Tag Archives: DPS

Texas woman denied driver’s license over same-sex marriage

Posted on September 22, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

That’s the headline of this Observer story, and it’s just as infuriating as you think it is. A woman who recently relocated from California says the Texas Department of Public Safety refused to issue her an accurate driver’s license because … Continue reading →

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

Abbott does one last solid for Perry

Posted on August 15, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

He lets him keep his little secrets. After critics raised a stink about the tax dollars being spent to provide security for Gov. Rick Perry while he was gearing up to run for president, lawmakers passed a bill in 2011 … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Abbott does one last solid for Perry

Get ready to go inspection sticker-free

Posted on June 27, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Things are gonna be different next year. Texas drivers will have a little less clutter on their windshield next year when the familiar green inspection sticker goes away, but it comes at the price of requiring inspections in order to … Continue reading →

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

Special session for border security?

Posted on June 20, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

What could possibly go wrong? State Sen. Dan Patrick, the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor, joined some of his conservative colleagues on Tuesday in calling for “immediate action” to address the surge of undocumented immigrants crossing into Texas. “The Texas … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Special session for border security?

Another lawsuit filed against the voter ID law

Posted on November 15, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The Observer reports. Election Day last week brought plenty of complaints at the polls about Texas’ new voter ID law, but it also brought one major complaint in Corpus Christi federal court, where nine voters joined La Unión Del Pueblo Entero … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Another lawsuit filed against the voter ID law

It’s about the people who don’t have ID

Posted on November 5, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

We’ve had plenty of blue-sky stories telling us that the voter ID law has been no big deal. A few provisional ballots and some number of affidavits, sure, but everyone who’s wanted to vote has been able to vote, right? … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

“Poopgate” is a big load of…

Posted on August 28, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Well, you know. Documents released Monday by the Texas Department of Public Safety’s provided no new evidence that officers found one jar of urine and 18 containers of feces at the Capitol before a July 12 debate on a controversial … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

RIP, Section 5

Posted on June 26, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

By now you are well aware that SCOTUS has dealt a blow to the Voting Rights Act. They actually left Section 5, which is what requires certain parts of the country (including Texas) to get preclearance on voting-related changes, intact, … Continue reading →

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

No more inspection stickers

Posted on May 11, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

That’s the plan, and I think it makes a lot of sense. Texas’ vehicle inspection stickers would become a thing of the past under legislation approved unanimously Monday by the state Senate. But there’s a catch: Vehicles still would have … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on No more inspection stickers

Perry works against his own stated interests

Posted on May 10, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t understand this at all. A bill that would have increased vehicle registration fees to raise money for transportation projects met its demise in the Texas House on Thursday. House Bill 3664 by state Rep. Drew Darby, R-San Angelo, … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Still arguing about road funding

Posted on April 13, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I still don’t quite get why the obvious solution is so blithely dismissed. With most of the work of developing a state budget behind them, lawmakers can now drill deeper into the state’s spending plan to find a way to … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Still arguing about road funding

AG shuts down bogus charity museum

Posted on September 3, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

It’s an extremely rare privilege to point out something of actual positive value done by our Attorney General. The doors will finally close on the Texas Highway Patrol Museum in San Antonio, a charity that raised millions of dollars under … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on AG shuts down bogus charity museum

Cutting spending is always good for job creation

Posted on September 1, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

It must be true. A study by the University of Texas at San Antonio estimated that 20 counties in the Eagle Ford Shale supported 47,097 full-time jobs in 2011, a number that’s expected to grow to 116,972 full-time jobs by … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Cutting spending is always good for job creation

Outsourcing Texas border security

Posted on March 22, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

What could possibly go wrong? A little-known private defense contractor from Virginia has quietly received about $20 million under a series of no-bid contracts with the State of Texas to develop its border security strategies, an effort that included shaping … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Outsourcing Texas border security

From the “Sacrifice for thee but not for me” department

Posted on September 22, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Rick Perry sure does like to travel. At a time when state budget reductions were used to help offset a multibillion-dollar revenue shortfall, taxpayers were billed in excess of $294,000 in security detail expenses for out-of-state trips by Gov. Rick … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Justice Department urged to block voter ID law

Posted on September 19, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I’m all in on this. A coalition of civil rights groups is urging the Obama administration’s Justice Department to reject Texas’ voter-ID law, charging that the measure advocated by Rick Perry intentionally discriminates against black and Hispanic voters. The Legislature … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Justice Department urged to block voter ID law

Forensic Science Commission accepts its neutering

Posted on September 12, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Another victory for the forces of obstructionism. Whether they like it or not, members of the Texas Forensic Science Commission [Thursday] agreed that they will use an attorney general’s opinion that severely limits the panel’s jurisdiction as a guideline for … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Forensic Science Commission accepts its neutering

DPS Megacenters

Posted on September 6, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Not sure what I think about this. With a $63 million infusion from the Legislature, state officials hope to cut the legendary long lines and irritating red tape at driver’s license centers across Texas with upgraded technology and new “megacenters” … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , | Comments Off on DPS Megacenters

DPS loses lawsuit over drivers license rules

Posted on August 12, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

This happened the week before last, but I’m not sure it will matter at this point. On [July 29], Judge Orlinda Naranjo ruled against the Texas Department of Public Safety and said that the agency could no longer require those … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on DPS loses lawsuit over drivers license rules

From the “You don’t need to know” department

Posted on August 3, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I think I’ve finally figured out what the big secret is with Rick Perry’s travels. In a policy change criticized by open government advocates, the Texas Department of Public Safety will not reveal how much money is being spent to … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on From the “You don’t need to know” department

Perry gets to keep his secrets

Posted on July 2, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Quelle surprise. The Texas Supreme Court this morning ruled that details of Gov. Rick Perry’s travels can remain secret, overturning two lower court rulings that found travel vouchers filed by state troopers should be made public. In an opinion written … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The consolation prize

Posted on July 1, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The Republicans couldn’t get their act together enough to pass the “sanctuary cities” bill, but they did manage to do this. A provision in the approved Senate Bill 1, the special session’s must-pass school finance bill, will require people to … Continue reading →

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

Senate approves rape kit testing bill

Posted on May 5, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Earlier this week I mentioned a bill, SB1636, by Sen. Wendy Davis that aimed at getting thousands of untested rape kits analyzed. I’m pleased to say that it was passed unanimously by the Senate today, and now heads to the … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Senate approves rape kit testing bill

Two forensic bills

Posted on May 3, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Texas has thousands of untested rape kits in it, and a bill to try to make something happen with them. The bill, by Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, would require a police department to submit a rape kit to a … Continue reading →

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

On the road to nowhere

Posted on February 1, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Use your own favorite cliche for this. Texas soon will be shelling out more per year to pay back money it borrowed for road construction than it spends from its quickly vanishing pile of cash to build new highways. Legislative … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The sanctuary scam

Posted on January 13, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve been thinking about Governor Perry’s designation of so-called “sanctuary cities” as an emergency item for this legislative session, and there are a few inescapable conclusions. 1. Perry is a big flaming hypocrite. I know, I know, big shock. But … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

More on paying for roads and other forms of transportation

Posted on January 12, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Given that the private toll road debate is set to gear up again in Texas, it is fortuitous that the Texas Public Interest Research Group, a/k/a TexPIRG, chose last week to release a report called Do Roads pay For Themselves? … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on More on paying for roads and other forms of transportation

Driver records available online

Posted on December 28, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

You know how you need to mail a request to get a copy of your driver’s record when you request to take a defensive driving course to get a ticket dismissed? Now you can save yourself a stamp and order … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Driver records available online

Once again with the Driver Responsibility Program

Posted on March 18, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The Trib takes a look at Texas’ Driver Responsibility Program and the grassroots effort to repeal it. The stories scroll by one after another on an online petition to repeal a law called the Driver Responsibility Act. Nearly 4,000 angry … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Those uncollected surcharges

Posted on February 1, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s an update on the Texas Driver Responsibility Program, which was created in 2003 as a way to raise revenue by adding hefty extra fees to certain moving violations. “It’s a complete failure,” said state Sen. Eliot Shapleigh, D-El Paso, … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Those uncollected surcharges

SWAT team

Posted on January 27, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I’m not sure about this. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office is starting an elite “high-risk” squad with the aim of developing it into a full-fledged SWAT team. Maj. Bob Doguim began soliciting applications for the eight-member team two weeks ago, … Continue reading →

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

Hochberg responds to Perry’s veto

Posted on July 5, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I missed this last week, but State Rep. Scott Hochberg sent out a press release, which is posted on the House website about Governor Perry’s veto of his bill HB1457. If Governor Perry was denied a voter registration certificate because … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Hochberg responds to Perry’s veto

RIP, statewide smoking ban

Posted on May 19, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I thought it still had a chance after it finally passed out of committee in the Senate, but the statewide smoking ban is officially dead. [State Sen. Rodney] Ellis held a press conference to announce the death of the statewide … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

IG for DPS

Posted on May 6, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I just have one question regarding this story. Top lawmakers voiced support for creating an inspector general at the Texas Department of Public Safety on Tuesday, a day after the sudden resignation of the agency’s director amid allegations of unprofessional … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on IG for DPS