Tag Archives: Charles Schwertner

So about those generators CenterPoint bought…

Posted on July 31, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I’m fine with all of this, but it shouldn’t be the endpoint of the conversation. It’s not even the main point. A state lawmaker said Monday he was considering pushing legislation to recoup some of the $800 million CenterPoint Energy … Continue reading →

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

New accusations of sexual harassment in the Texas Senate

Posted on July 14, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

A followup to a story from seven years ago. Sadly but not surprisingly, very little has changed since then. Texas senators were silent on Friday in the face of fresh allegations of sexual harassment revealed in in a Texas Monthly … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on New accusations of sexual harassment in the Texas Senate

Yet another Paxton roundup

Posted on August 25, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

The Senate trial starts in 11 days, and there continues to be so much Paxton news. Political pressure is intensifying around Republican state senators who will serve as the jurors in the impeachment trial of suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton. … Continue reading →

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

Actually, we could have saved Fairfield State Park

Posted on February 28, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Well, well, well. State officials passed up an offer to save Fairfield Lake State Park this month, just days before the Texas parks department celebrated its centennial, according to newly uncovered text messages. The 1,821-acre park sits on land the … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Fairfield Lake State Park is officially closing

Posted on February 16, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

At the end of the month. A popular state park southeast of Dallas is poised to become an exclusive community with multimillion-dollar homes and a private golf course. Fairfield Lake State Park will close Feb. 28 after months of negotiations … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

PUC makes an attempt to fix the grid

Posted on January 21, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

People are skeptical. The Public Utility Commission voted Thursday to make a substantial change to the state’s electricity market in a controversial effort to get the whole system to be more reliable. The agency said it will let the Legislature … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Special Session 2.0: Still no quorum yet

Posted on August 8, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll see how long that lasts. Texas Democrats on Saturday blocked a quorum in the House for the third time this year as the Legislature kicked off its second special legislative session called to pass the GOP elections bill, among … Continue reading →

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

Small revisions to medical marijuana law passed

Posted on May 31, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

You know what I’m going to say about this, right? A watered-down expansion of Texas’ medical marijuana program is headed to the desk of Gov. Greg Abbott after the state House voted to accept significant changes to the bill made … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Small revisions to medical marijuana law passed

News flash: Dan Patrick does not support loosening marijuana laws

Posted on May 22, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

In other news, summer is hot and it sometimes floods in Houston. With less than two weeks left in Texas’ legislative session, medical marijuana advocates are ratcheting up pressure on Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who they say is blocking an … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

So we bail out the electricity providers

Posted on May 9, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I guess I don’t know enough about our weird electricity market to suggest a viable alternative to this, but it sure doesn’t speak well of our system. An approximately $2.5 billion plan to bail out Texas’ distressed electricity market from … Continue reading →

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

Winter storm death count now at 111

Posted on March 28, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

A revision of the numbers. Expect this to happen at least once more. At least 111 Texans died as a result of last month’s winter storm, according to updated numbers released Thursday by the state Department of State Health Services. … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege, The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Precinct analysis: 2018 State Senate

Posted on March 18, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

The day I look forward to since November has finally arrived – all the data from the last election is now available on the Texas Legislative Council webpage. You know what that means: It’s statewide precinct analysis time! Let’s start … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Schwertner gives up committee chair

Posted on January 7, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Another unusual development in a continuing odd story. After facing an allegation of sexual harassment, state Sen. Charles Schwertner has told the Senate’s leader he no longer wants his post as chair of the powerful health and human services committee. … Continue reading →

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

Asking the unanswered questions

Posted on December 22, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Ross Ramsey goes there on Sen. Charles Schwertner. The problem is that the investigation at UT didn’t reach any final conclusions. The investigator couldn’t prove Schwertner was at fault, but also couldn’t prove he was not. There is no evidence … Continue reading →

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

UT issues report on Schwertner

Posted on December 19, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

It raises more questions than it answers, honestly. The University of Texas at Austin has ended its investigation of state Sen. Charles Schwertner, concluding that the “available evidence does not support” a finding that the Georgetown Republican, accused of sending … Continue reading →

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

Another Schwertner update

Posted on October 10, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

The investigation is happening. The University of Texas on Monday acknowledged it has received a complaint about state Sen. Charles Schwertner from a student, and that it has collected evidence as part of an investigation into him, marking the first … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Another Schwertner update

Investigating Schwertner

Posted on October 6, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Another update. Lawyers for state Sen. Charles Schwertner, a Georgetown Republican alleged to have sent lewd messages to a graduate student, said Wednesday that the University of Texas at Austin has hired former federal prosecutor Johnny Sutton to help investigate … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Investigating Schwertner

What should the Senate do about Schwertner?

Posted on October 4, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

There are two basic choices. The circumstances surrounding the latest allegation are thorny: They involve a Republican state senator, Charles Schwertner, who is accused of texting a sexually explicit image and message to a graduate student. Reportedly, Schwertner and the … Continue reading →

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

Schwertner update

Posted on September 27, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

He has amended his statement. In the face of a sexual harassment allegation, state Sen. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown, has hired two Austin attorneys and denied sending “any inappropriate texts as alleged” — “Period.” — in a new statement Wednesday from … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

UT investigating sexual misconduct case against State Sen. Schwertner

Posted on September 26, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Noted for the record. The University of Texas is investigating an allegation that state Sen. Charles Schwertner sent a sexually explicit image and text message to a graduate student he met at an on-campus event this summer, three senior UT … Continue reading →

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

Senate considers mostly symbolic ideas on school safety

Posted on June 13, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Once again, see if you can tell what’s missing from this discussion. Nearly three weeks after a shooter killed 10 people at a high school southeast of Houston, lawmakers gathered at the Texas Capitol on Monday to discuss new school … Continue reading →

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

Filing roundup: State Senate

Posted on December 19, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

In 2014, Democrats contested five of the eleven Republican-held State Senate seats on the ballot, plus the seat that was vacated by Wendy Davis, which was won by Republican Konni Burton. This year, Democrats have candidates in eleven of these … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The bathroom bill is a threat to Quidditch

Posted on July 24, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

How much more do you need to know? It’s not quite time to get out the broomsticks in Round Rock. A national quidditch tournament headed to town next year has been put on hold while legislators consider the bathroom bill … Continue reading →

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

Telemedicine set to expand in Texas

Posted on June 19, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Coming to a video screen near you, thanks to a bill signed in May by Greg Abbott. “This is a huge step forward, a real positive for Texas,” said Dr. Nancy Dickey, executive director of the Rural and Community Health … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Telemedicine set to expand in Texas

Senate passes statewide rideshare bill

Posted on May 18, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a done deal. After a debate among lawmakers over the best way to regulate services like Uber and Lyft, the Texas Senate on Wednesday backed a proposal that would override local regulations concerning ride-hailing companies. House Bill 100 would … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Rideshare bill advances in Senate

Posted on May 13, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

It was almost different and then it wasn’t, but it still could be. Paid ride companies such as Uber and Lyft are one step closer to the statewide oversight they crave, after a state Senate committee approved a revised plan … Continue reading →

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

Where are the marijuana bills?

Posted on April 28, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

There have been no hearings on two bills to expand the usage of medical marijuana in Texas. [Dr. Robert S.] Marks was among about two dozen advocates for so-called medical marijuana, including health-care professionals and patients, who gathered at the … Continue reading →

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

Five anti-Texas Central bills approved by Senate committee

Posted on April 6, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

It just got real. Five bills filed by state lawmakers fearful a high-speed rail project planned between Houston and Dallas will be a dud and need help from the state passed a key committee Wednesday, breezing their way past opposition … Continue reading →

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

Senate committee hears rideshare bills

Posted on March 18, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

One of these, in some form, is likely to become law. Senate Bill 176, by state Sen. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown, and Senate Bill 361 by state Sen. Robert Nichols, R-Jacksonville, received a joint hearing after [Senate Business & Commerce Committee] … Continue reading →

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

A really dumb “Trump and the train” article

Posted on March 16, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Ugh. Texas is closer than ever to building the first high-speed train in the United States, thanks to President Donald Trump’s fascination with these transportation projects and a well-timed pitch to his administration. Now developers nationwide are looking to the … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Here come the anti-Texas Central bills

Posted on February 24, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: [Tuesday], a group of key state lawmakers filed a slate of legislation to push back against Texas Central Railway’s controversial proposal to construct a high-speed rail line between Dallas and Houston. Senators Birdwell (R-Granbury), Creighton (R-Conroe), Kolkhorst … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Turns out a little budget flexibility is a good thing

Posted on February 15, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Some lessons have to be learned the hard way. More than a year after Texas voters approved routing billions in state sales taxes to roads and bridges, some lawmakers are questioning whether the first payment of $5 billion should move … Continue reading →

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

A telemedicine breakthrough

Posted on February 14, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

This is good to see. A years-long fight over the use of telemedicine in Texas appears to have been resolved, with medical and industry groups agreeing to compromise legislation that, if it passes, could benefit patients, especially those in rural … Continue reading →

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

Paddie files another rideshare bill

Posted on February 13, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Texas State Rep. Chris Paddie (R-Marshall) has filed legislation proposing a statewide regulatory framework for transportation network companies (TNCs) such as Uber and Lyft. House Bill 100 will help bring economic opportunity and access to safe, reliable … Continue reading →

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