Tag Archives: Angela Paxton

July 2024 campaign finance reports – State offices

Posted on July 29, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

PREVIOUSLY: Senate and Congress For the first time in awhile that I can remember, there’s not really a state or statewide legislative race generating much interest in Harris County. The candidates and incumbents for the Court of Appeals benches have … Continue reading →

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The problem with Texas’ anti-porn law

Posted on May 2, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s a good explanation of the issue from Slate. After a federal district court judge found that the law likely violated the First Amendment rights of the plaintiffs—led by the adult film trade association the Free Speech Coalition—the 5th Circuit … Continue reading →

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Book ban law stays blocked

Posted on April 18, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Key portions of a law signed last year by Gov. Greg Abbott requiring booksellers to rate books for sexual content when selling to schools will not go into effect after the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday declined … Continue reading →

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Paxton sues two more adult websites

Posted on March 24, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I’m sure he’s got a list. Two more adult websites are facing lawsuits from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office over accusations they’re not following the state’s age verification law, the latest effort to legally go after internet porn providers. … Continue reading →

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Sure, Pornhub could verify identities and ages if they wanted to

Posted on March 19, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

But that’s not the point. House Bill 1181, which was passed in June and went into effect in September, says that any entity publishing pornographic material must require a visitor to provide digital identification or use a commercial age verification … Continue reading →

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Pornhub blocks access from Texas

Posted on March 16, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I’m sure you’ve already noticed, but just in case… One of the most-visited pornography websites, Pornhub, disabled its site in Texas on Thursday over objections to a state law that requires age verification to prevent access to minors. People who … Continue reading →

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There’s only one way forward after this primary

Posted on March 11, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

The worst people you know had a very good week last week. It’s likely to get better for them after the runoffs. These headlines capture the essence of it: ‘Disastrous’: A shaken Texas House prepares for rightward shift after record … Continue reading →

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Paxton sues Pornhub under the currently-enforceable state anti-porn law

Posted on February 29, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Welp. Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton this week sued a major online porn distributor in an effort to enforce a new state law mandating age verification and purported health warnings on adult websites. The lawsuit, filed in state court … Continue reading →

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Fifth Circuit upholds injunction in book rating lawsuit

Posted on January 18, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Good news. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday blocked a new Texas law that requires bookstores to rate books for sexual content and prohibits any deemed “sexually explicit” from the state’s public schools. A panel of three judges … Continue reading →

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Fifth Circuit has its book rating lawsuit hearing

Posted on December 3, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

It looks like it might have…gone well? I am cautiously hopeful. Federal appellate judges Wednesday questioned a new Texas law requiring book sellers to rate the explicitness and relevance of sexual references in materials they sell to schools, though it … Continue reading →

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Two book ban updates

Posted on September 28, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Bad news. A state law banning “sexually explicit” books from Texas schools will now go into effect, after an appeals court temporarily blocked a lower court ruling. The three-judge panel did not offer any reasoning. Their decision is temporary until … Continue reading →

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The whistleblowers say they aren’t going away

Posted on September 26, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Glad to hear it. In a Monday filing to the Texas Supreme Court, the whistleblowers [Blake Brickman, David Maxwell, Mark Penley and Ryan Vassar] argued that Paxton has failed to uphold key parts of the settlement agreement, including the $3.3 … Continue reading →

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Book ban lawsuit opinion released

Posted on September 22, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a strong one, not that that will mean anything to the troglodyte nihilists at the Fifth Circuit. In temporarily blocking enforcement of a new Texas law that limits books with sexual content in school libraries, a federal judge called … Continue reading →

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Paxton acquitted on all counts

Posted on September 17, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Welp. The Texas Senate on Saturday acquitted Attorney General Ken Paxton of 16 articles of impeachment alleging corruption and bribery, his most artful escape in a career spent courting controversy and skirting consequences of scandal. No article received more than … Continue reading →

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Impeachment trial, Week 2: This could actually be the end

Posted on September 13, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

They’re on the clock. The clock is quite literally running down on the impeachment trial of suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on Monday morning told the Texas Senate — which is serving as the jury — … Continue reading →

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First week of impeachment ends

Posted on September 10, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I will state upfront that I followed the impeachment trial from a bit of remove. There’s still a lot going on elsewhere, and thanks to the massive amounts of data dropped during discovery, there really hasn’t been anything new or … Continue reading →

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Weekend Paxton roundup

Posted on September 3, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

There’s still time to decorate your house for Impeachment Trial Day on Tuesday. I’m just saying. Here’s a Who’s Who of the impeachment trial for those of you who would like a scorecard, and here’s Dan Patrick asking his patrons … Continue reading →

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Book rating law blocked

Posted on September 2, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Good. A federal judge said Thursday he will stop a new Texas law aimed at keeping sexually explicit materials off of school library shelves on the eve of the law going into effect, according to state attorneys and lawyers for … Continue reading →

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Paxton roundup: What about Dan?

Posted on September 2, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

The Trib ponders how Dan Patrick is holding up under the strain of having to preside over the Ken Paxton impeachment trial. In the Texas Senate, what Dan Patrick wants — Dan Patrick typically gets. Widely regarded as one of … Continue reading →

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Paxton roundup: The Christian right does not care at all about his alleged infidelity

Posted on August 30, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I appreciate the thought that went into this story, but come on. Have we not been paying attention to the last seven years? Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton rose to power as a champion of religious liberty, building a passionate … Continue reading →

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Yet even more Paxton revelations

Posted on August 19, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

It’s been awhile since I last said Wow, but here I am again saying it. Drew Wicker did not like what he was hearing. The personal assistant to Attorney General Ken Paxton stood in his boss’s kitchen in summer 2020 … Continue reading →

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The bookstores’ view of the book rating lawsuit

Posted on August 2, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Some useful context from one of the plaintiffs in that lawsuit challenging a new “book rating” law. When Valerie Koehler bought Blue Willow Bookshop, she wanted to offer an expansive selection of children’s books. “We made it our mission to … Continue reading →

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Paxton’s lawyers seek to dismiss most impeachment charges

Posted on August 1, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

They’re defense lawyers, it’s what they do. Lawyers for suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton requested Monday that all but one of 20 articles of impeachment be dismissed, arguing his removal would “override the will of the people” who elected him … Continue reading →

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Steven Hotze enters the impeachment chat

Posted on July 24, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Wait, what? Houston conservative activist Steve Hotze filed a lawsuit Friday challenging the gag order issued by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick in Attorney General Ken Paxton’s impeachment trial, arguing the policy violates free speech protections under the Texas Constitution. In … Continue reading →

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There’s still more Paxton stuff to investigate

Posted on June 30, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

He’s the grift that keeps on giving. The Texas House investigation into impeached Attorney General Ken Paxton has reportedly widened to include a series of property purchases he made as he faced a federal probe over allegations that he abused … Continue reading →

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Another Paxton roundup

Posted on June 26, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

The hits keep on coming… So, just how transparent is this Senate trial going to be? Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has promised maximum transparency in the impeachment trial for suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton, but trial rules recently adopted by … Continue reading →

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Here are the Senate impeachment rules

Posted on June 23, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s go. Suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton will answer to 16 of 20 articles of impeachment at a trial to begin Sept. 5, the Texas Senate said Wednesday night after spending about 20 hours drafting the trial rules in private. … Continue reading →

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Sen. Angela Paxton will be one of her husband’s jurors

Posted on June 21, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Really, there was no other way this could have ended. After weeks of speculation, state Sen. Angela Paxton announced late Monday that she will attend the impeachment trial of her husband, suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton, the McKinney Republican said … Continue reading →

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Paxton-palooza

Posted on June 18, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Tuesday is going to be a huge day in the Ken Paxton impeachment saga, as the Senate committee in charge of setting the rules for the Senate trial get around to doing that. There’s been a lot of energy towards … Continue reading →

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That’s a lot of impeachment-related subpoenas

Posted on June 16, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Some great stuff from the DMN. The day after the Texas House voted overwhelmingly to impeach Attorney General Ken Paxton, the ethics panel investigating his alleged misdeeds issued a dozen new subpoenas that indicate their inquiry is far from over. … Continue reading →

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Of course Dan Patrick has a Ken Paxton conflict of interest

Posted on June 14, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Why wouldn’t he? Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has cast Attorney General Ken Paxton’s upcoming impeachment trial in the Senate as like a real-world courtroom, with senators sitting as jurors and Patrick serving as judge. “Would you go to a judge … Continue reading →

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Impeachment in the Senate

Posted on June 4, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Long Trib story about what to expect when the Senate finally takes up the impeachment trial of Ken Paxton. The Senate plans to consider impeachment rules on June 20 and to start the trial by Aug. 28. Yet there are … Continue reading →

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What will Angela do?

Posted on May 31, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

This is a good and balanced article about one of the people who will sit in judgment of Ken Paxton in the Texas Senate: his wife, Angela Paxton. When it came time for the high school teacher and guidance counselor … Continue reading →

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Two thoughts on the whole impeachment thing

Posted on May 30, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s start with the obvious, which is the “Why now?” question. A lot of people seem to be mystified. Why, after nearly a decade of Ken Paxton’s criming, did the House General Investigations Committee decide to go all scorched earth … Continue reading →

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