Tag Archives: Rodney Ellis

Michael Morton Act signed into law

Posted on May 19, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Excellent news. With exoneree Michael Morton by his side, Gov. Rick Perry on Thursday signed a measure that aims to avoid wrongful convictions by preventing prosecutors from suppressing evidence. “This is a major victory for integrity and fairness in our … Continue reading →

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Improved payday lending bill passes the Senate

Posted on April 26, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Good news, if it goes anywhere. The Texas Senate approved a bill to regulate short-term lenders on Monday night, a milestone some thought the chamber wouldn’t reach after a personal and divisive floor fight on Thursday. But with the measure’s … Continue reading →

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Redistricting remains a partisan issue

Posted on April 22, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

We’re not surprised by this, right? Amarillo Sen. Kel Seliger offered a redistricting bill to the Senate State Affairs Committee that would formally adopt interim maps drawn by a federal court in San Antonio last year. The maps for Congressional, … Continue reading →

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Court of inquiry issues arrest warrant for Ken Anderson

Posted on April 22, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Wow. A judge issued an arrest warrant for former Williamson County District Attorney Ken Anderson Friday, after finding probable cause to believe Anderson withheld critical evidence in Michael Morton’s 1987 murder trial. Judge Louis Sturns concluded his court of inquiry … Continue reading →

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Bad ideas never die

Posted on April 19, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

And so we find ourselves once again talking about tax breaks for yacht buyers. From capping the sales tax on yachts to phasing out the state business levy, some lawmakers are pushing for tax breaks even as others say the … Continue reading →

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Davis says she’s not running for Governor next year

Posted on April 3, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

So much for that. State Sen. Wendy Davis, who has emerged as one of the most visible Democrats in the Capitol this session, says she has no plans to run for governor in 2014, but will seek another term representing … Continue reading →

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Why do we give tax breaks to country clubs?

Posted on March 24, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

As you know, I’ve talked before about sunsetting tax expenditures. Sens. John Carona and Rodney Ellis have filed a bill to require a periodic review of the many exemptions, exceptions, and other special cases in the tax code, with the … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Senate passes its budget

Posted on March 21, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Let the damning with faint praise for this jerry-rigged excuse for not adequately funding our needs yet not eviscerating them as badly as last time begin. The Texas Senate approved a $195.5 billion two-year budget Wednesday, with Democratic state Sens. … Continue reading →

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Reciprocal discovery

Posted on March 17, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

There’s a bit of controversy brewing over one of the criminal justice reforms that have been proposed. The bill at issue was filed on deadline day. Senate Bill 1611 would enact uniform discovery requirements in criminal cases across Texas. It … Continue reading →

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Not so fast on the North Forest charter plan

Posted on March 13, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Not everyone is convinced that the plan to allow a consortium of charter schools to take over North Forest ISD is a good idea. In interviews Monday, state Rep. Senfronia Thompson and Sens. Rodney Ellis and John Whitmire, all Democrats, … Continue reading →

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TSTA polls about public education

Posted on March 12, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox, via the TSTA: A strong majority of Texas voters support using some of the $12 billion in the state’s Rainy Day Fund to restore the $5.4 billion cut from the public education budget two years ago, and … Continue reading →

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Patrick files his own voucher bill

Posted on March 12, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I guess if you want something done right, you do it yourself. Ending speculation over when — or whether — his widely promoted school choice legislation would emerge, state Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, has filed a bill creating a business … Continue reading →

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More on sunsetting tax expenditures

Posted on March 10, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I say again, this is a good idea that really needs to happen. The Texas tax code is rich with tax breaks. There are tax breaks for industries relocating to the state and for anyone with an Internet connection. Tax … Continue reading →

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Gubernatorial speculation: Mike Villarreal and Bill White

Posted on March 4, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

A few days back, BOR had a post about who was on deck for 2014, and the first two candidates they speculated about for Governor were two I had not talked about here before, State Rep. Mike Villarreal and 2010 … Continue reading →

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Bike trail on utility rights-of-way bills filed

Posted on February 21, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

This is a big show of support for making bike trails on CenterPoint’s rights of way happen. Houston voters last fall approved a $166 million bond measure to expand the city’s trail system, to be matched by $105 million in … Continue reading →

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Medicaid expansion pressure is having an effect

Posted on February 20, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Despite the mountains of evidence in its favor, I still can’t say that I see a path to Medicaid expansion in Texas. But stories like this do give me some hope. Adamantly opposed to expanding Medicaid coverage under President Barack … Continue reading →

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One big happy pro-gambling expansion family

Posted on February 12, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

If the pro-gambling forces in the state all join hands and agree to work together, will this finally be the year that gambling expansion gets a vote? Maybe. John Montford, chairman of Let Texans Decide, a coalition of gaming companies, … Continue reading →

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Sunsetting tax expenditures

Posted on February 4, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Sens. John Carona and Rodney Ellis have the right idea. Over the past 18 months, many of our constituents told us they have trouble finding a reliable, accurate and up-to-date source of information on these tax breaks, exemptions and special … Continue reading →

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How about Ellis 2014?

Posted on January 30, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Michael Hurta makes an observation. The only Democratic legislator in Texas who is not up for reelection in 2014 yet also has seven figures in his campaign bank account is Rodney Ellis. Will we hear any Ellis for Governor rumors … Continue reading →

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I’m glad someone is optimistic about the possibility of Medicaid expansion in Texas

Posted on December 4, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Because I sure can’t say that I’m optimistic about it happening. State Senator Rodney Ellis, Democrat of Houston, said fiscal conservatives have an incentive to reach an agreement “because the alternative is going to cost us much more economically and … Continue reading →

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Support Senate Concurrent Resolution 2

Posted on December 4, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Until something is done at the federal level about the awful Citizens United ruling, there’s not much states can do about it. One thing they can do is tell the feds that they want them to take action against this … Continue reading →

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Not dead yet

Posted on September 12, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

As they say, reports of their deaths have been greatly exaggerated. Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector Don Sumners said Monday that he would not purge from the voter roll before the November election any of the 9,018 citizens who received letters … Continue reading →

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No Medicaid expansion for you!

Posted on July 10, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

So much for that. Texas will not expand Medicaid or establish a health insurance exchange, two major tenets of the federal health reform that the U.S. Supreme Court upheld last month, Gov. Rick Perry said in an early morning announcement. … Continue reading →

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Why better eyewitness ID procedures matter

Posted on May 17, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Because bad eyewitness ID procedures can lead to the wrong people being executed. State Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, and Rep. Pete Gallego, D-Alpine, stopped short of claiming Texas wrongfully executed suspect Carlos DeLuna for the February 1983 murder of store … Continue reading →

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More trouble for TAPPS

Posted on April 7, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe they just can’t help themselves. Even as they face calls for reform, TAPPS board members also face a fundamental question in the Beren Academy controversy: whether to discipline Beren for a rules violation or to let the matter slide, … Continue reading →

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Examining the voter ID lie

Posted on March 27, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve complained quite a bit at how the media in Texas lazily reports the voter ID issue as a simple “he said/she said” dispute when a cursory examination of the facts shows how ridiculous the pro-voter ID case is, so … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Catholic schools doing the right thing

Posted on March 25, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve had a lot of disagreements with the Catholic Church on policy matters lately, but this is something I applaud. The organization that represents Texas’ Catholic high schools on Thursday called for a comprehensive review of the Texas Association of … Continue reading →

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News flash: The voter ID law will do exactly what it was intended to do

Posted on March 9, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

And that is to make it harder to vote. Mostly for the poor, the elderly, college students, and minorities. This is a feature, not a bug. The state’s contested voter ID law could provoke widespread complications in the upcoming presidential … Continue reading →

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Court of inquiry appointed in Morton case

Posted on February 20, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe now we’ll get some answers. A special court will examine whether Georgetown District Judge Ken Anderson acted improperly when, as Williamson County’s district attorney in 1987, he prosecuted Michael Morton for a murder the authorities now acknowledge he did … Continue reading →

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Court of inquiry recommended in Morton case

Posted on February 14, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Former Williamson County District Attorney Ken Anderson should face a court of inquiry to examine allegations that he hid evidence that could have spared Michael Morton from a wrongful murder conviction and almost 25 years in prison, a state … Continue reading →

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Texas files suit to preclear voter ID

Posted on January 24, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

They’re a mighty busy bunch at the OAG these days. The Texas attorney general’s office today filed suit against U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and the Department of Justice to have the state’s controversial voter ID law implemented without further … Continue reading →

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The Tour de Houston 2012

Posted on January 22, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

If you’re not into long distance running, perhaps you might like to go on a long bike ride around town? If so, you will be glad to hear that the Tour de Houston is coming back after a year’s absence. … Continue reading →

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TCEQ denies Valero tax break

Posted on December 23, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Texas environmental regulators have rejected Valero Energy Corp.’s request for a tax break that cities, counties and school districts feared would lead to devastating cuts to their budgets. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality denied the request because the … Continue reading →

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It’s a long way to Damascus

Posted on November 27, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The Trib has a good story about Williamson County DA John Bradley, whom you may recall as Rick Perry’s chief hatchet man on the Forensic Science Commission, and his apparent conversion to open-mindedness in the wake of the DNA exoneration … Continue reading →

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