Tag Archives: special session

More post-Harvey ideas

Posted on September 12, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

From the Chron, which likens this moment to what Galveston faced after the great hurricane of 1900: 1. Establish a regional flood control authority Floodwaters ignore city-limit signs and county-line markers. We can’t adequately address drainage issues with a mélange … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

The case for calling a Harvey special session

Posted on September 5, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Rep. Gene Wu disagrees with Greg Abbott’s decision. The historic level of damage and suffering caused by Harvey requires that we tap into our state’s Rainy Day Fund. Gov. Greg Abbott’s decision to not call a special session of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

No special session needed to address Harvey flooding

Posted on September 2, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

So says Greg Abbott. Gov. Greg Abbott said Friday another special session of the Texas Legislature won’t be necessary to deal with the response to Hurricane Harvey. “We won’t need a special session for this,” Abbott told reporters, noting that … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo, Hurricane Katrina | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Will we have maps in time for March primaries?

Posted on August 28, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe. It’s up to the courts. State officials insisted Friday they expect to stop the court challenges on appeal, and reverse Texas’ losing streak on the voting-rights lawsuits, legal experts predicted Texas could end up back under federal supervisions of … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Court throws out State House map

Posted on August 25, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Once more, with feeling. Parts of the Texas House map must be redrawn ahead of the 2018 elections because lawmakers intentionally discriminated against minorities in crafting several legislative districts, federal judges ruled on Thursday. A three-judge panel in San Antonio … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

We could get a special session on redistricting

Posted on August 23, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

At least, that’s what State Sen. Dawn Buckingham thinks. State Sen. Dawn Buckingham, R-Lakeway, expects the Legislature to be called back for another special session — this time to tackle the state’s congressional map. Monday evening at the Central Texas … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on We could get a special session on redistricting

The long view of the bathroom bill

Posted on August 20, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron considers the future of the bathroom bill. Texas’ controversial bathroom bill, championed by Gov. Greg Abbot and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, may have been declared dead, but some say it could be revived soon enough. “Like Frankenstein, the … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Let’s play two?

Posted on August 17, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Oh, God, please, no. Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday put blame on the House — particularly Speaker Joe Straus — for the shortcomings of the special session and left the door open to calling another one. “I’m disappointed that all … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Court invalidates CDs 27 and 35

Posted on August 16, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

We are one step closer to having a new Congressional map. Federal judges have invalidated two Texas congressional districts, ruling that they must be fixed by either the Legislature or a federal court. In a unanimous decision Tuesday, a three-judge … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Smell ya later, Senate

Posted on August 16, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

How about that? The special legislative session is over — in one chamber, at least. The Texas House abruptly gaveled out Sine Die – the formal designation meaning the end of a session – on Tuesday evening after voting to … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

More birth control by mail options

Posted on August 12, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Good to see. “We want women to see us and say, ‘These are people who believe that if you want birth control you should have it,’” said Hans Ganeskar, co-founder and CEO of Nurx, a California-based site founded in 2015 … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

From the “Actions speak louder than words” department

Posted on August 9, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

RG Ratcliffe of Texas Monthly speaks to former Railroad Commissioner and Texas Education Commissioner Michael Williams about his disapproval of bathroom bills. RGR: You told me political parties over time curdle and spoil, but is there something about the debate … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on From the “Actions speak louder than words” department

And then there’s the birth certificate issue

Posted on August 8, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Just another problem that would be exacerbated by a bathroom bill. In order to modify a birth certificate in Texas, the Department of State Health Services requires transgender individuals to present a certified court order stating the recorded sex on … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on And then there’s the birth certificate issue

Ethics, schmethics

Posted on August 6, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

This little exchange says so much about our weak and insecure Governor. The fireworks began with a press conference called by GOP Rep. Sarah Davis, chair of the House Committee on General Investigating and Ethics. Davis, flanked by both Democratic … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Ethics, schmethics

House passes school finance bills

Posted on August 5, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I doubt they’ll meet a different fate than they did in the regular session, but kudos anyway. The Texas House on Friday passed a package of bills that would put $1.8 billion into public schools and help out struggling small, … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on House passes school finance bills

Halfway through the session

Posted on August 4, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The House is doing House things, and that’s fine. Brushing aside concerns that they are not moving swiftly enough to enact Gov. Greg Abbott’s 20-point agenda, Texas House members opened the second half of the special session Wednesday with a … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Halfway through the session

Dear business community: Dan Patrick is not your ally

Posted on August 2, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the full Chron story about the latest group of business leaders to call for a stop to the bathroom bill. I want to focus on one key aspect of this: A week after police chiefs from Houston, San Antonio … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Maternal mortality bills pass the House

Posted on August 2, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Good. House lawmakers tentatively approved a series of bills Monday aimed at helping Texas curb its unusually high rate of women dying less than a year after childbirth. The primary measure, House Bill 9, would direct the state’s Task Force … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Maternal mortality bills pass the House

Still more big businesses against the bathroom bill

Posted on August 1, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

It’s like there’s a strong, overwhelming consensus or something. Top executives of big oil companies and other major Houston firms and organizations on Monday weighed into the political dogfight over the controversial bathroom bill, calling on Gov. Greg Abbott to … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Pushing the NFL Draft angle

Posted on July 31, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Every angle is going to be needed, and this is one that ought to speak to some folks. The Cowboys’ efforts to land the NFL draft and how it could be derailed by the legislative push for a bathroom bill … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Pushing the NFL Draft angle

The bathroom bill would affect disabled people, too

Posted on July 30, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Yet another problem caused by this harmful “solution”. As lawmakers this summer debate yet another controversial measure regulating bathroom use based on biological sex, disabled Texans say they — like many transgender men and women — believe the Legislature is … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

House takes a different direction on trees

Posted on July 29, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Better than the Senate version, for sure. The Texas House added a potential wrinkle to Gov. Greg Abbott’s special session agenda on Thursday, giving early approval to a bill that would allow property owners to plant new trees to offset … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on House takes a different direction on trees

The bathroom bill in the House

Posted on July 28, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Mostly good news here. Dangerous. Discriminatory. Chilling. Hurtful. Those are words used by House State Affairs Chairman Byron Cook to describe bathroom legislation headed to his committee in the Texas House in the coming days. The Republican from Corsicana said … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The bathroom bill in the House

Abbott versus the cities

Posted on July 27, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The continuing story. If Gov. Greg Abbott has disdain for how local Texas officials govern their cities, it didn’t show in a Wednesday sit-down with three mayors who were among 18 who jointly requested a meeting to discuss legislation that … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

House committee hears largely pointless property tax bills

Posted on July 27, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Something will probably come out of this, but it’s hard to understand why. A Texas House committee on Tuesday spent more than seven hours plowing through more than 30 bills that aim to tackle rising property tax bills — months … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Law enforcement against the bathroom bill

Posted on July 26, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Add another group to an ever-expanding list. Police chiefs from three of the five biggest cities in the state gathered at the Texas Capitol on Tuesday to spurn proponents’ claims that such legislation is needed to protect privacy, arguing that … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Law enforcement against the bathroom bill

Senate has mostly completed the Abbott special session agenda

Posted on July 25, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I’m just going to hit the highlights here because this stuff is happening quickly and often late in the day, but most of the Abbott 20-point special session agenda has been turned into bills that have as of this morning … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

War on local control update

Posted on July 23, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Example one: Sen. Craig Estes’ Senate Bill 18 would require cities and counties to get voter approval if they plan to spend a certain amount more than they did in a previous year. His bill ties such an election trigger … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Anticipating the future bathroom-related litigation

Posted on July 22, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

It will be a matter of when, not if, should a bathroom bill passes. [B]oth sides agree if any version of the bathroom bill becomes law, it will likely trigger a protracted legal battle that could have implications for the … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Anticipating the future bathroom-related litigation

Yet another lawsuit filed over yet another unconstitutional anti-abortion law

Posted on July 21, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. Texas is heading to court over a state law going into effect in September banning the most common second-trimester abortion procedure. The Center for Reproductive Rights and Planned Parenthood announced on Thursday … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Yet another lawsuit filed over yet another unconstitutional anti-abortion law

Mayors to Abbott: Don’t mess with our cities

Posted on July 21, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Good luck getting through. Less than 24 hours after Gov. Greg Abbott blasted local government restrictions like tree ordinances as a threat to the “Texas brand,” city government leaders statewide are seeking a meeting with the Republican leader. “We would … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Harris County Attorney files amicus brief in SB4 lawsuit

Posted on July 20, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Last week, Harris County Commissioners Court opted not to join a lawsuit challenging the state’s controversial “sanctuary cities” law as unconstitutional. Harris County Attorney Vince Ryan, however, has filed a brief asking a federal court to halt its implementation … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Senate will hold bathroom hearing tomorrow

Posted on July 20, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

They just can’t wait. From the inbox: BREAKING: The Senate State Affairs Committee is pushing for a hearing on anti-transgender “bathroom bill” legislation this Friday at 9AM, Charles. Intel from the Capitol tells us that Sen. Lois Kolkhorst will introduce … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Long read on the ongoing bathroom bill fight

Posted on July 19, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

From the Daily Beast. Covers a lot of ground, some of which is familiar but quite a bit of which is new or at least additive. A small sample: Two bills, HB 46 and HB 50, have so far been … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment