Tag Archives: emergency powers

House passes its bill to limit Governor’s emergency powers

Posted on May 12, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Not sure if this is going to make it through the Senate. The Texas House on Monday gave preliminary approval to a sweeping bill that would reform the governor’s emergency powers during a pandemic and involve the Legislature during such … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged Chris Turner, coronavirus, Dade Phelan, Dustin Burrows, emergency powers, face masks, Governor, Greg Abbott, local control, quarantine, Senate, special session, Texas, Texas Epidemic Public Health Institute, The Lege, Tony Tinderholt | 11 Comments

First attempt to redefine the governor’s powers in an emergency

Posted on April 15, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I’m still conflicted about this. The Texas Senate backed a potential constitutional amendment Tuesday that would substantially rein in the power of the governor during emergencies like this past year’s coronavirus pandemic. Texas voters would have to approve the amendment … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged Brian Birdwell, constitutional amendments, coronavirus, Dustin Burrows, emergency powers, face masks, Greg Abbott, local control, quarantine, Senate, special session, Texas, The Lege | 7 Comments

Austin mask mandate somehow still in effect

Posted on March 30, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I admit, I did not expect this. Austin and Travis County can keep requiring masks for at least a bit longer after a district judge denied Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s request for a temporary block of the local mandate. … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Andy Brown, Attorney General, Austin, coronavirus, emergency powers, face masks, Greg Abbott, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, local control, Steve Adler, Texas, Travis County | 1 Comment

Austin mask mandate enforcement still in place for now

Posted on March 14, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

No ruling, just a delay for a fuller hearing. Austin and Travis County officials can continue enforcing their mask mandates after a district judge delayed action on the Texas attorney general’s request to immediately stop the mandates. That means city … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Andy Brown, Attorney General, Austin, coronavirus, Election 2022, emergency powers, face masks, Greg Abbott, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, local control, Steve Adler, Texas, Travis County | 2 Comments

Paxton sues Austin and Travis County over its mask mandate

Posted on March 12, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Completely expected. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing Travis County and Austin officials in an effort to force them to rescind their local mask orders, he announced Thursday. “I told Travis County & The City of Austin to comply … Continue reading →

Again with defining the Governor’s powers in an emergency

Posted on March 7, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

The legislative process has begun, and I feel like we’ve already lost the plot. For roughly the past year, Republicans and Democrats have picked apart the state’s response to the coronavirus pandemic — and particularly how Gov. Greg Abbott has … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged Carol Alvarado, Chris Turner, Constitution, coronavirus, Dade Phelan, Dan Patrick, Dustin Burrows, emergency powers, Greg Abbott, local control, Senate, special session, Steve Toth, Texas, The Lege | Comments Off

How Greg Abbott wants to restrict voting

Posted on February 6, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

More from that Trib story following the State of the State address. As part of his State of the State speech, Abbott designated five emergency items, or items that lawmakers can vote on within the first 60 days of session. … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged absentee ballots, Allen West, Briscoe Cain, Congress, coronavirus, Donald Trump, Election 2020, emergency powers, Greg Abbott, Pennsylvania, Republican Party, sedition, Texas, The Lege, voter ID, Voting Rights Act | 12 Comments

What should the Governor’s powers be in a future emergency?

Posted on February 5, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

He admits there could maybe be some limits, but as is often the case has no great idea what they might be. Gov. Greg Abbott said Tuesday he is open to reconsidering his executive powers during state emergencies, a point … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged Constitution, coronavirus, Dade Phelan, emergency powers, face masks, Governor, Greg Abbott, quarantine, special session, Steve Toth, Texas, The Lege, Trey Martinez-Fischer | 1 Comment

Win one, lose one at SCOTX

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

The win: Early voting in Texas can begin Oct. 13, following the timeline the governor laid out months ago, the Texas Supreme Court ruled Wednesday, rejecting a request from several top Texas Republicans to limit the timeframe for voters to … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020, Legal matters | Tagged absentee ballots, Allen West, Attorney General, Bill Zedler, Bryan Slaton, Cecil Bell, Charles Perry, Chris Hollins, coronavirus, Dan Flynn, drop off boxes, early voting, Election 2020, Election 2022, emergency powers, Governor, Greg Abbott, Harris County, Harris County Attorney, Harris County Clerk, Jared Woodfill, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, local control, Matt Rinaldi, Molly White, Pat Fallon, primaries, Reliant Arena, Republican Party, Rick Green, Secretary of State, Sharon Hemphill, special session, Steve Toth, Steven Hotze, Supreme Court, Texas, The Lege, voter suppression | 6 Comments

When Republicans fight

Posted on October 6, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Such a sight to see. Gov. Greg Abbott’s most exasperating allies sure chose an awkward time to act up. In the face of a momentous election, with an array of issues that includes the pandemic, the recession, climate change, racial … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2022, Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged Carole Keeton Strayhorn, Chris Bell, coronavirus, Election 2006, Election 2014, Election 2020, Election 2022, emergency powers, Empower Texans, face masks, Governor, Greg Abbott, John Cornyn, Kinky Friedman, petitions, primaries, quarantine, Republican Party, Rick Perry, SD30, Senate, Shelley Luther, special election, Steve Stockman, Texas, The Lege | 1 Comment

Second lawsuit filed against Abbott’s mail ballot dropoff order

Posted on October 4, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

From Chuck Lindell on Twitter, on Saturday afternoon: We have a 2nd federal lawsuit against Gov. Abbott’s order limiting counties to 1 drop-off location for mail-in ballots, this one from the Texas Alliance for Retired Americans. Petition: https://democracydocket.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/45/2020/10/Straty-v.-Abbott.pdf Background: — … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020, Legal matters | Tagged absentee ballots, Bigtent Creative, Chris Hollins, coronavirus, Dallas County, drop off boxes, Election 2020, emergency powers, Fort Bend County, Greg Abbott, Harris County, Harris County Clerk, lawsuit, Secretary of State, Texas, Texas Alliance for Retired Americans, Travis County | 3 Comments

Paxton opposes Hotze mandamus to curb early voting

Posted on September 30, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

From Reform Austin: In a brief filed with the Texas Supreme Court, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton argues that the GOP group suing Gov. Greg Abbott to prevent him from extending early voting for the November election has no standing … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020, Legal matters | Tagged absentee ballots, Allen West, Bill Zedler, Bryan Slaton, Cecil Bell, Charles Perry, Chris Hollins, coronavirus, Dan Flynn, drop off boxes, early voting, Election 2020, Election 2022, emergency powers, Governor, Greg Abbott, Harris County, Harris County Clerk, Jared Woodfill, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, Matt Rinaldi, Molly White, Pat Fallon, primaries, Reliant Arena, Republican Party, Rick Green, Secretary of State, Sharon Hemphill, special session, Steve Toth, Steven Hotze, Supreme Court, Texas, The Lege, voter suppression | 6 Comments

Hotze and crew appeal to SCOTX to stop the extra week of early voting

Posted on September 24, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Here we go again. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott is facing a lawsuit over his extension of early voting for the November election from prominent members of his own party — including state party Chairman Allen West, Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020, Legal matters | Tagged Allen West, Bill Zedler, Bryan Slaton, Cecil Bell, Charles Perry, coronavirus, Dan Flynn, Donna Campbell, early voting, Election 2020, Election 2022, emergency powers, Governor, Greg Abbott, Jared Woodfill, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, Matt Rinaldi, Molly White, Pat Fallon, primaries, Republican Party, Rick Green, Secretary of State, Sharon Hemphill, special session, Steve Toth, Steven Hotze, Supreme Court, Texas, The Lege, voter suppression | 9 Comments

Weekend voting litigation news

Posted on August 23, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I have two news items about voting-related lawsuits. Both of these come via the Daily Kos Voting Rights Roundup, which has been increasingly valuable to me lately, given the sheer number of such lawsuits and the fact that some news … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020, Legal matters | Tagged absentee ballots, Bryan Slaton, Cathie Adams, CD21, Chris Hollins, Chrysta Castaneda, Congress, coronavirus, David Collins, DCCC, DSCC, early voting, Election 2020, emergency powers, Emily Gilby, filing fee, Green Party, Greg Abbott, Harris County Clerk, Katija Gruene, lawsuit, Mi Familia Vota, MJ Hegar, NAACP, petitions, Railroad Commission, Rick Green, Ruth Hughs, Secretary of State, Senate, Steven Hotze, Terrell Blodgett, Texas, Texas College Democrats, Texas Young Democrats, The Lege, Third Court of Appeals, Tom Wakely, Travis County, voter suppression, Wendy Davis | 1 Comment

No eviction moratoriums

Posted on August 9, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

So opines Ken Paxton, and we all know what an unimpeachable source he is. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton advised Friday that local Texas governments’ attempts to delay evictions for renters grappling with the COVID-19 recession amounted to rewriting state … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Attorney General, Austin, Brandon Creighton, coronavirus, emergency powers, evictions, Houston, Ken Paxton, local control, rent, Sam Biscoe, Steve Adler, Sylvester Turner, Texas, Texas Tenants Union, The Lege, Travis County | 2 Comments

Another lawsuit against Abbott over emergency orders

Posted on August 6, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

This one is a bit more serious due to the lack of Hotze and Woodfill, but it’s still not a great way to have the debate about this issue. Five Republican Texas lawmakers are suing Gov. Greg Abbott over the … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Bill Zedler, Bob Hall, Constitution, contact tracing, coronavirus, emergency powers, Governor, Greg Abbott, Kyle Biedermann, lawsuit, Mike Lang, MTX, Senate, special session, Steve Toth, Supreme Court, Texas, Texas Department of State Health Services, Texas Disaster Act, The Lege | 2 Comments

So how’s Greg Abbott doing post-mask order?

Posted on July 7, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Greg Abbott consistently polls as the politician with the highest approval rating in the state. He was basking in adulation a few weeks ago when things were reopening and the coronavirus numbers still looked good. How are things going for … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged Charles Perry, Constitution, constitutional amendments, coronavirus, Ector County, Ellis County, emergency powers, face masks, Greg Abbott, Hurricane Harvey, local control, Montgomery County, quarantine, Republican Party, Shelley Luther, Sheriff, Smith County, special session, Texas, The Lege, Trey Martinez-Fischer | 8 Comments

Second lawsuit filed by bars against Abbott

Posted on July 2, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

This one was expected. Several Texas bar owners filed a $10 million federal lawsuit Tuesday afternoon against Gov. Greg Abbott, in an attempt to void his executive order shutting down bars for a second time since the beginning of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged coronavirus, emergency powers, Greg Abbott, lawsuit, quarantine, restaurants, TABC, Texas, Texas Bar and Nightclub Alliance | 10 Comments

Hotze and pals still crying to the Supreme Court

Posted on May 31, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

It’s hard to keep track of it all. Houston GOP activist Steve Hotze and a coalition of business owners and conservatives have launched a legal challenge claiming Gov. Greg Abbott’s emergency orders related to the coronavirus violate the Texas Constitution. … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Bill Zedler, coronavirus, emergency powers, face masks, Greg Abbott, Harris County, Jared Woodfill, Ken Paxton, Kyle Biedermann, lawsuit, Lina Hidalgo, local control, quarantine, Steven Hotze, Supreme Court, Texas, The Lege, Travis County | 3 Comments

Early voting gets an early start

Posted on May 13, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

This is a remarkably sensible thing to do. Ahead of the first statewide election during the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Greg Abbott has doubled the length of the early voting period for the upcoming July primary runoff elections. In a proclamation … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged absentee ballots, coronavirus, early voting, Election 2020, emergency powers, Greg Abbott, lawsuit, primaries, runoff, Texas | 3 Comments

The real problem is those uppity local officials

Posted on April 25, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

My God, the Republican playbook is so predictable these days. Local governments have gone too far in issuing emergency orders during the coronavirus pandemic and can expect to have those powers whittled down when the Texas Legislature meets again, key … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged coronavirus, emergency powers, Gene Wu, Harris County, Harris County Judge, Houston, Lina Hidalgo, local control, Paul Bettencourt, quarantine, Sylvester Turner, Texas, The Lege | 36 Comments

Emergency orders extended

Posted on March 18, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

In Houston. City council on Tuesday extended Houston’s emergency health declaration, reflecting a warning by Mayor Sylvester Turner that the public health crisis fueled by the spread of COVID-19 will not go away anytime soon. “This is a crisis. I … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged Adrian Garcia, Commissioners Court, coronavirus, emergency powers, evictions, Harris County, Houston, Houston City Council, Jack Cagle, jails, Lina Hidalgo, Sylvester Turner, Texas | Comments Off

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