Tag Archives: Harris County

The status of the mask mandate lawsuits

Posted on August 23, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron does a roundup. Texas courtrooms have become a busy place this August, with Attorney General Ken Paxton battling school districts, cities, counties and nonprofits to defend Gov. Greg Abbott’s ban on local mask mandates aimed at preventing the … Continue reading →

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The mask rebellion

Posted on August 22, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Sweet, sweet music to the ears. The local mask rebellion, coupled with the fresh threat of legal action from President Joe Biden’s administration, poses the most serious challenge yet to [Gov. Greg] Abbott’s emergency powers, which he has wielded in … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

A few words from the CEO of the Medical Center

Posted on August 21, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

From an interview he did with Lisa Gray. What we’re seeing, sadly, is more of the same, only with more intense numbers. The number of people who are testing positive in our community continues to escalate month over month. The … Continue reading →

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SCOTx demurs

Posted on August 20, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Very interesting: . Important context here > — Jasper Scherer (@jaspscherer) 6:55 PM – 19 August 2021 . The Texas Supreme Court has left in place a Travis County judge’s TRO (that blocked @GovAbbott’s ban on mask mandates in Austin), … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Using the dress code to skirt the ban on mask mandates

Posted on August 19, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Brilliant! The Paris school district found a loophole in Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order preventing mask mandates across the state. Paris ISD’s board of trustees voted to alter the district’s dress code to include masks, according to its website. The school district, which is located … Continue reading →

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SCOTx confirms quorum-busting Dems can be arrested

Posted on August 18, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I thought this had been settled already, but I guess not. Texas House Democrats who refuse to show up to the state Capitol in their bid to prevent Republican lawmakers from passing a voting restrictions bill can be arrested and … Continue reading →

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SCOTx does what SCOTx does

Posted on August 16, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Room service, as always. The Texas Supreme Court on Sunday temporarily blocked mask mandates in Dallas and Bexar counties, marking a pivotal moment in the showdown between state and local government as coronavirus cases and hospitalizations surge in Texas. The … Continue reading →

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And it’s off to SCOTx for the mandate stuff

Posted on August 15, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

It’s where it was always headed. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is taking the mask mandate battle to the state Supreme Court after the state was defeated in its attempts to overturn such mandates in San Antonio and other municipalities. … Continue reading →

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Harris County gets its restraining order against Abbott

Posted on August 14, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Step one. A judge in Travis County on Friday granted Harris County a temporary restraining order, blocking Gov. Greg Abbott’s ban on local COVID-19 restrictions. The decision by Judge Jan Soifer of the 345th Civil District Court provides legal cover … Continue reading →

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Census data is out

Posted on August 14, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Get ready, there’s about to be a whole lot more legislative activity. Setting the stage for what is expected to be a bruising battle over political representation, the results of the 2020 census released Thursday showed that Texas’ explosive growth … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Harris County sues Abbott and issues a mask mandate

Posted on August 13, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Quite the busy day yesterday. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo on Thursday issued a mandatory mask order for Harris County schools and daycares, joining the chorus of elected officials in the Texas’ larges cities in defying Gov. Greg Abbott’s order … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters, Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 20 Comments

Judges in Harris County implement mask mandate

Posted on August 11, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

It’s what all the responsible public officials are doing. State judges in Harris County voted unanimously Tuesday to implement a mask mandate in courthouses that will supersede Gov. Greg Abbott’s ban on such mandates, according to three judges who participated … Continue reading →

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Overflow COVID tents

Posted on August 11, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

This is fine. Harris Health System’s intensive care units are nearly full as the delta variant sends more COVID-19 patients into hospitals, prompting the safety-net health system for the county’s indigent communities to construct tents for triaging patients. As of Monday afternoon, Lyndon … Continue reading →

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

Sheriff Gonzalez approved by Senate committee

Posted on August 8, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

We are one step closer to needing a new Sheriff. The Senate Homeland Security Committee on Wednesday advanced the nominations of two Texans tapped by President Joe Biden to lead Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Census Bureau. While San … Continue reading →

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HISD to consider mask mandate

Posted on August 7, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

This would be a big deal, for all the obvious reasons. Houston ISD Superintendent Millard House II said Thursday he plans to bring a mask mandate for ratification to the district’s board meeting next week, setting the stage for the … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Back to Code Red

Posted on August 6, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Pretty much inevitable at this point. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo on Thursday returned the county to the highest COVID-19 threat level and urged unvaccinated residents to stay home and avoid unnecessary contact with others. At a news conference, Hidalgo … Continue reading →

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Mayor Turner tells city employees to mask up

Posted on August 4, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll see how it goes. Mayor Sylvester Turner told city employees Monday that they again must wear masks when they are at work and unable to socially distance, a requirement that could run afoul of Gov. Greg Abbott’s latest executive … Continue reading →

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More on the Memorial Hermann and Baylor vaccination mandates

Posted on August 3, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Memorial Hermann: Get your shots or get out. Memorial Hermann on Monday said it will require all employees to be vaccinated by Oct. 9, becoming the third Houston healthcare institution to do so. The hospital system follows Baylor College of … Continue reading →

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More hospital systems to require vaccines

Posted on August 2, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

About time. Memorial Hermann officials are finalizing details on its mandatory vaccine policy for employees. During a radio interview Wednesday, Dr. David L. Callender, president and CEO, said the system will soon announce the timeline for its employees to become … Continue reading →

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Will TxDOT pull funding from the I-45 project?

Posted on August 1, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

It could happen. Supporters of state plans to rebuild Interstate 45 from downtown Houston northward trekked to Austin on Thursday to keep the imperiled project on pace, fearing the region could be stuck with an aging freeway and no sign … Continue reading →

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Greg Abbott will blame you if you get sick

Posted on July 30, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

He will take no responsibility at all. With COVID-19 hospitalizations soaring past 5,000 statewide for the first time in nearly five months, state officials are stepping up vaccination outreach programs and promotional campaigns but Gov. Greg Abbott insists that the … Continue reading →

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

On the reaction by some people to the new mask recommendations

Posted on July 29, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I have one thing to say to this. Texas Republicans in Congress are fuming over new mask requirements on Capitol Hill and recommendations from the CDC that even vaccinated Americans begin masking again as an extra precaution in parts of … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

July 2021 campaign finance reports: Harris County

Posted on July 28, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

PREVIOUSLY: Congress There will be plenty of crucial races in Harris County in 2022. Because of the Democratic sweep in 2018, all of the countywide offices are held by Dems, meaning this is the first non-Presidential year in which Democrats … Continue reading →

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The I-45 survey

Posted on July 28, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Who thought this was a good idea? The fate of the massive $9 billion project may depend on how many people who agree with Smith or agree with Davies fill out an online poll — after 15 years of planning, … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Still surging

Posted on July 27, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Hospitalizations. The number of lab-confirmed COVID hospitalizations in Texas broke 4,000 on Friday for the first time since March, a worrying sign of the pandemic’s quick resurgence since the Delta variant was discovered in the state. […] As of Saturday, … Continue reading →

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The case against moving the Paxton trial back to Collin County just got more interesting

Posted on July 26, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

All right, settle in for a minute, this is going to take a bit of explaining, and there’s no accompanying published news story that I know of. Way back in March of 2017, visiting District Court Judge George Gallagher (from … Continue reading →

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The fourth wave

Posted on July 23, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

We’re not ready. One local hospital is reinstating visitor limits and Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo is mulling a change to the county’s threat level amid a wave of COVID-19 variant cases that medical leaders warned Tuesday could overwhelm area … Continue reading →

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County Court judge Barnstone resigns

Posted on July 21, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Ugh. A Harris County civil court judge has resigned amid several allegations of judicial misconduct, including showing bias or prejudice toward litigants and attorneys on the basis of race, sex or socioeconomic status, according to the State Commission on Judicial … Continue reading →

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GLO defends P Bush in Congressional hearing

Posted on July 18, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Dude couldn’t be bothered to show up himself, so he had someone else there to defend him. Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush did not play a role in the process that left Houston and Harris County without any federal … Continue reading →

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What will Harris County do about rising case numbers?

Posted on July 18, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I’m afraid we’ll find out soon enough. The Harris Health System’s COVID-19 ward was down to just one patient at the beginning of July. Anxious to hit zero COVID-19 patients, Dr. Esmaeil Porsa, the hospital system’s CEO, purchased and stored … Continue reading →

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Astros again seek to dismiss Bolsinger lawsuit

Posted on July 16, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

They will probably succeed. The Astros have submitted their proposal for a Harris County judge to dismiss former Toronto Blue Jays reliever Mike Bolsinger’s lawsuit against the team. Bolsinger has alleged trade misappropriation and sought more than $1 million in … Continue reading →

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Sheriff Gonzalez gets a confirmation hearing date

Posted on July 11, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Mark your calendars. The Senate Homeland Security Committee will hold a hearing on Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez’s nomination to lead U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on July 15, the committee announced Wednesday. President Joe Biden nominated Gonzalez to lead … Continue reading →

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FBI looking into Constable “bachelor party sting” mess

Posted on July 10, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Never a good sign. Federal investigators are probing the Harris County Precinct 1 Constable’s Office after several current and former female employees accused superiors of sexually exploiting them during undercover anti-human trafficking operations, a lawyer for the women confirmed Thursday. … Continue reading →

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Testify, George P!

Posted on July 9, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I’m ready for this. A congressional panel is set to review the Texas General Land Office’s denial of federal flood mitigation funding to Houston and Harris County, the latest in an ongoing spat over more than $1 billion in aid … Continue reading →

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