s departure comes almost exactly one year to the day after he took over the top job at … Continue reading →

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House passes Abbott’s voucher bill

Posted on April 18, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Welp. The Texas House gave initial approval early Thursday to a bill that would create a $1 billion private school voucher program, crossing a historic milestone and bringing Gov. Greg Abbott’s top legislative priority closer than ever to reaching his … Continue reading →

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A possible wrench in the voucher engine

Posted on April 16, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I approve. House Democrats are threatening to kill all constitutional amendments for the rest of session unless the House votes to put school vouchers before voters in November. They appear to have the numbers to make good on that special … Continue reading →

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A high school transfer portal

Posted on April 15, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Almost certainly not going to happen, at least this session, but an interesting thought experiment. House Bill 619 is a straightforward two-page document. But the ramifications of its potential passing would drastically alter the landscape of high school sports in … Continue reading →

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Taking from Harris to give to Houston

Posted on April 13, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

This story from Tuesday perplexed me a little at first. Harris County would have to turn over tens of millions in toll road dollars to the city of Houston for use on public safety and emergency services under a bill … Continue reading →

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Can we make HPD more efficient?

Posted on April 10, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

You’d think that would be a thing we’d all want. Mayor John Whitmire has made clear he intends to boost salaries and benefits for Houston police officers in their new union contract, but those increases will not be tied to … Continue reading →

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