Tag Archives: special session

Not a good session for equality

Posted on March 21, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I know, duh, right? Texas lawmakers have filed at least 20 anti-LGBT proposals this year—likely the most in the history of any state. It’s the type of onslaught that was widely expected among LGBT advocates, due to backlash over the … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Not a good session for equality

RIP, two-thirds rule

Posted on January 22, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Not a surprise. With a new lieutenant governor installed for the first time in over a decade Wednesday — and over the cries of Democrats — the Texas Senate voted to break from an almost 70-year tradition intended to encourage … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on RIP, two-thirds rule

Davis’ abortion disclosure

Posted on September 7, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

I agree with PDiddie that this is the big story of the weekend, and likely most of the upcoming week, too. State Sen. Wendy Davis, the Democratic candidate for governor, reveals in her new book that she terminated two pregnancies … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The fire still burns

Posted on June 27, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

As an addition to my own response to Lisa Falkenberg’s column about the one-year anniversary of Sen. Wendy Davis’s historic filibuster and the popular uprising around it, I want to call your attention to Andrea Grime’ piece in RHRealityCheck. It’s … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The fire still burns

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?

Tesla’s stealth visit to San Antonio

Posted on March 29, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

May mean something, or it may not. A pair of executives from Tesla Motors Inc., the electric carmaker that’s scouting a location for its planned $5 billion “gigafactory,” secretly met here Wednesday with top city and county officials, a person … Continue reading →

Posted in Bidness | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Fifth Circuit pretends to hear HB2 appeal

Posted on January 7, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

We’re all sure what their decision will be, right? Appellate judges on Monday challenged lawyers over provisions of Texas’ new abortion law and whether they have unduly caused the closure of about a dozen abortion clinics. The three-judge panel of … Continue reading →

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

HHSC publishes rules relating to HB2

Posted on December 31, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

HHSC is all in on the omnibus anti-abortion bill passed during the special session this summer. Texas health officials have a message for the more than 19,000 folks who wrote in to oppose new abortion regulations: Each individual commenter failed … Continue reading →

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

Abortion providers petition SCOTUS for injunction review

Posted on November 5, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll see what happens. Abortion providers on Monday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reinstate a lower federal court’s injunction that blocked Texas from implementing strict new abortion rules. “Right now, women in vast swaths of Texas are being turned … Continue reading →

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

Not all of HB2 was blocked

Posted on October 31, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

That injunction didn’t cover everything. As state officials appealed a federal judge’s order blocking a portion of Texas’ new abortion law, a prohibition against performing the procedure after 20 weeks of pregnancy quietly took effect Tuesday. While the ban will … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Not all of HB2 was blocked

No action from Fifth Circuit yet

Posted on October 30, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

HB2 is still enjoined. The Texas attorney general’s office is seeking an emergency stay, asking the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel’s ruling against abortion regulations in House Bill 2. Beginning Tuesday, abortion … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on No action from Fifth Circuit yet

Injunction granted against HB2

Posted on October 29, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Less than 24 hours before new abortion regulations were set to take effect in Texas, U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel on Monday blocked implementation of one provision challenged by abortion providers and partially blocked a second provision, ruling that … Continue reading →

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

Up to the judge in the abortion lawsuit trial

Posted on October 25, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

We expect a quick ruling. With days remaining until new abortion regulations take effect in Texas, attorneys for abortion providers and the state of Texas presented their final arguments Wednesday on whether those restrictions meet constitutional muster. “The result is … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Up to the judge in the abortion lawsuit trial

Lawsuit against abortion restrictions goes to trial

Posted on October 22, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Here we go. Seeking to block the state of Texas from implementing new abortion regulations, plaintiffs representing abortion providers argued Monday in a federal court that the state’s law violates the constitutional right of women to access the procedure. But … Continue reading →

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

First lawsuit filed over abortion restrictions

Posted on September 30, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Good. The next stage in abortion rights advocates’ efforts to block implementation of strict new regulations on the procedure in Texas began on Friday, as the Center for Reproductive Rights, the American Civil Liberties Union and a group of abortion … Continue reading →

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

And that’s a wrap on Special Session 3

Posted on August 6, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Hallelujah. The Texas Legislature adjourned its third special session since May on Monday night after passing a measure estimated to increase transportation funding by $1.2 billion annually if Texas voters approve it next year. “Let’s adjourn this mutha,” said state … Continue reading →

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

Maybe the same failed approach will work this time

Posted on August 1, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

It could happen, right? Transportation experts now estimate that the state needs $5billion a year to keep Texas moving. The proposal that fell apart in the House this week would add less than a billion annually. And after months of … Continue reading →

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

Special Session 3: Beyond Thunderdome

Posted on July 31, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Beyond ridiculous, if you ask me, not that they did. Standing before mostly empty chairs in the 150-member Texas House on Tuesday, House Speaker Joe Straus adjourned the second special session and announced that Gov. Rick Perry would be calling … Continue reading →

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

Transportation deal dies

Posted on July 30, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Technically, it’s not dead till sine die, but it sure is on life support. A compromise plan to spend $848 million on Texas highways just landed in a ditch. House members voted down a plan to split oil and gas … Continue reading →

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

Transportation funding deal completed

Posted on July 28, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

All over but for the voting. House and Senate leaders reached final agreement Saturday afternoon on how to protect the state’s rainy day fund as they propose to shift half of future rainy day dollars into roads, according to an … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Transportation funding deal completed

Lege may have found a way on transportation funding

Posted on July 27, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

As of Thursday, Special Session 3: Beyond Thunderdome was looming. Both chambers of the Legislature were filled with activity Thursday afternoon but they ended up essentially where they had started: waiting on House and Senate negotiators to come up with … Continue reading →

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

Transportation bill heads to conference committee

Posted on July 23, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

There’s still that fundamental disagreement in approach to be worked out somehow. Representatives from the House and Senate are preparing to spend the next week informally negotiating a compromise proposal to boost funding for the Texas Department of Transportation, with … Continue reading →

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

House passes different transportation bill than the Senate passed

Posted on July 19, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Our endless summer of special sessions isn’t over yet. The Texas House on Thursday gave final passage to a measure to boost funding for transportation projects, though few members expect it to survive the Senate without significant changes. After more … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on House passes different transportation bill than the Senate passed

Special election set in HD50

Posted on July 15, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Mark Strama announced his resignation from the Lege in February to go and run Google Fiber in Austin. Last week, Rick Perry set November 5 as the special election date to replace him. The race to serve out the remainder … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2013 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Special election set in HD50

When tampons are outlawed, only outlaws will have tampons

Posted on July 13, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

This is one of those things you just can’t make up. Inside Texas’ state legislature, loaded guns are fairly common. As the New York Times reported in March, “Just as Texas has long embraced its guns, so has the Capitol. … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , | 12 Comments

Four things to work on now that the omnibus anti-abortion bill is reality

Posted on July 11, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

1. Organize, organize, organize. Maintain the energy and sense of urgency that originated with the #StandWithWendy filibuster. This is a good way to draw people in while the iron is hot. Progressives and Planned Parenthood took their opposition to the … Continue reading →

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

Elsewhere in the House

Posted on July 11, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

No action on transportation yet. House budget writers on Tuesday ended a hearing on transportation funding with no clear decision about how to raise money for Texas roads. The House Appropriations Committee is considering several proposals to see which has … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Elsewhere in the House

Back to the House

Posted on July 10, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

After the Senate adjourned on Tuesday morning without a committee vote on its omnibus anti-abortion bill following the long hearing in which there was a lot more hearing than listening, the House took up its bill, with more of the … Continue reading →

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

Senate begins omnibus abortion bill hearings

Posted on July 9, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Remember, it’s all about women’s health. Senate Bill 1, and its companion, House Bill 2, would ban abortion at 20 weeks post-fertilization and recognize that the state has a compelling interest to protect fetuses from pain; require doctors performing abortions … Continue reading →

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

With Rick Perry, you always have to ask “Who benefits?”

Posted on July 8, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Texas Politics had an item on Friday that perhaps should have received a higher profile. One of the controversial tenets of the abortion restriction bill would require all abortions to be performed in ambulatory surgical centers, which are a distinct … Continue reading →

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

Coming attractions in the Senate

Posted on July 6, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

From Jessica Luther, a guide to Monday’s Senate hearing on their version of the omnibus anti-abortion bill. On Tuesday, the House Committee had their hearing for HB2 (what a sham that was, huh?). The Senate version of that bill – … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Coming attractions in the Senate

Public Integrity Unit employees get layoff notices

Posted on July 6, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

What is to come if nothing changes. Travis County commissioners are still holding out hope the state will fund the District Attorney’s Public Integrity Unit, but took an early step to let employees know their jobs are on the line. … Continue reading →

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

There are other items on this session’s agenda

Posted on July 3, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I know, hard to believe, but there are two non-abortion items on the session agenda, and the Senate has already taken preliminary action on two of them. Six hours before a marathon state House committee hearing on abortion, two Senate … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on There are other items on this session’s agenda

Protest day at the Capitol

Posted on July 2, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Pretty impressive: The story: Opponents of Republican-backed legislation to dramatically curtail abortion rights in Texas descended on the Capitol by the thousands on Monday, spurred on by musicians, celebrities and their new hero: filibustering state Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth. … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Protest day at the Capitol