Tag Archives: Attorney General

School finance retrial, Day One

Posted on January 22, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

And they’re off, again. Back in the courtroom after a 2013 legislative session in which lawmakers added money back to the state public education budget, lawyers representing nearly two-thirds of Texas school districts argued on Tuesday that the funding boost … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on School finance retrial, Day One

Parker 2018

Posted on January 3, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

It seems pretty certain that a statewide candidacy is in Mayor Parker’s future. LSQ: What’s next for you after your term expires at the end of 2015? There’s been a lot of talk that you will run for statewide office … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Who enforces voter registration requirements?

Posted on December 18, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

My guess upon reading this is in effect nobody. A combination of lax enforcement in the state’s election code, a faulty voter registration system and lack of leadership by state election officials have led to the disenfranchisement of thousands of … Continue reading →

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

Sam Houston files for AG

Posted on November 25, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

It’s official. Democrat Sam Houston filed for attorney general Thursday, promising to return the office to it’s basic functions of “serving all Texans” rather than “partisan lawsuits and constant disputes with the federal government.” The Houston Democrat said specifically he … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Sam Houston files for AG

Wendy Davis needs to push back on Texas’ refusal to comply with the law on military same-sex benefits

Posted on November 18, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The sooner the better. This is a no-brainer, and a win all around. Texas Gov. Rick Perry stood his ground [last] Friday in a showdown with the Pentagon over processing benefits for same-sex couples at National Guard offices, possibly setting … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Van de Putte update

Posted on November 8, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Senator Leticia Van de Putte was at an Annie’s List event for Sen. Wendy Davis in San Antonio on Monday, and while the attention was on Davis, everyone wanted to know what was up with Van de Putte, too. Davis … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

No action from Fifth Circuit yet

Posted on October 30, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

HB2 is still enjoined. The Texas attorney general’s office is seeking an emergency stay, asking the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel’s ruling against abortion regulations in House Bill 2. Beginning Tuesday, abortion … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on No action from Fifth Circuit yet

Sam Houston officially announces for AG

Posted on October 19, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Houston attorney and fortuitously named Democrat Sam Houston announced Thursday his plans to make a statewide run at Attorney General, making him the first Democrat to officially toss his hat in the ring. Houston, who received the most votes … Continue reading →

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

Kinky for Ag Commish, Sam Houston (maybe) for AG

Posted on October 14, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

One and a half candidate announcements to note from the weekend. First, from the Trib, is the quadrennial appearance of Kinky Friedman. Singer, songwriter, novelist, humorist and former Independent gubernatorial candidate Kinky Friedman will run for the Democratic nomination to … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Democratic ballot update

Posted on September 27, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Sen. Leticia Van de Putte: State Sen. Leticia Van De Putte of San Antonio is exploring a run in 2014 as the Democratic challenger in the lieutenant governor’s race, but she said there is still a lot to consider. “We’ve … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

More Democratic statewide possibilities

Posted on September 22, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

From this story about Democratic hopes for Wendy Davis’ presumed gubernatorial candidacy comes these tidbits about who else might be on the ticket with her. State Sen. Carlos Uresti, D-San Antonio, told Express-News columnist Gilbert Garcia this month that he … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Van de Putte for Lite Gov?

Posted on September 3, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Yes, please. Democratic operatives are scouring Texas to find worthy statewide candidates to run on a 2014 ticket with Sen. Wendy Davis. Davis is expected to announce in the coming weeks whether she’ll challenge for governor or opt to seek … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

No Early To Rise on the ballot

Posted on August 27, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Place your bets on the outcome of the litigation. Harris County Judge Ed Emmett said Monday he would not place a 1-cent property tax on the November ballot intended to buoy area pre-schools, prompting a lawsuit by a local nonprofit … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

The law and the Early To Rise petition process

Posted on August 24, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Much has been made about the obscurity of the state law that allows for the petition process that the Early To Rise folks have followed to put an item on the ballot that would raise money for pre-K education in … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2013 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Finally, the Early To Rise plan

Posted on August 22, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

This is what we’ve got after their presentation to the HCDE Board of Trustees on Tuesday. On Tuesday, the Harris County School Readiness Corp. pitched its plan to expand early education at a five-hour gathering with wary trustees for the … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2013 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Early To Rise submits its petitions

Posted on August 15, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

From here it gets real. The Harris County School Readiness Corp., a new nonprofit led by business and civic leaders, is calling for a ballot intiative to levy a 1-cent-per-$100 tax through the Harris County Department of Education to generate … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2013 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Sheriff Garcia endorses the Early To Rise campaign

Posted on August 8, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

It makes sense that he would. The group attempting to get a 1-cent tax hike on the November ballot to bolster early childhood education programs got a hearty endorsement from Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia on Wednesday, and announced it … Continue reading →

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

Abbott and CPRIT

Posted on August 2, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

From the Things Greg Abbott Should Have Been Doing Instead Of Filing All Those Lawsuits Against The Obama Administration, But Didn’t Do department. In the more than four years he served on the state cancer agency’s governing board, Texas Attorney … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Abbott and CPRIT

How I would campaign against Greg Abbott

Posted on July 25, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

If you’ve been following Greg Abbott’s gubernatorial campaign kickoff, you’ve probably noticed that in addition to being light on substance, the Attorney General has been hitting his personal story hard, in an attempt to portray him as some kind of … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

CSCOPE still in scope

Posted on July 25, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Every once in awhile, whether they intend to or not, the SBOE does something worthwhile. The State Board of Education concluded its July meeting without providing further guidance as to whether Texas school districts continued to use lessons from CSCOPE, … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on CSCOPE still in scope

We’ll always have Kinky

Posted on July 24, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Like cicadas on a four-year cycle, he keeps coming back. Kinky Friedman doesn’t know if he’s ready to jump back into Texas politics. But the cigar-chewing humorist and musician — known for the black attire and cowboy hats he normally … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Patrick and Williams keep squabbling

Posted on June 27, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Just as a reminder that Senate Republicans don’t need Democrats to stir up trouble, here’s a flare-up of an earlier kerfuffle. Fire one. In a recent interview with The Texas Tribune, my colleague, state Sen. Dan Patrick, chairman of the … Continue reading →

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

Smitherman says he’s in for Attorney General

Posted on June 27, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Whatever. Texas Railroad Commission Chairman Barry Smitherman is running for the 2014 Republican nomination for Attorney General, he confirmed to the Tribune. Public announcements via social media are planned for Monday. Smitherman told the Tribune he hopes to continue the … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Reed for AG?

Posted on May 16, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

This is one of the stranger “draft somebody” movements I’ve seen. A movement has been building among local Republicans over the past few months to encourage Susan Reed to run for state attorney general in 2014. Reed, the hard-nosed, four-term … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Reed for AG?

Weekend legislative threefer

Posted on April 27, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

That sound you heard on Friday was Rick Perry stamping his feet if he doesn’t get his way. Gov. Rick Perry is warning state legislators that it could be a long, hot summer in Austin if they don’t pass his … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Baby Bush ready to claim his birthright

Posted on January 16, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Perhaps we should just skip straight to the coronation once George P. Bush figures out what office he wants. George Prescott Bush is gearing up to run for a little-known but powerful office in a state where his family already … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Baby Bush ready to claim his birthright

Is there more redistricting for Texas in the cards?

Posted on December 11, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The short answer is it depends. For the most part, Republicans are content to keep the interim map used for the 2012 elections — if the courts allow it. “I don’t sense a lot of anxiousness from either the state … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Is there more redistricting for Texas in the cards?

Parties split on waiting for SCOTUS

Posted on December 2, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Texas Redistricting: Lawyers for the Justice Department and intervenors in the Texas voter ID case told the court yesterday that the court should put off consideration of Texas’ claim that section 5 of the Voting Rights Act is unconstitutional until … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Parties split on waiting for SCOTUS

DRT vs OAG: OAG wins

Posted on December 1, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Perhaps it’s more accurate to say that the Daughters of the Republic of Texas have conceded in the fight over how the Alamo has been maintained. In a news release Tuesday, the Daughters acknowledged recent troubles at the shrine and … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on DRT vs OAG: OAG wins

DRT vs OAG

Posted on November 23, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Nothing like a little holiday week controversy. A blistering report released Tuesday by the Texas attorney general’s office outlines a long list of problems and dysfunctions in the past management of the Alamo by the Daughters of the Republic of … Continue reading →

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

Patrick wants AG opinion domestic partner benefits

Posted on November 5, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Gotta keep an eye on those tricky gays and the people who want to treat them as equals. State Sen. Dan Patrick on Friday asked the Texas Attorney General’s Office to issue an opinion on whether government entities that provide … Continue reading →

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

AG shuts down bogus charity museum

Posted on September 3, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

It’s an extremely rare privilege to point out something of actual positive value done by our Attorney General. The doors will finally close on the Texas Highway Patrol Museum in San Antonio, a charity that raised millions of dollars under … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on AG shuts down bogus charity museum

Is the Amazon deal with the state legal?

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The Statesman raises a great question about the settlement deal between Amazon and the state of Texas that will get the online retailer to start collecting sales taxes in Texas while forgiving back taxes the state says it owes. But … Continue reading →

Posted in Bidness | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Is the Amazon deal with the state legal?

Bench slaps come in threes

Posted on May 11, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

In addition to the tongue lashing they got from the DC Court in the voter ID preclearance trial, the Greg Abbott gang took fire from judges in two other cases recently. Trail Blazers has the highlights. First, some incredulity from … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment