Tag Archives: petitions

First HERO repeal petition hearing today

Posted on January 9, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Have I mentioned that this is a really busy month for big ticket courtroom action? Conservative opponents suing the city over its equal rights ordinance are pushing, along with several City Council members, for the upcoming case to go before … Continue reading →

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Feldman resigns

Posted on December 21, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Mayor Parker loses a key member of her team going into her final year as Mayor. City Attorney David Feldman on Friday announced that he plans to resign next month, citing, among other reasons, that he could better defend the … Continue reading →

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Houston pastors to fight against the Plano equal rights ordinance

Posted on December 12, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Of course they will. When Houston passed its Equal Rights Ordinance earlier this year, the Texas Pastor Council came out strongly in opposition of the law. Now the Houston-based group is challenging the nondiscrimination ordinance for lesbian, gay, bisexual and … Continue reading →

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Parker orders withdrawal of pastor subpoenas

Posted on October 30, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

They got what they wanted. With local pastors standing with her, Mayor Annise Parker has told the City Legal Department to withdraw the subpoenas filed against five local pastors who have identified themselves as the leaders of the petition drive … Continue reading →

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Lies are worse than missteps

Posted on October 28, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

But you know what we’re going to hear more about. Conservative outrage over the Parker administration’s admittedly bungled subpoena of five pastors’ sermons last week marked just the latest episode in a messy political saga surrounding the city’s equal rights … Continue reading →

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City files amended petitions

Posted on October 18, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: As follow up to a promise made earlier in the week, the City of Houston has revised its subpoenas in the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO) repeal petition case. The disputed request has been narrowed to focus … Continue reading →

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Subpoenaing sermons

Posted on October 16, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Not sure about this. Houston’s embattled equal rights ordinance took another legal turn this week when it surfaced that city attorneys, in an unusual step, subpoenaed sermons given by local pastors who oppose the law and are tied to the … Continue reading →

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Petition forgery case (probably) resolved

Posted on September 7, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Hadn’t seen an update on this in awhile. An appeals court has ruled that forged signatures will keep a candidate off the November ballot, a decision the Pasadena justice of the peace hopeful said she will appeal, But unless Leonila … Continue reading →

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HERO repealers try their luck with the Supreme Court

Posted on August 28, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Because sure, why not? Opponents of Houston’s equal rights ordinance have asked the Texas Supreme Court to force the city secretary to certify the signatures on a petition they submitted seeking to trigger a repeal referendum on the law. Houston’s … Continue reading →

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HERO repeal petition lawsuit set for January

Posted on August 17, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

There will be no HERO repeal referendum on the ballot this year, but depending on how the trial (and likely appeal) goes, there could be one next year. Opponents of Houston’s equal rights ordinance dropped their request for a temporary … Continue reading →

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The case against tossing the HERO repeal petitions

Posted on August 14, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Jerad Najvar makes a constitutional argument that the city of Houston should have accepted the HERO repeal petitions even though many of the petition pages fell short of the requirements laid out in the city charter. While we lack clarity … Continue reading →

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HERO repeal hopefuls try another venue

Posted on August 13, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Whatever. Conservative opponents of Houston’s equal rights ordinance have asked an appeals court to force the city secretary to certify the signatures on their petitions to force a repeal referendum on the November ballot. Equal rights ordinance critics filed a … Continue reading →

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HERO repeal lawsuit moved to federal court

Posted on August 7, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

And the bad guys are very unhappy about it. Conservative activists seeking to repeal Houston’s equal rights ordinance accused the city of stalling the issue Wednesday after city lawyers moved the opponents’ lawsuit over rejected ballot petitions from state to … Continue reading →

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Remember Ray Jones

Posted on August 6, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

So now that the HERO-haters’ petitions have been rejected by the city for not having enough valid signatures after all of the petition pages that were not compliant with the requirements of the city charter were thrown out, the story … Continue reading →

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HERO repeal effort falls short

Posted on August 5, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Too bad, so sad (not really). Opponents of Houston’s new non-discrimination ordinance did not get enough valid signatures to force a November repeal referendum, Mayor Annise Parker and City Attorney David Feldman announced Monday. “With respect to the referendum petition … Continue reading →

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Decision on validity of HERO-repeal petitions coming today

Posted on August 4, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Get ready for the fireworks. City of Houston officials plan to announce Monday whether a petition submitted by opponents of the city’s new nondiscrimination ordinance contains enough valid signatures to force a vote on repealing the measure this November. Opponents … Continue reading →

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More on the Denton fracking referendum

Posted on July 29, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

I think everyone agrees the Denton anti-fracking referendum will wind up in court if it passes. It’s just a question of how wired the courts will be for the plaintiffs. Voters will decide whether the city will become the state’s … Continue reading →

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HERO repeal petitions announcement today

Posted on July 25, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Today’s the day we find out what happens. The city’s controversial HERO ordinance prohibits discrimination based on federally recognized groups such as race and age, but also extends those rights to sexual orientation and gender identity. Opponents of the ordinance … Continue reading →

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Fracking ban on the ballot in Denton

Posted on July 17, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

This has the potential to be even bigger than the HERO repeal referendum. Voters will decide whether this North Texas college town will become the state’s first city to ban hydraulic fracturing. After a public hearing Tuesday night that stretched … Continue reading →

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Believing in – and lying about – monsters

Posted on July 15, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

This Chron editorial about the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance and the frenzied, fanatical opposition to it gets right to the heart of the matter. On its face, there is nothing controversial in the NDO. One could even claim that it … Continue reading →

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One point of perspective on the repeal petitions

Posted on July 7, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the Chron story about the HERO-haters turning in their repeal petitions. Opponents of Houston’s new non-discrimination ordinance Thursday turned in well more than the minimum number of signatures needed to trigger a November vote on whether to repeal the … Continue reading →

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Get ready to defend the HERO

Posted on July 3, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Surrounded by members of the community who are impacted by the ordinance, Mayor Annise Parker announced today that the City will mount a vigorous effort to defend Houston’s Equal Rights Ordinance from being repealed. “The Houston I … Continue reading →

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Petition deadline coming

Posted on June 30, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Scott Braddock takes a look at the petition effort to repeal the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance, which must turn in its homework this week. Opponents led by longtime – and now former because he was recently ousted – Harris County … Continue reading →

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On bathrooms and menaces

Posted on June 6, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Nonsequiteuse has something to say. Steven Hotze, M.D., recently published these outright lies about the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance: Mayor Parker’s ordinance would include minority status for the so called “transgendered,” allowing a biological male to legally enter women’s public … Continue reading →

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Who stands with Jared?

Posted on June 4, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

I noted yesterday that soon-to-be-former Harris County GOP Chair Jared Woodfill is busy trying to gather petition signatures to repeal the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance. Here’s the beginning of his pitch: I want to thank all of you who stood … Continue reading →

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Yes, Greg Abbott opposes the HERO

Posted on June 3, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

He just doesn’t want to be forced to admit it. When the Houston City Council passed its nondiscrimination ordinance including gay and transgender protections, top Democratic statewide candidates such as Sen. Wendy Davis were quick to celebrate. “All people should … Continue reading →

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Wilson’s petitions

Posted on June 1, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Here, courteously sent to me by reader and regular commenter Mainstream, is a copy of Dave Wilson’s petition for a charter amendment to “prohibit men (who perceive or express themselves as women) from using the women’s restroom. The petition itself … Continue reading →

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Post HERO, watch for the petition drives

Posted on May 30, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the full Chron story about the passage of the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance. I’m going to skip ahead in the story and focus on what the haters are saying and planning to do. Opponent Dave Welch, of the Houston … Continue reading →

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Recall effort against Mayor Parker?

Posted on May 27, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

The haters huff and puff with their last breath. Opponents of Mayor Annise Parker’s proposed Houston equal rights ordinance have vowed to take the issue to voters in a referendum, but now they’re seriously discussing a sort of nuclear option … Continue reading →

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Uber’s “safe rides fee”

Posted on April 29, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

From Wonkblog on Friday: Uber is rolling out a $1 surcharge today on all rides offered through its less expensive car-for-hire service UberX. This isn’t the company’s black town car operation, but the down-market version that enables anyone with a spare … Continue reading →

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AG opines against Early To Rise

Posted on March 31, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

This kind of snuck in there. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott issued an opinion Monday saying a court would likely have found a petition effort last year to send a 1-cent property tax hike to voters to buoy local preschools … Continue reading →

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Indictments in petition forgery case

Posted on February 6, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Whoa. Four political campaign workers have been indicted by a Harris County Grand Jury in the wake of allegations of election fraud in a Harris County Justice of the Peace race, first reported by Local 2 News in January. The … Continue reading →

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Petition problems

Posted on January 25, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Every election cycle there are fights over who really did or didn’t qualify for the ballot. This one is shaping up to be a doozy. Three lawsuits over alleged ballot irregularities involving Harris County judicial candidates will be heard by … Continue reading →

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Medina keeps mulling

Posted on October 17, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

And I keep marveling at the very idea. Tea party Republican Debra Medina said Thursday that she is weighing a run for governor as an independent, potentially setting off a new dynamic with a three-way race. Such a decision is … Continue reading →

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