Tag Archives: Harris County

Bail reform settlement looks to be a go

Posted on February 4, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Excellent news. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Lee H. Rosenthal on Friday offered initial support for new bail rules proposed by Harris County, signaling the three-year lawsuit challenging the county’s cash bond system soon may reach its conclusion. The settlement … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 40 Comments

Orlando Sanchez files $1 million lawsuit against water-pourer

Posted on February 4, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Oh, good grief. The former Harris County treasurer has sued a man for $1 million after water was poured on his head during a news conference about HISD in December. Orlando Sanchez, who lost his re-election campaign in November, filed … Continue reading →

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Joint processing center opens

Posted on February 1, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

This was a long time coming, but it should be worth the wait. More than a decade after city voters approved a bond measure to fund it, Houston and Harris County opened a joint inmate processing center Thursday that officials … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

As the SOS advisory numbers get revised down

Posted on January 31, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

This really can’t be emphasized enough. State officials on Tuesday acknowledged widespread errors in their list of 95,000 Texas voters flagged as potential non-citizens, reinforcing the concerns of advocates who say the state’s effort amounts to illegal voter suppression. In … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Does the Astrodome redevelopment need air conditioning?

Posted on January 31, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I hadn’t thought about this, to be honest. As work continues on the initial stages of preparing the Astrodome for its new life as a parking and events venue, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo raised questions last week about the … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

A trio of updates about that bogus SOS letter

Posted on January 30, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Most counties reacted skeptically, as well they should. The Texas Tribune reached out to 13 of the 15 counties with the most registered voters on Monday; Galveston was the only one that indicated it would immediately send out letters, even … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

More road safety, please

Posted on January 28, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Seems like a good idea. Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez [last] Tuesday called on local law enforcement agencies to devote more resources to improving road safety and to create a new region-wide task force dedicated to reducing the Houston area’s … Continue reading →

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Bail lawsuit 2.0

Posted on January 24, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

This one will be tougher to tackle, but the principle remains the same. A hard-fought battle to reform Harris County’s bail system has prompted a second civil rights action. The legal team that successfully challenged the county’s bail practices for … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 45 Comments

Dick and Wolfe turn on each other

Posted on January 24, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Pass the popcorn. A trustee on the Harris County Department of Education board who lent money to a fellow trustee’s campaign for justice of the peace has lodged a complaint with the Texas Ethics Commission accusing him of failing to … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Will we address the unincorporated problem?

Posted on January 21, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron proposes an agenda item for the Lege. Unincorporated Harris County The challenges of unincorporated Harris County are nothing new. For decades neighborhoods have sprouted up in the vast prairie west of Houston without any formal municipal governmental structure. … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

We really are about to do away with the old cash bail system

Posted on January 18, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I have four things to say about this. The new slate of Democratic judges has approved a drastic revision to Harris County’s bail system that could serve as a model for a settlement in the historic lawsuit in which a … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Trying to make “pay for play” an issue

Posted on January 17, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Good luck. With more than nine months to go until Houston’s municipal elections, Mayor Sylvester Turner’s first two opponents turned their attention this week to limiting political donors’ influence at City Hall. Both challengers, millionaire lawyer and Texas A&M University … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2019 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

The 2019 elections

Posted on January 15, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

We haven’t forgotten that there are some big elections on tap for us this year, have we? Let’s go a quick rundown. May elections Election campaigns are already in progress in the cities that have May elections, which includes big … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2019 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Now we talk about vote centers

Posted on January 9, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Good. New Harris County Clerk Diane Trautman on Tuesday [proposed] to Commissioners Court a non-precinct based countywide polling system, where voters can cast ballots at the locations most convenient to them. “Life gets in the way; you’ve got to pick … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Appeal of bail injunction dropped

Posted on January 8, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Elections have consequences, and thank goodness for it. Less than a week after the new jurists were sworn into office, Harris County’s misdemeanor judges on Monday withdrew their appeal in the landmark lawsuit over local bail practices that a federal … Continue reading →

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

Lina Hidalgo officially sworn in

Posted on January 3, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

It’s Judge Hidalgo now, thank you very much. Ushering in a new era of Democratic rule, Lina Hidalgo took the oath of office as Harris County judge early Tuesday, becoming the first Latina and first woman to lead the nation’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018, Local politics | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

Precinct analysis: The county candidates

Posted on January 2, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s just dive right in and have a look at the countywide candidates, shall we? Dist Emmett Hidalgo Gatlin Under Emmett% Hidalgo% Gatlin% ============================================================== CD02 150,630 103,625 5,842 5,005 57.91% 39.84% 2.25% CD07 135,016 100,412 4,967 4,819 56.16% 41.77% 2.07% … Continue reading →

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Here come the new judges

Posted on December 30, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

They’re going to be fine. Seriously, everyone chill out. [Frank] Aguilar said some of his Democratic colleagues may not have a lot of judicial experience, but most have had long careers as lawyers and have the experience they need to … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

Better sidewalks needs to be everyone’s job

Posted on December 28, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

It’s the only way we’re going to make progress. Houstonians annoyed by cracked, missing or buckled sidewalks along their streets may be surprised to learn that city rules make residents responsible for fixing them. At the urging of council members … Continue reading →

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

The Harris County GOP has not hit bottom yet

Posted on December 27, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

I have four thing to say about this. Drubbed. Shellacked. Whooped. Walloped. Routed. However you want to describe November’s midterm election, it was disastrous for Harris County Republicans. They were swept from the remaining countywide posts they held — the other shoe … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 21 Comments

Metro moving forward on 2019 referendum

Posted on December 19, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

I’m ready for it. The Metropolitan Transit Authority is expected to ask voters next fall for more than $3 billion in borrowing authority to implement its next wave of transit projects. The 20-year plan laid out by Metro officials includes … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2019, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Precinct analysis: Beto in the city

Posted on December 17, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Last week I got an email from Christopher Busby, who is a regular commenter here. He had previously asked about doing an analysis of Beto O’Rourke’s performance in Houston by City Council district. I told him that the canvass data … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Of course we could have done more on flood mitigation before now

Posted on December 14, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

From the Chron: Harris County faces challenge, opportunity managing $2.5B flood bond program. I want to focus on this bit. Jim Blackburn, co-director of the Severe Storm Prediction, Education, and Evacuation from Disasters Center at Rice University, estimates the bond … Continue reading →

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Cagle and Garcia hire Morman and Shaw

Posted on December 12, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Fine by me. Jack Morman, who was defeated for re-election as Harris County Precinct 2 commissioner in November, will remain on the county’s payroll in January as an employee of Precinct 4 Commissioner Jack Cagle, a fellow Republican. Morman, who … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Precinct analysis: The two types of statewide candidates

Posted on December 11, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

When we look at the precinct data in Harris County, we can separate the statewide candidates into two groups. Here’s the first group: Dist Abbott Valdez Tipp Abbott% Valdez% Trump% Clinton% =============================================================== CD02 146,399 112,272 4,345 55.66% 43.40% 52.38% 43.05% … Continue reading →

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Emmett to teach at Rice

Posted on December 10, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Fitting. Outgoing Harris County judge Ed Emmett said Tuesday he will teach at Rice University, his alma mater, starting in January. Emmett made the impromptu announcement after a Rice University undergraduate spoke during the public comment portion of Commissioners Court, … Continue reading →

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

The potential for more

Posted on December 8, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Beto O’Rourke came very close to beating Ted Cruz. How much closer can Dems get in 2020? As newly updated election results showed U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz’s victory was even tighter than first realized, Democratic-led voter registration groups are saying … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

How Dems took Hays County

Posted on December 8, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Three cheers for Texas State University. As the dust settles after last week’s election, the political identity of Hays County hangs in the balance: Is it red or blue? The rapidly growing Central Texas suburban county — Texas’ 22nd-largest by … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Lina Hidalgo gets the national press treatment

Posted on December 7, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

You need to get past the first couple of paragraphs, but overall a decent piece. Even in defeat, Beto O’Rourke did a big favor to fellow Democrats all over Texas. A couple hundred thousand young people who might otherwise have … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Precinct analysis: One final look at judicial races and undervoting

Posted on December 6, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

This one is short and sweet, and really could have been the entry level way of looking at the question “who is more likely to lose voters down the ballot when straight ticket voting is gone, Dems or Republicans?” We … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Precinct analysis: Undervoting in judicial races

Posted on December 5, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Last time, we looked at undervoting by State Rep district in the two city propositions, which were at the very end of the 2018 ballot. That showed a somewhat greater likelihood of people in Democratic districts to skip those races, … Continue reading →

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

Use that mandate in Harris County

Posted on December 4, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Jay Aiyer pens an agenda for Harris County and its Democratic government. First and foremost, flood mitigation has to be at the top of any list. Harris County has taken good initial steps to improve flood control infrastructure, and the … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Precinct analysis: Undervotes in the city

Posted on December 3, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

We’ve previously discussed non-partisan initiatives at the end of the ballot and how often people have undervoted in them in the past. Now let’s take a closer look at the two ballot items from this year. Dist A Yes A … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Precinct analysis: Straight ticket voting by State Rep district

Posted on November 29, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

As advertised: Dist Str R Str D Str L Turnout Str R% Str D% Str L% Total ===================================================================== HD126 24,093 19,491 269 56,336 42.77% 34.60% 0.48% 77.84% HD127 34,178 19,157 312 69,198 49.39% 27.68% 0.45% 77.53% HD128 29,034 12,583 221 … Continue reading →

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