Tag Archives: Dallas County

The case for voting in person

Posted on September 15, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

From Wired, an argument for worrying less about voting by mail because voting in person is still a fine way to do it. Casting a ballot in person, it turns out, isn’t so dangerous after all. Early in the pandemic, … Continue reading →

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COVID executive order lawsuit update

Posted on August 24, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Hard to keep track of all these, I know. The state of Texas and Gov. Greg Abbott have denied a Dallas salon owner’s allegations that COVID-19 emergency orders suspending state laws are unconstitutional. Abbott and the state specifically denied allegations … Continue reading →

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Despite it all, voter registration keeps increasing

Posted on August 17, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

You love to see it. Not even the worst pandemic to hit Texas in a century was enough to stem the surge in voter registrations that has remade the state’s electorate over the past four years. Just since March, Texas … Continue reading →

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An analysis of that Paxton opinion about schools and county health authorities

Posted on August 4, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Short version: That’s just, like, his opinion, man. The law should mean what it says. Rule §97.6(h) of the Texas Administrative Code says: “The health authority is empowered to close any public or private child-care facility, school or other place … Continue reading →

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Abbott finally speaks about schools

Posted on August 1, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Of course, he mostly says weasel words. Gov. Greg Abbott clarified Friday that Texas schools will be required to provide in-person instruction this fall, but that some districts may be eligible for extended waivers on a “case-by-case basis.” In a … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The school situation remains a big ol’ mess

Posted on July 30, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

You can blame Greg Abbott for all this confusion. After weeks of confusion and conflicting signals, Texas has settled into policies that effectively compel schools to reopen their classrooms this fall no later than eight weeks after the academic year … Continue reading →

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Paxton overrides county health orders on schools

Posted on July 29, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

So much concern for the children here. Local health officials do not have the authority to shut down all schools in their vicinity while COVID-19 cases rise, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in nonbinding guidance Tuesday that contradicts what … Continue reading →

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Harris County issues school closure order

Posted on July 26, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

This was expected. Harris County and Houston health authorities on Friday ordered all public and non-religious private schools to delay opening for in-person instruction until at least Sept. 8 — a date likely to be extended unless the region sees … Continue reading →

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TEA updates its school-opening guidance

Posted on July 19, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

They heard the outcry. Facing growing backlash from teachers, parents and health officials, Texas education officials Friday relaxed a previous order that would have given public schools just three weeks from the start of the fall semester to reopen their … Continue reading →

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How can you vote if you currently have coronavirus?

Posted on July 11, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

There is one way, if it is approved. Thousands of Harris County voters who recently have tested positive for coronavirus and now are quarantined should be allowed to vote online in the primary runoff election, County Attorney Vince Ryan argued … Continue reading →

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Hey, how about trying that local control thing again?

Posted on June 30, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Seems like it might be worth a shot to led Mayors and County Judges lead on coronavirus response again, since they’ve done so much better a job of leading than Greg Abbott has. As Texas grapples with soaring coronavirus cases … Continue reading →

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Hidalgo issues new mask order

Posted on June 20, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Greg Abbott said we could, so there. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo issued an order Friday mandating that businesses require customers to wear masks, her latest effort to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. She and other county leaders … Continue reading →

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Masks up

Posted on June 19, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

We solved Greg Abbott’s riddle, so all is well now, right? With Gov. Greg Abbott’s apparent blessing, Bexar and Hidalgo counties have imposed a new mask rule for local businesses, saying they must require employees and customers to wear masks … Continue reading →

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The COVID models remain pessimistic about Texas

Posted on May 27, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Make of this what you will. The coronavirus may still be spreading at epidemic rates in 24 states, particularly in the South and Midwest, according to new research that highlights the risk of a second wave of infections in places … Continue reading →

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Criminal complaint filed against AG Ken Paxton

Posted on May 12, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I should say “another criminal complaint”, this one over his bullying tactics about vote by mail. Two voting rights advocates have filed a complaint with the Dallas County district attorney, alleging Attorney General Ken Paxton committed voter fraud in each … Continue reading →

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The Hair Affair

Posted on May 9, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I have a hard time wrapping my mind around this story, so to save myself a little brain power I’m going to outsource it. Lisa Falkenberg: Let’s be clear about something: Shelley Luther, the Dallas-area salon owner-turned-folk hero, wound up … Continue reading →

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What if it were Ed?

Posted on May 7, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

The question to ask yourself in reading this story about Republicans bitching and moaning about Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo is “How different would things actually be if Ed Emmett were still County Judge?” By the time Harris County Judge … Continue reading →

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Reopening roundup redux

Posted on April 30, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

More news about that thing that Greg Abbott is making us do. Health experts give Abbott’s plan to reopen Texas mixed reviews, warn state should revive stay-at-home order if surge emerges: Diana Cervantes, director of the epidemiology program at the … Continue reading →

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Driving may be down, but traffic fatalities are not down as much

Posted on April 27, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a bit of a conundrum. COVID-19 can keep millions of Texans at home and cut vehicle travel roughly in half in many cities, but cannot keep hundreds from dying on state roads — continuing a stubborn trend of carnage … Continue reading →

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Here come the shelter-in-place orders

Posted on March 24, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

The shutdowns are getting shut-down-ier. Many of Texas’ biggest cities and counties are ordering residents to shelter in place whenever possible. San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff on Monday evening ordered residents to stay in … Continue reading →

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The state of the state’s response

Posted on March 23, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I mean, it’s something. Gov. Greg Abbott took multiple measures Sunday designed to expand hospital staffing and capacity in Texas, but declined to issue a statewide shelter-in-place order — even as calls for such an action increased as the new … Continue reading →

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Primary precinct analysis: Who did what in the RRC race

Posted on March 19, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

The Railroad Commissioner primary was a bit like the Senate primary – multiple candidates (though not nearly as many), not a whole lot of money, but the candidate who did best in fundraising was also the leading votegetter. Here’s a … Continue reading →

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Primary precinct analysis: Everyone did something in the Senate primary

Posted on March 16, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

So while we wait for actual precinct data from the primary, I thought I’d take a look at some county-level data from the non-Presidential races, as they have the county-by-county breakdown on the SOS election night pages. The US Senate … Continue reading →

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Dallas County recount completed

Posted on March 12, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

No effect, as expected. A Dallas County recount turned up 9,149 ballots that were missed on Super Tuesday, but the new votes did not affect the outcome of any race. Through the recount — which was prompted by vote discrepancies … Continue reading →

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Let’s talk turnout

Posted on March 11, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Just a few random bits and pieces about turnout from the primaries. On the one hand, I think it’s great that Dems got the turnout that we did, in Harris County and around the state. On the other hand, I … Continue reading →

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Dallas County recount to go forward

Posted on March 11, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s see what we get. A week out from Super Tuesday, a recount is moving forward in Dallas County. State district Judge Emily Tobowlowsky on Tuesday approved the county’s request to redo the tally of votes cast in the March … Continue reading →

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Dallas County needs a recount

Posted on March 9, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Hoo boy. Dallas County Elections Administrator Toni Pippins-Poole discovered her office did not count about 10% of the ballots that voters cast on Super Tuesday. She is now asking a court to let her conduct a manual recount of the … Continue reading →

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Primary early voting: Comparing 2020 to 2016

Posted on March 2, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron looks into the early voting numbers around the state. Experts cautioned that early voting data should be taken with a grain of salt — for one because the subset of people who vote early aren’t necessarily representative of … Continue reading →

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After-deadline filing review: The Lege

Posted on December 20, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Now we come to the State House, which is where most of the action will be in 2020. In 2018, much of the energy and focus was on Congressional races, to the point where some hand-wringing articles were written about … Continue reading →

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Judge officially approves final Harris County bail settlement

Posted on November 23, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

It’s officially finally final and official. A federal judge has signed off on a historic bail reform agreement for Harris County, setting in place new protections for people accused of minor offenses in the country’s third largest criminal justice system. … Continue reading →

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The need for voter registration never ends

Posted on October 14, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

A small step back, but I expect a big step forward next year. Democrats in Texas see registering new voters as crucial to winning statewide elections in 2020, but the number of registered voters in Harris County, the state’s largest, … Continue reading →

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Voting centers everywhere

Posted on September 15, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

In Dallas: Starting in November, problems like Mr. Voter’s, at least in Dallas County, will be a thing of the past. Tuesday afternoon, the Texas Secretary of State’s Office officially gave the county permission to participate in the countywide voting … Continue reading →

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Our all-important metro areas

Posted on August 27, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Another look at the trouble Republicans face in Texas now. The key to Texas’ political future is whether it finally follows the geographic realignment that has transformed the politics of many other states over the past quarter century. Across the … Continue reading →

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The Harris County bail lawsuit effect on Dallas County

Posted on August 9, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

The Trib looks to see if the recent Harris County bail lawsuit settlement might affect the bail lawsuit in Dallas County. “Anytime one county settles, it could possibly provide a roadmap for another county, but I can’t say that it … Continue reading →

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