Tag Archives: Dan Patrick

The Big Lie

Posted on April 26, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I was glad to see the Chron run a week-long series of editorials on The Big Lie of “voter fraud”, and how the Republican Party has been pushing it for a lot longer than 2020, and how it has been … Continue reading →

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Another anti-trans bill advances

Posted on April 21, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

This just makes me angry. Transgender Texas children, their parents, medical groups and businesses have vocally opposed many of the bills lawmakers are pursuing. Equality Texas CEO Ricardo Martinez said Texas has filed more anti-LGBTQ bills this session than any other state legislature. … Continue reading →

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More interesting questions from that Matthew McConaughey poll

Posted on April 20, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s try this again. By 58% to 26%, Texans oppose a bill the House approved — and sent to the Senate Friday — that would allow people to carry handguns without a permit. Last month, opposition was greater — 64% … Continue reading →

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The Senate is an obstacle to permitless carry

Posted on April 20, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

A small bit of hope. Don’t rely on it too heavily. While a bill to allow most people to carry a handgun without a license sailed through the Texas House, it now faces a Texas Senate where the leader, Lt. … Continue reading →

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The Texas/Georgia comparison

Posted on April 17, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

The main thrust of this story is that the Texas voter suppression bills are not as bad as the law Georgia passed. But as you can see, these laws are still Very Bad. After major corporations criticized Georgia for adopting … Continue reading →

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The propagandist’s advantage

Posted on April 14, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Discouraging, but we have to address the world as it is. Democratic state Sen. Royce West of Dallas was making a point. The number of prosecutions for voter fraud cases in the state of Texas is low. In its 15 … Continue reading →

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House committee passes its voter suppression bill

Posted on April 9, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I remain pessimistic about this, but we have no choice but to fight. A Texas House committee on Thursday advanced an elections bill that would make it a state jail felony for local election officials to distribute an application to … Continue reading →

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Mike Collier gearing up again

Posted on April 7, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I was hoping he’d be back. Mike Collier, the 2018 Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor who lost to Dan Patrick by 5 percentage points, is gearing up for another run. Collier is launching an exploratory committee to challenge Patrick again … Continue reading →

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More local pushback against SB7 and HB6

Posted on April 7, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Mayor Sylvester Turner invited a diverse group of elected officials, community leaders, and business executives to stand in solidarity against voter suppression bills in the Texas Legislature. More than 50 individuals and organizations have vowed to fight … Continue reading →

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First major vote suppression bill passes

Posted on April 2, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Nothing’s going to stop them. Senate Republicans on Thursday cleared the way for new, sweeping restrictions to voting in Texas that take particular aim at forbidding local efforts meant to widen access. In an overnight vote after more than seven … Continue reading →

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Assault on abortion advances in Senate

Posted on March 31, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I have four things to say about this. The Texas Senate gave initial approval Monday to a half-dozen bills that would restrict access to abortion, including a priority measure that could ban abortions before many women know they are pregnant. … Continue reading →

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Have you been pining for another Hotze/Woodfill lawsuit?

Posted on March 24, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Well, then today is your lucky day. Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller and conservative activist Dr. Steven Hotze, a prolific litigant, are suing Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick for requiring COVID-19 tests for entry into the Texas Senate gallery and committee … Continue reading →

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Mayor Whitmire 2.0?

Posted on March 22, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Buried in this story about the recent departure of HPD Chief Art Acevedo for Miami is the following tidbit: Houston insiders knew that the 56-year-old Acevedo had been considering a mayoral run once Sylvester Turner reached his term limit in … Continue reading →

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The next frontiers in anti-abortion law

Posted on March 21, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Why not attack the legal system while you’re at it? Texas lawmakers — pushing to drastically restrict abortion access — have included language in a priority bill meant to make it harder to block the law from taking effect and … Continue reading →

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We have a poll that says people oppose more voting restrictions

Posted on March 20, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

A good sign, just remember our mantra about polls. As state Republicans push to restrict voting, a new poll shows a majority of Texans want more time to vote early and do not approve of threatening voters or those who … Continue reading →

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Winter storm death count at 57

Posted on March 18, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

This is likely to rise as we get better data. At least 57 people died in Texas as a result of last month’s winter storm, according to preliminary data the state health department released Monday. The largest number of deaths … Continue reading →

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Abbott vs Patrick on power outage blame game

Posted on March 16, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

This ought to be interesting. The blame game over the state’s faulty electrical grid is creating a rare public rift between the two top Republicans in state government that could have a major financial impact on some utility companies and … Continue reading →

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Is there really a primary threat to Abbott?

Posted on March 13, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe, but it’s not a serious one. As Gov. Greg Abbott races to reopen all businesses and end mask mandates this week, it hasn’t been fast enough to defuse escalating political pressure from fellow Republicans who see Texas lagging behind … Continue reading →

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Bills to allow casinos filed

Posted on March 11, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Don’t bet on them, that’s my advice. Two Texas lawmakers on Tuesday filed legislation backed by the gaming empire Las Vegas Sands that would legalize casino gambling in Texas. The legislation was filed by Rep. John Kuempel, R-Seguin, in the … Continue reading →

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Again with defining the Governor’s powers in an emergency

Posted on March 7, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

The legislative process has begun, and I feel like we’ve already lost the plot. For roughly the past year, Republicans and Democrats have picked apart the state’s response to the coronavirus pandemic — and particularly how Gov. Greg Abbott has … Continue reading →

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PUC Chair resigns

Posted on March 2, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

The body count increases. The chairwoman of the Public Utility Commission of Texas, the agency that regulates the state’s electric, telecommunication, and water and sewer utilities, resigned Monday, according to a resignation letter provided to the Texas Tribune. The Gov. … Continue reading →

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Paxton sues Griddy

Posted on March 2, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Bandwagon time. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit Monday against electricity retailer Griddy, claiming it misled customers using deceptive business practices after some customers reported bills costing tens of thousands of dollars. These charges were incurred during Texas’ … Continue reading →

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Why is Greg Abbott doing so little to help Texas recover from the freeze?

Posted on March 1, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

If this Politico story doesn’t make you mad, then either you’re a Greg Abbott shill or you really need to check your priors. Assessing the effectiveness of disaster response is a famously fraught political game. What looks like a master … Continue reading →

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Biden starts with decent approval numbers in Texas

Posted on February 27, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Keep it up. President Joe Biden, who today is making his first visit to Texas since his January inauguration, starts his term with about the same numbers of voters giving him good and bad marks for job performance, according to … Continue reading →

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Dan Patrick’s priorities

Posted on February 26, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

They haven’t changed. He might have had to shoehorn in a thing or two because he’s not stupid and he knows he had a close call in 2018, but the essence of Dan Patrick is eternal. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick … Continue reading →

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We need more focus on the Public Utility Commission

Posted on February 25, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s start with this tweet: . Just to repeat again. ERCOT is not a state regulator. It is a group overseen by the Public Utility Commission, a group that has so far escaped much of the scrutiny focused on ERCOT. … Continue reading →

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President Biden will visit Houston on Friday

Posted on February 24, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Here he comes. President Joe Biden plans to come to Texas on Friday in the wake of extensive winter storm damage in the state. The president and First Lady Jill Biden will travel to Houston, according to a White House … Continue reading →

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The “Star Spangled Banner Protection Act”

Posted on February 13, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

You can’t make this stuff up. Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced Wednesday that requiring the national anthem to be played “at all events which receive public funding” will be among his top legislative priorities this session. The “Star Spangled … Continue reading →

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The Sports Betting Alliance

Posted on February 10, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Keep an eye on this. A new alliance of major Texas sports teams has announced they will be backing legislation to allow for sports betting in Texas. The Dallas Cowboys, the Texas Rangers, and the Dallas Mavericks are among the … Continue reading →

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Who believes in the myth of voter fraud?

Posted on February 7, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Republicans do. Next question. A new University of Houston survey reveals the stark partisan divide among Texans on the issue of voter fraud in the November election. The survey found that 87 percent of Democrats believe there was no widespread … Continue reading →

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The Republicans are not going to expand Medicaid

Posted on February 1, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe there was a brief moment, when the budget situation looked dire, when the forbidden topic could have been quietly whispered about. But come on, we know the score. Texas Republicans have long resisted expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care … Continue reading →

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Beto for Governor?

Posted on January 29, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

He says he’s thinking about it. Democrat Beto O’Rourke has left no doubt that he’s weighing a run for governor next year. “You know what, it’s something I’m going to think about,” O’Rourke said in an exclusive interview on an … Continue reading →

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The COVID vaccine wait list

Posted on January 26, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Good idea, and about time. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo announced Monday afternoon a new COVID-19 vaccine waitlist, in an effort to ensure those who are high priority don’t get overlooked and make for a smoother process. Hidalgo explained the … Continue reading →

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Here comes the casino push

Posted on January 16, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Expect this to get louder and louder, though whether it’s successful or not remains to be seen. When a big political player comes waltzing into Texas spending big money from out of state, it’s usually a good sign that he … Continue reading →

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