Tag Archives: Dennis Bonnen

The Dustin Burrows dilemma

Posted on December 17, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I have four things to say about this. Five years ago, Rep. Dustin Burrows’ reputation sustained a major blow among his House colleagues. The Lubbock Republican resigned as chair of the House GOP Caucus after it was revealed that he … Continue reading →

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We have our Speaker

Posted on January 13, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Congratulations. The Texas House on Tuesday elected state Rep. Dade Phelan as the next House speaker, ushering into office a new leader who will oversee a chamber facing its toughest set of legislative challenges in years against the backdrop of … Continue reading →

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The Republican war against Harris County

Posted on January 9, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

To be fair, it’s not just Harris County that’s in the crosshairs, it’s the big urban counties, and cities in general. But it’s real and it’s dangerous and it’s anti-democratic. Republicans in the Texas Legislature are gearing up to bar … Continue reading →

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The states respond to Paxton

Posted on December 11, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Now we wait for SCOTUS. I sure hope they’re quick about it. Each of the four battleground states targeted by a Texas lawsuit seeking to overturn President Donald Trump’s election defeat issued blistering briefs at the Supreme Court on Thursday, with … Continue reading →

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Republican Party Chair craps on Republican presumed Speaker

Posted on November 10, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I expected this upcoming legislative session to be interesting, but I didn’t think it would be this interesting this quickly. Texas GOP Chair Allen West said Monday that the state party “will not support, nor accept” state Rep. Dade Phelan … Continue reading →

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Looks like (maybe) we have a Speaker

Posted on November 5, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I give you Rep. Dade Phelan. May he not spontaneously combust in spectacular and self-inflicted fashion like a drummer for Spinal Tap the last Speaker. State Rep. Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, announced Wednesday he has the votes needed to become the … Continue reading →

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We need an official Speaker candidate tracker

Posted on October 30, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

We’re up to five now, and we’re likely not done yet. State Reps. Trent Ashby of Lufkin, Chris Paddie of Marshall and John Cyrier of Lockhart join two Democrats in seeking the gavel: Senfronia Thompson of Houston and Trey Martinez … Continue reading →

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TMF files for Speaker

Posted on October 27, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Now it’s a race. State Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer announced Monday that he is running for Texas House speaker, becoming the second Democrat in the lower chamber to launch a bid for the gavel. Martinez Fischer, from San Antonio, joins … Continue reading →

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Rep. Senfronia Thompson files for Speaker

Posted on October 25, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

One hat in the ring, who knows how many to go. State Rep. Senfronia Thompson, the longest-serving woman and Black person in the history of the Texas Legislature, filed Friday to run for speaker of the Texas House, making her … Continue reading →

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30 Day 2020 campaign finance reports: State races, part 2

Posted on October 14, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Continuing to look at the 30-day campaign finance reports. A lot of candidates have been reporting big hauls, especially in the hot State Rep races. As before, I will split these into four parts. Part one, with statewide, SBOE, and … Continue reading →

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Speaker’s race? What Speaker’s race?

Posted on October 2, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Just a reminder that one of the three most powerful political offices in the state is on the ballot this November, even if it’s largely invisible to us. State Rep. Senfronia Thompson fielded a question last week that’s been on … Continue reading →

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Wait, you can’t cut that spending!

Posted on August 19, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

This is the sort of thing you come up with when you’re out of other ideas. Property tax revenue would be on the line for cities that choose to defund their police departments under a new legislative proposal pitched Tuesday … Continue reading →

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Let the sun shine in

Posted on August 8, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Make ’em disclose. Empower Texans, the deep-pocketed conservative advocacy group, is well-known for its heavy hand in steering the Texas GOP further to the right and for its shadowy setup that hides its funding sources from the public. But a … Continue reading →

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July 2020 campaign finance reports: State races, part 2

Posted on August 6, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s move on to finance reports from the State House, which I will break up into two parts. Today’s look is on the various races in the greater Houston area, and after that I’ll look at the other races of … Continue reading →

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From the “Live by the leaked audio, die by the leaked audio” department

Posted on June 20, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Oh, the irony. Two staffers for the hardline conservative group Empower Texans have been caught on an audio recording disparaging Gov. Greg Abbott with profanity and joking about his wheelchair use. Upon the comments surfacing Friday morning, Abbott’s office and … Continue reading →

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Coronavirus and the state budget

Posted on March 27, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Ain’t gonna be great. How bad, we don’t yet know. Comptroller Glenn Hegar briefed Texas House members on the state’s economy and budget Sunday night, saying that while it was too soon for specific forecasts, both are expected to take … Continue reading →

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Runoff roundup

Posted on March 7, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Here, as best as I can determine, are the runoffs of interest for May: US Senate – MJ Hegar versus Royce West CD02 – Sima Ladjevardian versus Elisa Cardnell CD03 – Lulu Seikaly versus Sean McCaffity CD10 – Mike Siegel … Continue reading →

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Bonnen “likely violated” the law

Posted on December 21, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Well, isn’t that special? The House General Investigating Committee on Friday unanimously adopted a report from its legal advisers that said House Speaker Dennis Bonnen “likely violated” state law during a June meeting with a fellow member and a hardline … Continue reading →

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Filing period preview: SBOE, Senate, House

Posted on November 13, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Previously: Congress, and Statewide. As before, I am using the Patrick Svitek spreadsheet as my primary reference. Buckle up, there’s a lot to talk about here. I’m going to limit my discussion of State House races to the greater Houston … Continue reading →

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Dan Patrick’s budget destruction

Posted on November 4, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

It’s not what you think it is, but it’s still bad. Tucked away in a quiet corner of Texas state government, an arcane team of 100 or so budget nerds has led a private, if stressful, life — running financial … Continue reading →

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Every Speaker’s race is unique

Posted on November 3, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

The one to come has a more uncertain outcome than the last few we’ve seen. The current party mix is 83 Republicans and 67 Democrats. Republicans hope to hold their advantage after the 2020 elections, while Democrats, encouraged by their … Continue reading →

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No charges against Bonnen

Posted on October 25, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

No surprise. Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen will not be criminally prosecuted for the things he said during a secretly recorded June meeting with a hardline conservative activist, the district attorney in his hometown announced Thursday. “As repugnant as Speaker … Continue reading →

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Still more Bonnen business

Posted on October 24, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t know how much longer we’re going to be obsessing over the Bonnen implosion, but we’re not done yet. Today’s topic is What It All Means for 2020. “The quarterback and coach have been taken off the field,” said … Continue reading →

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Bye bye, Bonnen

Posted on October 23, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Wow. First-term Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen on Tuesday announced he will not seek reelection to the lower chamber in 2020 — completing a stunning fall for the Angleton Republican who enjoyed near unanimous support in the House just months … Continue reading →

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So now what with Bonnen?

Posted on October 21, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Democrats will wait and see. On Thursday night, as Republican House Speaker Dennis Bonnen’s political fate continued to hang in the balance, some of the most influential Democrats were in El Paso for a town hall and were split on … Continue reading →

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So are there any legal consequences to the Bonnen tape?

Posted on October 17, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Probably not, but maybe a little. Does that help? It was, according to his critics, “hurtful,” “vindictive” and “unbefitting of the high office he holds.” But was House Speaker Dennis Bonnen’s June 12 meeting with conservative activist Michael Quinn Sullivan … Continue reading →

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The Bonnen tape is out

Posted on October 16, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a doozy. During a June conversation at the Texas Capitol, Republican House Speaker Dennis Bonnen urged hardline conservative activist Michael Quinn Sullivan to target members of their own party in the 2020 primaries and suggested he could get Sullivan’s … Continue reading →

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How’s that investigation into the Bonnen-MQS kerfuffle going?

Posted on October 12, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

About how you’d expect. If recent history is any indication, House Speaker Dennis Bonnen has little to fear from a Texas Rangers investigation into allegations he offered a bribe to a conservative activist. Investigators who have delved into accusations of … Continue reading →

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MQS says he will release the Bonnen tape

Posted on October 11, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Well, well, well. Hardline conservative activist Michael Quinn Sullivan said Thursday he will release a secret recording of his controversial meeting with House Speaker Dennis Bonnen and another top GOP member next week. “I have been given the green light … Continue reading →

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Dan Patrick and Michael Quinn Sullivan fighting is the sweetest sound you will ever hear

Posted on September 18, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Inject this directly into my veins. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Michael Quinn Sullivan, a hardline conservative activist long aligned with the head of the Texas Senate, publicly accused each other of “destroying” the Republican Party on Tuesday — seeming … Continue reading →

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As the Bonnen turns

Posted on September 13, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Drip, drip, drip… In the hours after hardline conservative activist Michael Quinn Sullivan exploded his political bombshell in late July — alleging House Speaker Dennis Bonnen wanted to target some of his own GOP members in 2020 — the lower … Continue reading →

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MQS-Bonnen secret meeting investigation update

Posted on August 29, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Noted for the record. The top prosecutor in House Speaker Dennis Bonnen’s home district has joined the probe into Bonnen’s secret meeting with a conservative political activist, in which the activist alleges he was offered an illegal quid pro quo. … Continue reading →

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Pretty much everybody wants MQS to release the Bonnen recordings

Posted on August 27, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

From Twitter: JOINT STATEMENT BY REPS. KLICK, HUBERTY, GOLDMAN AND SANFORD “We call for the complete and unedited public release of the secretly recorded conversation between Speaker Bonnen, Representative Burrows and Michael Quinn Sullivan.” — Stephanie Klick (@StephanieKlick) 3:53 PM … Continue reading →

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The Bonnen-MQS saga makes the Times

Posted on August 20, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Gotta love it when our little intramural squabbles go national. In Texas, they are calling it the case of “The Speaker and the Creeper.” The political imbroglio started last month, when Michael Quinn Sullivan, a conservative pit bull who routinely … Continue reading →

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