Tag Archives: Supreme Court

Yes, the statewide injunction against investigations into the families of trans kids is in effect

Posted on March 23, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Good. A Texas appeals court on Monday reinstated a temporary injunction blocking Texas from investigating parents for child abuse if they allow their transgender children to receive gender-affirming care. The Texas 3rd Court of Appeals issued the order as part of a lawsuit brought … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged ACLU of Texas, Department of Family and Protective Services, Greg Abbott, Ken Paxton, Lambda Legal, lawsuit, Supreme Court, Texas, The Lege, Third Court of Appeals, transgender rights | 2 Comments

When a divorce helps to define a marriage

Posted on March 21, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting case. A gay San Antonio man has filed for a divorce in which he seeks to prove a common law marriage existed with his former partner of 25 years when federal law prohibited same sex marriage. The law has … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Attorney General, Bexar County, divorce, gay marriage, gay rights, Greg Abbott, Mark Phariss, SCOTUS, Supreme Court, Tarrant County, Texas, Travis County | 4 Comments

Abortion funds file their own lawsuits

Posted on March 20, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

It’s good to fight back. I hope it can be successful. This week, the Lilith Fund and Texas Equal Access Fund, two of Texas’ oldest abortion funds, announced legal action (available to view here, here, here, and here) against two private individuals in Texas and two organizations based … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged abortion, Ashley Maxwell, Bryan Hughes, Kamyon Conner, lawsuit, Lilith Fund, Neesha Dave, Sadie Weldon, SCOTUS, Supreme Court, Texas, Texas Equal Access Fund, The Lege | 1 Comment

Appeals court upholds school district mask mandates

Posted on March 19, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe not the most timely ruling ever, but still nice. An appellate court on Thursday sided with Texas school districts in their dispute with state officials over mask mandates, which numerous school systems have already lifted as pandemic conditions have eased. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Austin, Austin ISD, coronavirus, Dallas ISD, Election 2022, face masks, Fort Worth, Greg Abbott, Harris County, HISD, Ken Paxton, local control, Pflugerville, schools, Southern Center for Child Advocacy, Supreme Court, Texas, Texas Disaster Act, The Lege, Third Court of Appeals, Travis County | Comments Off

SCOTx puts the last nail in the federal lawsuit against SB8

Posted on March 12, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

The fix was in from the beginning. The Texas Supreme Court dealt a final blow to abortion providers’ federal challenge to the state’s latest abortion restrictions Friday. The court ruled that state medical licensing officials do not have authority to … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged abortion, Amy Hagstrom Miller, Justice Department, lawsuit, Planned Parenthood, SCOTUS, Supreme Court, Texas, Texas Multidistrict Litigation Panel, Texas Right to Life, The Lege, Whole Woman’s Health Alliance | 1 Comment

And more people are travelling for abortions

Posted on March 10, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

The number of abortions performed in Texas has declined greatly since the passage of SB8. But the number of Texans seeking abortions has remained the same, which is what abortion advocates have always said would be the case. The number … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged abortion, Aid Access, Alan Braid, Amy Hagstrom Miller, Center for Reproductive Rights, lawsuit, Louisiana, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, SCOTUS, Supreme Court, telemedicine, Texas, Texas Policy Evaluation Project, The Lege, Whole Woman’s Health Alliance | 1 Comment

More school districts dropping mask mandates

Posted on March 5, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Unsurprising. Some of Texas’ biggest school districts are lifting mask mandates for students just weeks before spring break. Houston Independent School District, the state’s largest district, and Dallas ISD announced Monday that they would not require students to wear masks. … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged Austin, Austin ISD, Centers for Disease Control, coronavirus, Dallas, Dallas ISD, face masks, Greg Abbott, HISD, Houston, lawsuit, local control, schools, Supreme Court, Texas | Comments Off

More people are choosing the medical abortion option

Posted on March 5, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

It’s not like there are good alternatives right now in Texas. The demand for abortion-inducing medication spiked in the month after Texas significantly limited abortion access and has remained high since, according to new data from a researcher at the … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged abortion, Aid Access, Amy Hagstrom Miller, FDA, lawsuit, mifepristone, misoprostol, SCOTUS, Supreme Court, telemedicine, Texas, The Lege, Whole Woman’s Health Alliance | 1 Comment

2022 primary results: Statewide

Posted on March 2, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

That didn’t take long: . JUST IN: Beto O’Rourke wins Texas Democratic primary for governor, @NBCNews projects. http://nbcnews.to/36VOfa3 — NBC Politics (@NBCPolitics) 8:01 PM – 1 March 2022 Literally one minute after polls would have closed in El Paso. You … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged Ag Commissioner, Allen West, Attorney General, Beto O'Rourke, Comptroller, Dan Patrick, Dawn Buckingham, Democratic primary, Don Huffines, Election 2022, Eva Guzman, Evan Young, George P. Bush, Governor, Greg Abbott, Janet Dudding, Jay Kleberg, Joe Jaworski, Ken Paxton, Land Commissioner, Lite Gov, Mike Collier, primaries, Railroad Commission, Rochelle Garza, runoff, Sandragrace Martinez, Scott Walker, Sid Miller, Supreme Court, Susan Hays, Texas, Tim Mahoney, Wayne Christian | 1 Comment

More on Abbott’s involvement in “getting the power back on”

Posted on March 1, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Also known as more from the Brazos Electric Power Co-op lawsuit against ERCOT, but that didn’t fit well in the title. The former chair of the Texas Public Utility Commission testified in court Thursday that during last year’s winter storm and blackout Governor … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Bill Magness, blackouts, Brazos Electric Power Cooperative, DeAnn Walker, electricity, ERCOT, Erin Nowell, Freeze 2021, Greg Abbott, lawsuit, Panda Power, Public Utility Commission, Supreme Court, Texas, Texas Multidistrict Litigation Panel | Comments Off

SCOTx hears SB8 argument

Posted on February 26, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I’ll be honest, I had not realized this was on the calendar. The Texas Supreme Court got its first chance to weigh in on the state’s new abortion law Thursday, hearing arguments in a narrow challenge to the restrictions, which … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged abortion, Alan Braid, Center for Reproductive Rights, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, lawsuit, Planned Parenthood, SCOTUS, Supreme Court, Texas, Texas Multidistrict Litigation Panel, Texas Right to Life, The Lege, Whole Woman’s Health Alliance | 2 Comments

Anti-abortion zealots make their move under SB8

Posted on February 25, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

This is where it really starts to get scary and ugly. For nearly six months, as Texas’ novel abortion law has wended its way through the courts, abortion providers and opponents have been locked in a stalemate. The law, known … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged abortion, Bryan Hughes, Kamyon Conner, lawsuit, Lilith Fund, Neesha Dave, SCOTUS, Supreme Court, Texas, Texas Equal Access Fund, The Lege | 3 Comments

On naming a replacement for Judge Briones

Posted on February 20, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. Three years ago, Bill McLeod lost his spot on the civil county court-at-law bench in Harris County due to a paperwork snafu. McLeod, a Democrat, had been presiding over Harris County Court … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged Adrian Garcia, Bill McLeod, Democratic primary, Election 2018, Election 2022, Greg Abbott, Harris County, judicial nominations, judicial races, Lesley Briones, Lina Hidalgo, Rodney Ellis, Supreme Court, Texas | 6 Comments

Supreme Court to hear whether state redistricting lawsuit can proceed

Posted on January 24, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the update I’ve been waiting for. Not what I was hoping for, but it is what it is. The state’s bid to toss a legal challenge arguing last year’s GOP-led redistricting effort violated the Texas Constitution is headed to … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Beverly Powell, Cameron County, Census, Commissioners Court, Congress, Constitution, Election 2022, Harris County, HD35, HD37, HD38, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, MALC, Rafael Anchia, redistricting, Roland Gutierrez, Ruben Cortez, Sarah Eckhardt, SD10, Senate, special session, Supreme Court, Texas, The Lege, Willacy County | 4 Comments

Paxton thumbs his nose at open records demand

Posted on January 22, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Water is wet. The sun rises in the east. Ken Paxton DGAF about government, ethics, accountability or any of that other namby-pamby stuff. Attorney General Ken Paxton said the Travis County district attorney’s determination that Paxton violated open records laws … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Attorney General, Donald Trump, Election 2020, Election 2022, Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas, Jose Garza, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, open records, sedition, Supreme Court, Texas, Texas Public Information Act, Travis County | 1 Comment

SB8 litigation will stay with SCOTx

Posted on January 22, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Another game of Calvinball, same result. The U.S. Supreme Court denied on Thursday abortion providers’ latest request to intervene in the ongoing legal challenge against Texas’ restrictive abortion law, cutting off one of their few remaining paths to a speedy … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged abortion, Amy Hagstrom Miller, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Greg Abbott, lawsuit, SCOTUS, Supreme Court, Texas, The Lege | 1 Comment

SB8 lawsuit moves to SCOTx

Posted on January 19, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Like I said, the fix was always in. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday sent the legal challenge to Texas’ restrictive abortion law to the state’s Supreme Court, a move that is expected to significantly delay the … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged abortion, Amy Hagstrom Miller, Center for Reproductive Rights, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Justice Department, lawsuit, Planned Parenthood, SCOTUS, Supreme Court, Texas, The Lege, Whole Woman’s Health Alliance | 2 Comments

Supreme Court rejects mandamus over Commissioners Court redistricting

Posted on January 12, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

The primary will proceed as scheduled, but the issue could be revisited sometime after the 2022 election. The Texas Supreme Court rejected an effort by Republican commissioners and voters to block Harris County’s recent redistricting plan on Friday, suggesting another … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Adrian Garcia, Andy Taylor, Cameron County, CD38, Census, Commissioners Court, Congress, Constitution, Eddie Lucio, Election 2022, Election 2024, Harris County, HD35, HD37, HD38, Jack Cagle, JM Lozano, lawsuit, Lina Hidalgo, MALC, redistricting, Rodney Ellis, Roland Gutierrez, Ruben Cortez, Sarah Eckhardt, SBOE, Senate, Steve Radack, Supreme Court, Texas, The Lege, Tom Ramsey, Voting Rights Act, Willacy County | Comments Off

Paxton asks Supreme Court to toss that pesky whistleblower lawsuit

Posted on January 9, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Same argument, different court. Either Ken Paxton can be held accountable, or he gets a free pass to do whatever he wants. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has asked the Texas Supreme Court to toss out a whistleblower lawsuit by … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Attorney General, Blake Brickman, Brandon Cammack, Brent Webster, bribery, David Maxwell, FBI, Jeff Mateer, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, Mark Penley, Nate Paul, Ryan Vassar, Supreme Court, Texas, Texas Whistleblower Act, Third Court of Appeals | Comments Off

Fifth Circuit gets set to put the final nail in SB8 legal challenges

Posted on January 8, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

The fix was always in. In a contentious hearing Friday, a federal appeals court indicated it is likely to send Texas’ restrictive abortion law to the state supreme court, a move that could add months or longer before the case … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged abortion, Amy Hagstrom Miller, Center for Reproductive Rights, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Justice Department, lawsuit, Planned Parenthood, SCOTUS, Supreme Court, Texas, The Lege, Whole Woman’s Health Alliance | Comments Off

Third Court of Appeals upholds Harris County mask mandate

Posted on January 8, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Savor the win, for it’s off to SCOTx next. A state appeals court on Thursday upheld a lower-court injunction that allowed Harris County to impose mask requirements despite Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order banning such mandates. The Austin-based 3rd Court … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Christian Menefee, coronavirus, face masks, Greg Abbott, Harris County, Ken Paxton, local control, Supreme Court, Texas, Texas Disaster Act, Third Court of Appeals, Travis County | 1 Comment

SB8 plaintiffs want their lawsuit moved back to district court

Posted on January 5, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

As is usually the case, the lawless Fifth Circuit is the problem, with a generous assist from SCOTUS. With the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals set to hear arguments about Texas’ restrictive new abortion law Friday, abortion providers have … Continue reading →

Lawsuit over Harris County Commissioners Court redistricting tossed

Posted on December 30, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Missed this over the holidays. A Harris County Judge on Wednesday tossed a lawsuit from Republican commissioners and voters over new county maps that favor Democrats. Judge Dedra Davis ruled in favor of Harris County, finding that Republican commissioners Jack … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Adrian Garcia, Andy Taylor, CD38, Commissioners Court, Congress, Election 2022, Election 2024, Harris County, Jack Cagle, lawsuit, Lina Hidalgo, redistricting, Rodney Ellis, Supreme Court, Texas, The Lege, Tom Ramsey, Voting Rights Act | 5 Comments

Apparently, we’re still litigating whether Texas Central is a railroad

Posted on December 22, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I admit, I’m a bit confused by this. The Texas attorney general’s office has put its weight behind a landowner’s case against the companies developing a controversial Dallas-Houston bullet train, arguing they can’t force people to sell parcels needed for … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged 13th Court of Appeals, Attorney General, eminent domain, Freestone County, high speed rail, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, Leon County, Limestone County, Supreme Court, Texans Against High Speed Rail, Texas, Texas Central High-Speed Railway | 4 Comments

SCOTUS finds another way to screw abortion rights

Posted on December 20, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Surely you’re not surprised. The Supreme Court has formally returned a lawsuit over Texas’ six-week abortion ban to a federal appeals court that has twice allowed the law to stay in effect, rather than to a district judge who sought … Continue reading →

The filings I’m still looking for

Posted on December 13, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Today is Filing Deadline Day. By the end of today, we’ll know who is and isn’t running for what. While we wait for that, let’s review the filings that have not yet happened, to see what mysteries may remain. Congress: … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged Adrian Garcia, Alex Cornwallis, Ana-Maria Ramos, Art Fierro, Carl Sherman, Carla Brailey, CD07, CD15, CD16, CD22, CD26, CD30, CD31, CD34, CD35, CD37, CD38, Centrell Reed, Claudia Ordaz-Perez, Commissioners Court, Congress, Court of Criminal Appeals, Daniel Caldwell, Democratic primary, Donna Imam, Eddie Berniece Johnson, Eddie Rodriguez, Election 2022, Erica Davis, filing deadline, George Risner, Georgina Perez, Governor, Greg Casar, Gwenn Burud, Harris County, Harris County Clerk, Harris County Judge, HD102, HD106, HD109, HD126, HD129, HD133, HD14, HD150, HD22, HD25, HD27, HD28, HD29, HD50, HD52, HD55, HD61, HD66, HD67, HD76, HD79, HD84, HD96, HF57, Innocencio Barrientez, James Talarico, Jasmine Crockett, Joe Deshotel, Jonathan Cocks, Juan Juarez, Julia Maldonado, Julie Oliver, Justice of the Peace, Lawrence Allen, Lite Gov, Lizzie FLetcher, Lloyd Doggett, Luis Sifuentes, Melissa Ortega, Michael Cooper, Michelle Palmer, Miguel Gonzalez, Misty Bishop, Rebecca Bell-Metereau, Rebecca Viagran, redistricting, Robert Johnson, Ron Reynolds, Ruben Cortez, SBOE, SD04, SD07, SD08, SD09, SD17, Supreme Court, Teneshia Hudspeth, Texas, The Lege, Veronica Escobar, Vicente Gonzalez | 3 Comments

State judge rules SB8 is unconstitutional

Posted on December 10, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Sounds a little better than it actually is, but it’s still pretty good. A Texas judge on Thursday ruled that the state’s controversial law restricting abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy violates the Texas Constitution, saying it should not … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged abortion, lawsuit, Planned Parenthood, SCOTUS, Supreme Court, Texas, Texas Multidistrict Litigation Panel, Texas Right to Life, The Lege, Whole Woman’s Health Alliance | 4 Comments

A brief look at the winter storm litigation

Posted on December 7, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

This story is actually about the judge who will be presiding over winter storm cases, but it caught my eye for a reason that will be apparent. Sylvia A. Matthews presided over more than 175 jury trials and 160 bench … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Astroworld, blackouts, ERCOT, Freeze 2021, Harris County, lawsuit, Public Utility Commission, Railroad Commission, Supreme Court, Sylvia Matthews, Texas, Texas Multidistrict Litigation Panel | 2 Comments

Appeals court upholds Dallas mask mandate

Posted on November 27, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

There’s still mask mandate litigation going on, and Greg Abbott keeps getting his ass handed to him. Mask mandates will be allowed in the State of Texas. The Fifth Court of Appeals in Dallas issued the ruling during the late … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged 5th Court of Appeals, Clay Jenkins, coronavirus, Dallas County, face masks, Greg Abbott, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, local control, Supreme Court, Texas | 1 Comment

Bexar mask mandate back on

Posted on November 14, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Abbott and Paxton take another L. A temporary order that allows the City of San Antonio and Bexar County to require masks in their buildings will stay in place until a lawsuit challenging an executive order goes to trial in … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged 4th Court of Appeals, Bexar County, coronavirus, Dallas County, face masks, Greg Abbott, Harris County, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, local control, San Antonio, Supreme Court, Texas | Comments Off

State lawsuits against SB8 finally get a hearing

Posted on November 13, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

A long strange trip it has been. A state district judge on Wednesday morning heard arguments from abortion rights groups challenging Texas’ restrictive abortion law in what seems to be the first court hearing to specifically tackle the statute’s constitutionality. … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged abortion, lawsuit, Planned Parenthood, Supreme Court, Texas, Texas Multidistrict Litigation Panel, Texas Right to Life, The Lege | 1 Comment

SCOTx hears Chick-Fil-A case

Posted on November 9, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Missed this last week. The Supreme Court of Texas heard oral arguments Thursday in the now two-year-old case involving the exclusion of Chick-fil-A city contract in the San Antonio International Airport. […] San Antonio has always maintained that the law … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged 4th Court of Appeals, abortion, Bexar County, Chick-fil-A, Ken Paxton, Ron Nirenberg, San Antonio, Supreme Court, The Lege | Comments Off

Third Court rejects Paxton attempt to kill whistleblower lawsuit

Posted on October 23, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Good. A state appeals court found Thursday that former deputies of Attorney General Ken Paxton who were fired after accusing the Republican official of abusing his office are protected under the state’s whistleblower law, allowing their lawsuit against Paxton to … Continue reading →

Chick-Fil-A and the “heartbeat” lawsuits

Posted on October 21, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I’d forgotten all about this. A case that’s before the Texas Supreme Court this fall could have strong implications for the future of the state’s newly adopted abortion ban, the most prohibitive in the nation. The suit relates to a … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged 4th Court of Appeals, abortion, Bexar County, Bryan Hughes, Chick-fil-A, gay marriage, gay rights, Greg Abbott, Ken Paxton, Mayor, Ron Nirenberg, San Antonio, Supreme Court, The Lege | 2 Comments

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