Tag Archives: Harris County

By the way, Commissioners Court updated the county’s nondiscrimination and anti-harassment policies

Posted on June 27, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Nice. The Commissioners Court voted 3-2 along party lines to [add sexual orientation and gender identity to the county’s nondiscrimination and anti-harassment policies]. County Judge Lina Hidalgo, along with Commissioners Rodney Ellis and Adrian Garcia — all Democrats — voted … Continue reading →

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Some county race updates

Posted on June 26, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

2020 is going to be a very different election year in Harris County, because for the first time in anyone’s memory all of the non-HCDE countywide offices are held by Democrats. If you’re a Democrat in Harris County and you … Continue reading →

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David Temple re-trial starts

Posted on June 26, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

The beginning of the next chapter in a long story. For the second time in 12 years, a former Katy-area football coach is standing trial in the murder of his pregnant wife, seeking exoneration after prosecutorial misconduct caused his first … Continue reading →

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Scouting the opposition in CD07

Posted on June 17, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Not impressed so far. Facing a roomful of conservative voters at a meet-and-greet earlier this month, Republican Wesley Hunt laid out the stakes for his party’s primary in Texas’ 7th Congressional District. “This is about putting the best candidate forward … Continue reading →

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Joint primaries

Posted on June 14, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Another potential change to how we vote is in the works. Harris County primary voters could see a big change at the polls in 2020 if local party leaders agree on a new proposal. Under the current system, voters go … Continue reading →

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On prosecutor caseloads

Posted on June 12, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I’m still thinking about this. When a line of prosecutors stepped up to the microphone at Harris County Commissioners Court in February, they told tales of long hours, endless to-do lists and bloated caseloads well into the triple digits. Their … Continue reading →

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We still have a lot of broken flood mitigation infrastructure

Posted on June 6, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Did I mention that hurricane season is underway? As the Atlantic hurricane season arrives Saturday, Harris County leaders say the region remains extremely vulnerable to major storms two years after Hurricane Harvey’s unprecedented rains swamped the Houston area, forcing leaders … Continue reading →

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Moving ahead with voting centers

Posted on June 6, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

The first time was a success, so we’re going to keep using them. Harris County Commissioners Court on Tuesday voted unanimously to apply for state approval to expand the use of countywide polling places to general elections. County Clerk Diane … Continue reading →

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New fronts in the war on mosquitoes

Posted on June 2, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Science marches on. In the center of Anita Schiller’s dragonfly-ring-clad hand, a dragonfly nymph is scooting around. The dedicated naturalist and entomologist is explaining how the insect (which is a water-dwelling dragonfly with gills before it grows wings) expels water … Continue reading →

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Fee collecting time

Posted on May 30, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Worthwhile effort, but keep expectations modest. Harris County has an $80 million backlog of uncollected civil court fees dating back to the 1980s, new District Clerk Marilyn Burgess said, prompting her office to launch an aggressive collection effort. Burgess said … Continue reading →

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Another big flood would be bad

Posted on May 29, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Breaking news, but this is worth paying attention to. Housing sales would drop, gasoline prices would increase and Texas would lose hundreds of billions of dollars in economic output if a major storm struck an unprotected coastline, according to a … Continue reading →

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Orlando Sanchez’s water-pourer lawsuit dismissed

Posted on May 29, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Hey, remember when former Treasurer Orlando Sanchez filed a million dollar lawsuit against the doofus who poured a glass of water over his head at the press conference where Sanchez was begging the state to take over HISD? Well, the … Continue reading →

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Our measles risk

Posted on May 26, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Do I spend too much time worrying about stuff like this, or do I not spend enough time on it? Harris County is one of the nation’s most vulnerable counties to a measles outbreak, according to a new study based … Continue reading →

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Kinder Houston Area Survey 2019

Posted on May 22, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

It’s one of the best things about Houston, year after year. As Houston recovered from last week’s punishing rains, Rice University researchers reported Monday that public concern about flooding has diminished, while residents are ambivalent about certain policies aimed at … Continue reading →

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Lineup shuffling at the DA’s office

Posted on May 18, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

This was a surprise. Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg’s top lieutenant is out the door after the latest staffing shake-up at an office already plagued by high turnover and ongoing retention problems. Tom Berg, a former defense attorney who … Continue reading →

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House passes a bail reform bill

Posted on May 10, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

For what it’s worth. The Texas House gave an initial stamp of approval Thursday to a bill that addresses bail practices, which courts recently deemed unconstitutional in the state’s two most populous counties for discriminating against poor criminal defendants who … Continue reading →

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First test drive of Harris County voting centers

Posted on May 8, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Overall I thought things went well for the Saturday election – final results were all in by 9 PM or so – but Campos observed a few issues. Commentary is all for the voting centers on Election Day. If my … Continue reading →

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Another view of pollution enforcement

Posted on May 4, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

The state has its role, but it’s not all on them. Almost two months before a massive chemical fire erupted in Deer Park, sending a dark plume of smoke over much of Harris County, Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia asked … Continue reading →

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Today is May Election Day

Posted on May 4, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Harris County Kicks Off First Election With Countywide Polling Place Program Houston, TX– Saturday, May 4, 2019, is Election Day for approximately 708,000 eligible voters in Harris County.  This election is the first since being approved for a … Continue reading →

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McLeod wants back on the bench

Posted on May 3, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

That’s fine. He’s got ten months to make his case to Democratic primary voters. The Harris County Civil Court At Law judge who inadvertently resigned his post in March, and unsuccessfully lobbied Commissioners Court to allow him to remain on … Continue reading →

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County brings charges related to ITC fire

Posted on May 2, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Bring it on. Responding to what it called “criminal levels” of contamination, the Harris County District Attorney’s office said Monday that it has charged Intercontinental Terminals Company with five misdemeanor counts of water pollution arising from a March plant fire … Continue reading →

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Prosecuting polluters

Posted on May 1, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

It really shouldn’t have to come to this, but here we are. The Harris County District Attorney’s office is calling for a tripling of the number of prosecutors dedicated to environmental crimes in the wake of a series of chemical … Continue reading →

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Meet the new marriage license

Posted on April 28, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Time for a change. A sketched portrait of a bride and groom has been nixed from Harris County-issued marriage licenses to make the records more inclusive to “all unions, backgrounds and faiths,” according to clerk officials. The ornate image of … Continue reading →

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Missing In Harris County Day

Posted on April 26, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I had no idea this was a thing. Last year, 40,175 children were reported missing in Texas (over 9,600 of these from the Greater Houston area). And while many of these cases ended up solved, as of December 31, 8,360 … Continue reading →

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Early voting for the May elections has begun

Posted on April 23, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Early Voting for the May 4, 2019 Joint Election starts Monday, April 22 and ends on Tuesday, April 30. During that period, Harris County voters may vote at any of the 25 Early Voting locations designated throughout … Continue reading →

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Ogg hires Bradford

Posted on April 22, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

A familiar face for the DA’s office. Former Houston City Councilmember and Police Chief C.O. “Brad” Bradford has joined the Harris County District Attorney’s Office as a senior adviser. District Attorney Kim Ogg has hired Bradford to serve in a … Continue reading →

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We’re still figuring out how to do development in a floodplain

Posted on April 21, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: The Greater Houston Flood Mitigation Consortium has released dual research reports that examine current standards in the area’s drainage, detention, and development regulations. The reports also include findings that encourage implementation of new and updated flood management infrastructure approaches … Continue reading →

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Wolfe censured by HCDE

Posted on April 19, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

A new episode of the Michael Wolfe reality show. Harris County Department of Education’s board voted to censure Trustee Michael Wolfe over sexual harassment allegations hours after a state district judge denied his request for a temporary restraining order. Trustees … Continue reading →

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We’re gonna need a bigger meeting room

Posted on April 16, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Seems reasonable. With a newfound public interest in Harris County Commissioners Court meetings, which at times have been so crowded that would-be attendees have been turned away, court members plan to build a larger chamber. Commissioners Court [asked] County Engineer … Continue reading →

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Using Beto 2018 to project Beto 2020

Posted on April 15, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

The NYT recently took a deep dive into the 2018 election data from Texas, and came out seeing a real swing state, partly because of Beto and partly for other reasons. Mr. O’Rourke’s close result wasn’t because of an exceptional … Continue reading →

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Bail lawsuit settlement outline taking shape

Posted on April 15, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

We should have a final version in a couple of weeks. A proposed settlement in the landmark Harris County bail lawsuit would significantly change how the county treats poor defendants in misdemeanor cases by providing free social and transportation services … Continue reading →

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Was the McLeod replacement too hasty?

Posted on April 12, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Eh, I dunno. Republican members of Harris County Commissioners Court criticized their Democratic colleagues for quickly approving a new civil court judge at Tuesday’s meeting who had not been vetted by the full body. The three Democrats voted to appoint … Continue reading →

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Commissioners Court replaces Judge McLeod

Posted on April 11, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Unfortunate, but understandable. A divided Harris County Commissioners Court declined to give County Court At Law Judge Bill McLeod a reprieve Tuesday after he inadvertently resigned last week, opting instead to appoint a replacement. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said … Continue reading →

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Using floodplain rules to force environmental safety compliance

Posted on April 10, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

A county’s gotta do what a county’s gotta do. Harris County officials are using flood control regulations passed after Hurricane Harvey to delay the reopening of two chemical companies where fires erupted in recent weeks, killing one worker and sending … Continue reading →

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