Tag Archives: DPS

Once more, with feeling: There was no fraud in the 2022 election

Posted on October 30, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron provides a coda to that accursed election and all of the bullshit that followed. When Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced in August that she had found no evidence of election rigging during the 2022 midterm elections, … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged Clifford Tatum, District Attorney, DPS, Election 2022, election contest, elections administrator, Greg Abbott, Harris County, Kim Ogg, lawsuit, paper ballots, Secretary of State, Steve McCraw, Texas, Texas Rangers | Comments Off

More on the drivers license/birth certificate gender change ban

Posted on September 12, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

This Houston Landing story from Friday covers the recent news about the very quiet policy changes regarding birth certificates and drivers licenses, and adds some extra information at the end. I’m going to focus on that part of it. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged birth certificate, DPS, drivers licenses, Equality Texas, Ken Paxton, Lambda Legal, passports, Texas, Texas Department of State Health Services, Transgender Education Network of Texas, transgender rights, voter ID | 1 Comment

Now trans Texans can’t get their birth certificates updated

Posted on September 4, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

This is getting uglier. The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) made an unannounced policy change Friday, modifying its requirements for Texans seeking to change the sex marker on their birth certificates. The DSHS website previously said the agency … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged birth certificate, DPS, drivers licenses, Ken Paxton, Texas, Texas Department of State Health Services, Transgender Education Network of Texas, transgender rights | 1 Comment

The current state of voter purging

Posted on August 30, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll start here, and there’s a lot to unpack. Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday announced that the state has removed over 1 million names from the Texas voter rolls, mainly people who moved out of state or died but including … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged ACLU of Texas, Bexar County, Campaign Legal Center, David Whitley, Donald Trump, DPS, drivers licenses, Election 2024, Gene Wu, Greg Abbott, Harris County, immigration, Jane Nelson, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, LULAC, MALDEF, National Voter Registration Act, SCOTUS, Secretary of State, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, voter registration, voter suppression | 6 Comments

DPS will no longer update gender on drivers licenses

Posted on August 22, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

What the hell? Transgender Texans will not be able to change the sex listed on their driver’s licenses, according to a policy change rolled out this week. Under the new policy, Texans will not be able to change the sex … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged birth certificate, DPS, drivers licenses, Ken Paxton, Texas, transgender rights, voter ID | 9 Comments

Judge orders some Uvalde records to be released

Posted on July 18, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Really hard to believe that this is still a contested issue, but here we are. The school district and sheriff’s office in Uvalde must release their records and documents related to the Robb Elementary School shooting — including police body … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training Center, Attorney General, body cameras, Christina Busbee, DPS, gun control, guns, Justice Department, lawsuit, Merrick Garland, National Association of School Resource Officers, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, Pete Arredondo, Roland Gutierrez, schools, Sheriff, Steve McCraw, Texas, Texas Public Information Act, Texas Rangers, Uvalde | Comments Off

Uvalde parents sue DPS officers

Posted on May 24, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I hope they can get this to a courtroom. I fear that “qualified immunity” will stop them beforehand. Relatives of 17 children killed and two kids injured in Texas’ deadliest school shooting are suing Texas Department of Public Safety officers … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged DPS, gun control, guns, Javier Cazares, lawsuit, Mindy Gutierrez, Pete Arredondo, qualified immunity, Texas, Uvalde, Uvalde County, Veronica Luevanos | 1 Comment

The Fifth Circuit has its merits hearing on SB4

Posted on April 4, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

This is the big one. A federal appeals court heard arguments Wednesday from Texas and the federal government about whether it should continue blocking a new Texas law that would let state police arrest migrants suspected of entering the U.S. … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged ACLU of Texas, American Gateways, Bastrop County, Congress, Donald Trump, DPS, El Paso, Election 2024, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Greg Abbott, Harris County, Hidalgo County, immigration, Joe Biden, Justice Department, Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, lawsuit, MALDEF, McLennan County, Mexico, SCOTUS, Senate, Steve McCraw, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, The Lege | Comments Off

Fifth Circuit leaves SB4 block in place

Posted on March 28, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Good. A federal appeals panel late Tuesday night declined to put Texas’s migrant deportation law back in effect, saying the state law seizes powers that are “likely reserved to the United States.” The 2-1 opinion from the 5th Circuit Court … Continue reading →

Mexico asks Fifth Circuit to keep blocking SB4

Posted on March 25, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

They definitely have an interest in this. The Mexican government is urging a federal court to block Texas’ migrant deportation law, arguing it will trample the country’s right to regulate its own borders, terrorize the 2.4 million Mexican nationals living … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged ACLU of Texas, American Gateways, Bastrop County, Congress, Donald Trump, DPS, El Paso, Election 2024, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Greg Abbott, Harris County, Hidalgo County, immigration, Joe Biden, Justice Department, Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, lawsuit, MALDEF, McLennan County, Mexico, SCOTUS, Senate, Sheriff’s Association of Texas, Steve McCraw, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, Texas Municipal Police Association, Texas Police Chiefs Association, The Lege | Comments Off

Fifth Circuit has its SB4 hearing

Posted on March 21, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

More whiplashing. The chief judge on an appeals panel weighing whether to block Texas’ new migrant deportation law appeared skeptical that it does not run afoul of longstanding precedent leaving immigration enforcement solely to the federal government. Questioning the state’s … Continue reading →

And just like that, SCOTUS flipflops on SB4

Posted on March 20, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

UPDATE: It’s blocked again! A federal appeals court late Tuesday night stopped a state law allowing Texas police to arrest people suspected of illegally crossing the Texas-Mexico border — hours after the U.S. Supreme Court had allowed it to go … Continue reading →

SCOTUS pauses SB4 again

Posted on March 19, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

This time indefinitely. The Supreme Court on Monday extended a temporary block on a new Texas immigration law that is being challenged by the Biden administration. In an order issued by conservative Justice Samuel Alito, the court again imposed a … Continue reading →

SB4 remains on hold

Posted on March 13, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Fine by me. No rush. The Supreme Court on Tuesday further delayed a new Texas law empowering state authorities to arrest and deport migrants that would transform immigration enforcement long left to the federal government. Justice Samuel Alito extended an … Continue reading →

City of Uvalde gets its report on police performance at Robb Elementary

Posted on March 9, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

It landed with a thud. A city-commissioned independent review of Uvalde police’s response to the Robb Elementary School shooting cleared local officers of wrongdoing, infuriating parents of the 19 children killed in the massacre and at least two city council … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged Christina Busbee, DPS, guns, Jesse Prado, Justice Department, Texas, Uvalde, Uvalde County | 3 Comments

The Fifth Circuit remains extremely on brand

Posted on March 5, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Of all the Fifth Circuits in the world, they’re the Fifth Circuitest. A new law empowering state authorities to arrest and deport migrants seeking asylum in the United States may soon take effect after an appeals court stepped in to … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged ACLU of Texas, American Gateways, Congress, Donald Trump, DPS, El Paso, Election 2024, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Greg Abbott, immigration, Joe Biden, Justice Department, Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, lawsuit, Mexico, SCOTUS, Senate, Steve McCraw, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, The Lege | 1 Comment

SB4 blocked by federal court

Posted on March 1, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Good. A federal judge in Austin on Thursday halted a new state law that would allow Texas police to arrest people suspected of crossing the Texas-Mexico border illegally. The law, Senate Bill 4, was scheduled to take effect Tuesday. U.S. … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged ACLU of Texas, American Gateways, Congress, Donald Trump, DPS, El Paso, Election 2024, Greg Abbott, immigration, Joe Biden, Justice Department, Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, lawsuit, Mexico, SCOTUS, Senate, Steve McCraw, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, The Lege | 1 Comment

SB4 lawsuit has its day in court

Posted on February 18, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll see what happens. Lawyers for the Biden administration and Texas faced off in a federal court in Austin on Thursday to argue whether a new state law that would allow police to arrest people suspected of crossing the Texas-Mexico … Continue reading →

Don’t expect much from that Uvalde grand jury

Posted on February 11, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I mean, I wasn’t, but in case you were, don’t. After more than a year of pressure to file criminal charges against some of the Texas law enforcement officers responsible for the botched response to the Robb Elementary School shooting, … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training Center, Christina Busbee, DPS, gun control, guns, Justice Department, lawsuit, Merrick Garland, National Association of School Resource Officers, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, Pete Arredondo, schools, Texas, Uvalde | Comments Off

On hiring more cops

Posted on January 22, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Not as easy to do as you might think. Halfway through his inaugural speech, Houston Mayor John Whitmire said the city made it far too hard for people to join the Houston Police Department. As an example, Whitmire pointed out … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, Local politics | Tagged budget, DPS, Election 2023, Houston, HPD, John Whitmire, Mayor, Metro, police, public safety district, revenue cap, schools, Sylvester Turner, The Lege | 1 Comment

DOJ releases its Uvalde report

Posted on January 20, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

It’s brutal. Officers had many opportunities as the 2022 school massacre in Uvalde, Texas, was still unfolding to reassess their flawed response to the shooting that left 19 children and two teachers dead, the US Justice Department concludes in a … Continue reading →

Justice Department sues over SB4

Posted on January 4, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

As they had threatened to do. The U.S. Department of Justice sued Texas on Wednesday over a new state law that allows Texas police to arrest migrants suspected of crossing the Texas-Mexico border illegally. “Texas cannot disregard the United States … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged ACLU of Texas, American Gateways, DPS, Greg Abbott, immigration, Joe Biden, Justice Department, Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, lawsuit, Mexico, SCOTUS, Senate, Steve McCraw, Texas, The Lege | 1 Comment

On solving the crimes

Posted on January 3, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

This is a nice profile of Precinct One Deputy Constable Joe Bowden, who is good at his job. His specialty is solving bike thefts, and I want to highlight this bit that shows him in action, and then share some … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged Alan Rosen, bicycles, Constable, DPS, Election 2023, Harris County, Houston, HPD, John Whitmire, Mayor, Troy Finner | 15 Comments

The problem of inadequate police responses to mass shootings is national

Posted on December 30, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

More great reporting from ProPublica, The Texas Tribune, and FRONTLINE on how police departments across the country have no idea how to react to mass shootings. During an October conference to prepare law enforcement for dealing with an active shooter, … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training Center, Congress, DPS, El Paso, guns, Nevada, police, Santa Fe, Texas, Uvalde | 2 Comments

Someday the 2022 election will end

Posted on December 23, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Today is not that day. Tomorrow doesn’t look so good either. It’s an Election Day mishap that will sound familiar to Harris County residents. Voters in Pennsylvania’s Luzerne County temporarily were unable to cast ballots in the 2022 midterm election … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged DPS, Election 2022, election contest, Greg Abbott, Harris County, Kim Ogg, lawsuit, paper ballots, Secretary of State, Steve McCraw, Texas, Texas Rangers | Comments Off

DOJ sues Colony Ridge developers

Posted on December 21, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Major plot twist. The federal government is suing Colony Ridge, accusing the Houston-area developer of using fraudulent lending practices targeting tens of thousands of Latino buyers with false statements and predatory loans in rural Liberty County. The U.S. Department of … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Billy Knox, Colony Ridge, Consumer Financial Protection Act, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Dan Patrick, DPS, Equal Credit Opportunity Act, Fair Housing Act, foreclosure, Greg Abbott, immigration, Interstate Land Sales Full Disclosure Act, Jay Dean, Jay Knight, John Harris, Justice Department, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, Liberty County, special session, Steve McCraw, Texas, The Lege, Trey Harris | 9 Comments

ACLU and immigrants rights groups sue over our latest legislative atrocity

Posted on December 20, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Here we go. Immigrant rights organizations have sued Texas after Gov. Greg Abbott approved one of the strictest state immigration enforcement laws, which authorizes police to arrest immigrants suspected of crossing the border illegally. In their lawsuit, the American Civil … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged ACLU of Texas, American Gateways, DPS, El Paso, Greg Abbott, immigration, Joe Biden, Justice Department, Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, lawsuit, Mexico, SCOTUS, Senate, special session, Steve McCraw, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, The Lege | Comments Off

On “active shooter” training and what happened at Uvalde

Posted on December 9, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

You may not want to read this story, which is part of a package that includes a TV documentary. It’s about the Uvalde massacre and how it could be that so many law enforcement officers were just standing around doing … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training Center, DPS, gun control, guns, lawsuit, National Association of School Resource Officers, Pete Arredondo, schools, Texas, Uvalde | Comments Off

DPS ordered again to release Uvalde public records

Posted on December 1, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Good, though I’m a bit confused about the timing. A Travis County state district judge has ordered the Department of Public safety to release law enforcement records related to the 2022 school shooting in Uvalde, more than a year after … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Christina Busbee, DPS, lawsuit, Steve McCraw, Texas, Texas Public Information Act, Texas Rangers, Uvalde | Comments Off

Hey, remember Colony Ridge?

Posted on October 24, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

What if I told you that it was all a big nothing? Gov. Greg Abbott named Colony Ridge a top state priority when he placed it on the third special legislative session agenda — heeding calls by right-wing media to … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, That's our Lege | Tagged Billy Knox, Colony Ridge, Dan Patrick, DPS, Ernest Bailes, Greg Abbott, immigration, impeachment, Jay Dean, Jay Knight, John Harris, Ken Paxton, Liberty County, Robert Nichols, special session, Steve McCraw, Texas, The Lege, Trey Harris | 2 Comments

Uvalde DA to present mass shooting case to grand jury

Posted on September 3, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Yeah, I know, what took so long? The Uvalde County prosecutor said she’ll present a case stemming from the Robb Elementary School massacre to a grand jury by the end of this year. The Texas Department of Public Safety has … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged Christina Busbee, dead suspect loophole, District Attorney, Don McLaughlin, DPS, Election 2024, grand jury, guns, HD80, lawsuit, Texas, Texas Rangers, The Lege, Tracy King, Uvalde, Uvalde County | Comments Off

On bringing DPS troopers to Houston

Posted on August 10, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I have some questions. Call in the troopers. That’s one of state Sen. John Whitmire’s plans for reducing crime in Houston, which voters consistently have rated as one of their top concerns. A similar partnership with the Texas Department of … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, Election 2023 | Tagged Austin, Dallas, DPS, Election 2023, Greg Abbott, Houston, John Whitmire, Kirk Watson, Mayor, police, Texas | 9 Comments

Pushing children back into the river

Posted on July 19, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Does the ICC at the Hague have a 911 line? Officers working for Gov. Greg Abbott’s border security initiative have been ordered to push small children and nursing babies back into the Rio Grande, and have been told not to … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra | Tagged border, DPS, Greg Abbott, immigration, Rio Grande, Steve McCraw, Texas, Texas National Guard | 8 Comments

Another Paxton roundup

Posted on July 17, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll start with this big Chron story about yet another allegation of unethical legal conduct by Ken Paxton. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is suspended from duty as he awaits his impeachment trial, jeopardized his office’s prosecution of a GOP … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, Scandalized! | Tagged Dan Patrick, Dick DeGuerin, DPS, Harriet O'Neill, impeachment, Ken Paxton, Matthew Ocker, Nate Paul, Rusty Hardin, Senate, Texas, The Lege, Tony Buzbee, WatchGuard | 1 Comment

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