Tag Archives: Travis County

Paxton whistleblowers demand depositions

Posted on November 24, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

As always, I am rooting for them. Lawyers for the Ken Paxton whistleblowers are moving forward with their lawsuit in Travis County after another judge cleared the way, asking the Austin-based court to force the attorney general and his top … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Attorney General, Blake Brickman, Brent Webster, bribery, budget, Burnet County, David Maxwell, FBI, impeachment, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, Lesley Henneke, Mark Penley, Michelle SMith, Nate Paul, Ryan Vassar, Senate, Supreme Court, Texas, Texas Whistleblower Act, The Lege, Travis County | Comments Off

“Solar For All” grant

Posted on November 19, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Earlier this year, the Biden Administration announced a $7 billion national “Solar For All” grant competition via the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to help expand solar energy production across the country. Harris County leaders enlisted a coalition … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged Austin, Commissioners Court, Dallas, Dallas County, Environmental Protection Agency, Harris County, Houston, San Antonio, solar energy, Tarrant County, Travis County | Comments Off

Paxton whistleblower lawsuit unpaused again

Posted on November 15, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Good. A Burnet County district judge ruled Tuesday that the Ken Paxton whistleblowers’ case can proceed in Travis County, while Paxton’s recently launched legal challenge to the revived lawsuit remains pending. The ruling by Judge Evan Stubbs could allow the … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Attorney General, Blake Brickman, bribery, budget, Burnet County, David Maxwell, FBI, impeachment, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, Mark Penley, Nate Paul, Ryan Vassar, Senate, Supreme Court, Texas, Texas Whistleblower Act, The Lege, Travis County | 1 Comment

Paxton whistleblower lawsuit paused again

Posted on November 9, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

WTF??? The whistleblower lawsuit against Attorney General Ken Paxton has once again been put on pause, this time by a judge who had not been previously involved in the case. The Texas Supreme Court agreed to jumpstart the case in … Continue reading →

Anti-gay Waco JP’s lawsuit heard by SCOTx

Posted on October 28, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Now we wait. Texas Supreme Court justices Wednesday questioned whether a Waco justice of the peace should remain under threat of a judicial oversight body’s sanctions if she continues refusing to marry gay couples. The State Commission on Judicial Conduct … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Dianne Hensley, gay marriage, gay rights, Justice of the Peace, lawsuit, Liberty Institute, McClennan County, SCOTUS, State Commission on Judicial Conduct, Supreme Court, Texas, Third Court of Appeals, Travis County | Comments Off

SCOTx rules whistleblowers’ lawsuit can proceed

Posted on September 30, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Good. The Texas Supreme Court has sided with former top deputies of Attorney General Ken Paxton and cleared the way for their whistleblower lawsuit to move forward. The all-Republican Supreme Court on Friday rejected Paxton’s request to dismiss the lawsuit … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Attorney General, Blake Brickman, bribery, budget, Dan Patrick, David Maxwell, FBI, Greg Abbott, impeachment, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, Mark Penley, Nate Paul, Ryan Vassar, Senate, Supreme Court, Texas, Texas Whistleblower Act, The Lege, Third Court of Appeals, Travis County | 1 Comment

Drag ban officially ruled unconstitutional

Posted on September 27, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Texas cannot enforce a new law that restricts some public drag shows, a federal judge said Tuesday in declaring the legislation unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge David Hittner found Senate Bill 12 “impermissibly infringes on the First Amendment and chills … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Abilene, ACLU of Texas, Attorney General, Bexar County, drag shows, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, gay rights, lawsuit, Montgomery County, Senate, Taylor County, Texas, The Lege, The Woodlands, transgender rights, Travis County | 2 Comments

The lawsuit over the omnibus voter suppression law has begun

Posted on September 12, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Settle in, this will take awhile. Two years after voting rights groups challenged Texas Republicans’ sweeping overhaul of its voting and election laws, the case comes to trial Monday in a federal court in San Antonio. The lengthy roster of … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged absentee ballots, ACLU, ACLU of Texas, Americans with Disabilities Act, Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Attorney General, Brennan Center, Chris Hollins, curbside voting, Dana DeBeauvoir, Disability Rights Texas, drop off boxes, Election 2020, elections administrator, FIEL Houston, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Georgia, Greg Abbott, Harris County, HOPE, Isabel Longoria, Jolt Initiative, Justice Department, Ken Paxton, La Unión Del Pueblo Entero, lawsuit, League of Women Voters, MALDEF, Medina County, Mexican American Bar Association of Texas, OCA Houston, Organization of Chinese Americans-Greater Houston, REV UP Texas, Secretary of State, Southwest Voter Registration Education Project, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, Texas Impact, Texas Organizing Project, The Lege, Travis County, voter suppression, Voting Rights Act, Workers Defense Action Fund | Comments Off

Drag ban blocked

Posted on September 2, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Good. U.S. District Judge David Hittner temporarily blocked a new state law Thursday from going into effect that would have criminalized sexually-oriented performances in front of children or effectively banned some public drag shows. LGBTQ+ groups sued the Texas attorney … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Abilene, ACLU of Texas, Attorney General, Bexar County, drag shows, Florida, gay rights, lawsuit, Montana, Montgomery County, Senate, Taylor County, Tennessee, Texas, The Lege, The Woodlands, transgender rights, Travis County | 1 Comment

Part of the omnibus voter suppression law struck down

Posted on August 20, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Some good news. A federal judge in San Antonio ruled this week that it is illegal for Texas elections officials to reject mail-in ballots and the applications for them over ID mistakes on elections paperwork. The requirement was part of … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged absentee ballots, ACLU of Texas, Americans with Disabilities Act, Brennan Center, Chris Hollins, curbside voting, Dana DeBeauvoir, Disability Rights Texas, Election 2020, elections administrator, FIEL Houston, Georgia, Greg Abbott, Harris County, HOPE, Isabel Longoria, Jolt Initiative, Ken Paxton, La Unión Del Pueblo Entero, lawsuit, MALDEF, Medina County, Mexican American Bar Association of Texas, OCA Houston, REV UP Texas, Secretary of State, Southwest Voter Registration Education Project, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, Texas Impact, Texas Organizing Project, The Lege, Travis County, voter suppression, Voting Rights Act | 2 Comments

Wildfire disaster declared

Posted on August 16, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Stay safe, y’all. Gov. Greg Abbott has issued a wildfire disaster declaration for about 75% of Texas counties, allowing them to use all available state resources to respond to any new fires as the state continues to bake under triple-digit … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged Austin County, climate change, Dallas County, drought, El Paso, fire, Greg Abbott, Midland County, Texas, Texas Forest Service, Travis County | Comments Off

Lawsuit filed against anti-drag bill

Posted on August 4, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

The lawsuit count increases again. LGBTQ+ Texans and advocates filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday to block a new state law that criminalizes some drag shows — and other performances — if they occur in front of children. Senate Bill 12, … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Abilene, ACLU of Texas, Attorney General, Bexar County, drag shows, gay rights, lawsuit, Montgomery County, Senate, Taylor County, Tennessee, Texas, The Lege, The Woodlands, transgender rights, Travis County | Comments Off

A brief Nate Paul update

Posted on July 31, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

For those of you who like this sort of thing. You know who you are. The Texas Supreme Court denied an appeal on Friday by indicted real estate developer Nate Paul to reverse a judgment against him worth millions of … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged bribery, FBI, impeachment, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, Mitte Foundation, Nate Paul, Supreme Court, Texas, Travis County | Comments Off

The Brandon Cammack files

Posted on July 23, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

The impeachment trial of Ken Paxton may help answer some questions about one of the more brazen (alleged) attempts by Paxton to help his buddy Nate Paul. More than a year before Ken Paxton would be impeached by the Texas … Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized!, That's our Lege | Tagged Attorney General, Brandon Cammack, Brent Webster, bribery, District Attorney, FBI, impeachment, Jeff Mateer, John Cornyn, Ken Paxton, Margaret Moore, Mitte Foundation, Nate Paul, Senate, special prosecutor, Texas, The Lege, Travis County | Comments Off

Anti-gay Waco JP’s lawsuit to be considered by SCOTx

Posted on June 29, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

The end of the line one way or the other. The Texas Supreme Court will review a case involving a Waco justice of the peace’s refusal to perform same-sex weddings. McLennan County Justice of the Peace Dianne Hensley sued the … Continue reading →

The bracted twistflower

Posted on May 13, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Gotta save our wildflowers, y’all. The bracted twistflower, a Texas wildflower threatened by growing urban sprawl, was declared a threatened species Monday by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The tall, bright purple flower, which has seen significant decline across … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged Bexar County, bracted twistflower, Center for Biological Diversity, endangered species, Medina County, Monarch butterfly, prostrate milkweed, Texas, Travis County, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Uvalde County | Comments Off

“Fort Worth is the new Austin”

Posted on April 18, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Hadn’t thought of it that way. Who speaks for Fort Worth in the nation’s capital? For more than 25 years the go-to member of the Texas delegation for Tarrant County has been U.S. Rep. Kay Granger, R-Fort Worth. From securing … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged Austin, Beth van Duyne, CD06, CD12, CD24, CD25, CD26, CD30, CD33, Congress, Election 2020, Election 2022, Election 2024, Fort Worth, Jake Ellzey, Jasmine Crockett, Kay Granger, Marc Veasey, Michael Burgess, redistricting, Roger Williams, Tarrant County, Texas, Travis County | 1 Comment

Meanwhile, in Ken Paxton crime news…

Posted on April 3, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Paxton buddy Nate Paul loses an appeal on the contempt charges against him. The Austin real estate investor accused of bribing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton still faces 10 days in jail for contempt of court, after losing an appeal. … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged bribery, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, Mitte Foundation, Nate Paul, Texas, Third Court of Appeals, Travis County | Comments Off

Appealing the injunction that halted DFPS investigations of trans kids’ families

Posted on March 17, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Just keeping you informed. Attorney General Ken Paxton, in an appeal, is asking the courts to lift an injunction that stopped the state from conducting child abuse investigations over transition-related medical care for transgender youth. Paxton argued that the families … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged ACLU of Texas, Amber Briggle, Amy Clark Meachum, Department of Family and Protective Services, Greg Abbott, Ken Paxton, Lambda Legal, lawsuit, PFLAG, Supreme Court, Texas, The Lege, Third Court of Appeals, transgender rights, Travis County | Comments Off

Muskville, Texas

Posted on March 12, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

What did Bastrop do to deserve this? Elon Musk is planning to build his own town on part of thousands of acres of newly purchased pasture and farmland outside the Texas capital, according to deeds and other land records and … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged Bastrop County, Boca Chica Village, construction, Elon Musk, Keep Bastrop Boring, Snailbrook, SpaceX, Starlink, Steve Adler, Texas, The Boring Co, Travis County | 1 Comment

Nate Paul jailed for contempt

Posted on March 6, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Just a little story about one of Ken Paxton’s close personal friends. A real estate investor accused of bribing the Texas attorney general has been ordered to pay over $180,000 in fines and spend 10 days in jail for contempt … Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized! | Tagged bribery, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, Mitte Foundation, Nate Paul, Texas, Travis County | 2 Comments

Abortion funds remain protected from prosecution

Posted on February 26, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Good news, in the kind of world where this is needed at all, for now. A federal judge issued a favorable ruling for Texas abortion funds, indicating they likely cannot be criminally charged for helping people travel out of state … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged abortion, Afiya Center, Blanco County, Burleson County, Burnell County, Caldwell County, Clinic Access Support Network, District Attorney, Frontera Fund, Fund Texas Choice, Ghazaleh Moayedi, Jane's Due Process, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, Lilith Fund, Llano County, North Texas Equal Access Fund, San Saba County, SCOTUS, Texas, The Lege, Travis County, Washington County, West Fund | Comments Off

A walk through four districts, part 3: Try this at home!

Posted on January 8, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

In Part One I described my weird idea to take a stroll into four Congressional districts, something I decided I could do after taking a close look at the new map in Houston. In Part 2, I took you on … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged CD02, CD07, CD18, CD29, CD38, Congress, Dallas County, Harris County, HD100, HD103, HD104, HD108, HD114, HD134, HD137, HD140, HD141, HD142, HD143, HD145, HD147, I-10, I-30, I-35, I-610, pedestrians, redistricting, SD07, SD13, SD15, SD17, Senate, Texas, The Lege, Travis County, US59 | 7 Comments

Don’t Musk my rural Texas

Posted on January 8, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

For your perusal. In August 2021, a handful of Bastrop County residents noticed something big unfolding on quiet Walker Watson Road. The two-lane road, about a quarter-mile long from end to end, bisects cow pastures, corn fields and woods. It’s … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged Bastrop County, Boca Chica Village, construction, Elon Musk, SpaceX, Starlink, Texas, The Boring Co, Travis County | 1 Comment

Kirk Watson again elected Mayor of Austin

Posted on December 15, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Party like it’s 1997, y’all. In a tight race, Austin voters picked a familiar face Tuesday night to guide the capital city over the next two years as the region deals with skyrocketing housing costs and explosive growth. In a … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged Austin, Celia Israel, Dan Patrick, Election 2002, Election 2022, Hays County, homelessness, Kirk Watson, local control, Mayor, runoff, Senate, Texas, The Lege, Travis County, Williamson County | Comments Off

Precinct analysis: Early voting versus Election Day

Posted on November 21, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

In his pre-election analyses of the early vote, Republican consultant Derek Ryan (whose numbers I have used in the past) suggested that there was still a significant number of regular Republican voters who had not voted yet, which could make … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged Bastrop County, Beto O'Rourke, Bowie County, Dallas County, early voting, Election 2022, Election Day, Fort Bend County, Governor, Greg Abbott, Gregg County, Harris County, Hays County, Lubbock, precinct analysis, Texas, Travis County, Waller County, Williamson County | Comments Off

Anti-gay Waco JP’s lawsuit still tossed

Posted on November 8, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Good. An Austin intermediate appellate court has upheld a Travis County judge’s decision to throw out McLennan County Justice of the Peace Dianne Hensley’s lawsuit against the state panel that sanctioned her in 2019 for refusing to perform same-sex weddings. … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Dianne Hensley, gay marriage, gay rights, Justice of the Peace, lawsuit, Liberty Institute, McClennan County, SCOTUS, State Commission on Judicial Conduct, Texas, Third Court of Appeals, Travis County | Comments Off

Broader injunction issued to halt DFPS investigations of trans kids’ families

Posted on September 18, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Texas’ child welfare agency is once again blocked from investigating parents who provide gender-affirming care to their transgender children. The injunction applies to any family that belongs to PFLAG, an LGBTQ advocacy group with more than 600 members in … Continue reading →

Most of the lawsuit against the voter suppression law survives a motion to dismiss

Posted on August 6, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Some good news. In a limited order this week, a federal judge threw out some civil rights and discrimination claims brought as part of a complex and ongoing legal dispute over strict new voting rules in Texas. The lawsuit filed last year alleges that the … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged absentee ballots, ACLU, Americans with Disabilities Act, curbside voting, Dana DeBeauvoir, Disability Rights Texas, Election 2020, elections administrator, FIEL Houston, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Greg Abbott, Harris County, HOPE, Isabel Longoria, Jolt Initiative, Justice Department, Ken Paxton, La Unión Del Pueblo Entero, lawsuit, League of Women Voters, MALDEF, Medina County, Mexican American Bar Association of Texas, OCA Houston, REV UP Texas, Secretary of State, Southwest Voter Registration Education Project, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, Texas Impact, Texas Organizing Project, The Lege, Travis County, voter suppression, Voting Rights Act, Workers Defense Action Fund | Comments Off

A piece of the voter suppression law is blocked

Posted on July 22, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Buckle up, this will take a bit of explanation. Parts of a 2021 Texas voting law that cracked down on assistance for voters with limited English skills and voters with disabilities can no longer be enforced. A federal judge in … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Attorney General, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, lawsuit, OCA Houston, Organization of Chinese Americans-Greater Houston, Texas, The Lege, Travis County, voter suppression, Voting Rights Act | Comments Off

Another injunction issued to halt DFPS investigations of trans kids’ families

Posted on July 10, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

New case, different families. A Travis County judge on Friday granted a narrow injunction against the state of Texas that will continue to block investigations of child abuse for two families who allowed their children to receive gender-affirming care. The … Continue reading →

Paxton escapes open records lawsuit

Posted on July 6, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Sheesh. The Travis County district attorney’s office will not proceed with a lawsuit against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for refusing to release his communications around the time of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Despite determining that the attorney general … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Attorney General, Donald Trump, Election 2020, Election 2022, Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas, Jose Garza, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, open records, sedition, Supreme Court, Texas, Texas Public Information Act, Travis County | Comments Off

There was definitely an improvement in mail ballot acceptance for the primary runoffs

Posted on June 14, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

The last time I looked, I was largely unable to find any news stories about mail ballots and their rejection rates for the May primary runoff elections, with the exception of one story about Bexar County and how they were … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged absentee ballots, Bexar County, Cameron County, Dallas County, El Paso, Election 2022, Fort Bend County, Harris County, Montgomery County, primaries, runoff, Tarrant County, Texas, The Lege, Travis County, voter suppression | 2 Comments

When we had more deaths than births in Texas

Posted on June 10, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Seems like that would be a bad thing. In the midst of the nation’s deadliest pandemic, Texas recorded more births than deaths every month since 2016 — with one exception. Provisional data from the Texas Department of State Health Services … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged Bexar County, Bowie County, coronavirus, Dallas County, Donald Trump, Election 2020, Harris County, Kenedy County, Kerr County, Potter County, Smith County, Texas, Texas Department of State Health Services, Travis County, vaccinations, Wichita County | Comments Off

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