Tag Archives: Harris County

Early voting for the November 2025 election begins tomorrow

Posted on October 19, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: The Harris County Clerk’s Office (HCCO) urges voters to take advantage of Early Voting, which starts Monday, October 20, and ends Friday, October 31. Ballot Items Include 17 proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution 18th Congressional District Houston City Council At-Large Position … Continue reading →

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Harris County sues over Solar For All funds

Posted on October 15, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee filed a lawsuit Monday contesting the Trump administration’s cancellation of more than $400 million in solar energy grants earmarked for Texas-based organizations. The federal funding, part of a $7 billion Biden-era program known as Solar for All, was meant … Continue reading →

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Who asked for this task force?

Posted on October 6, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Other than Greg Abbott, anyway. State and Harris County law enforcement will join forces on a task force aimed at cracking down on repeat violent offenders, whom police leaders say are fueling much of the region’s crime problem, Gov. Greg … Continue reading →

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Buzbee sues NFL on behalf of other McNair son

Posted on October 4, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I didn’t know there was another McNair son. Houston attorney Tony Buzbee has sued the NFL in New York Supreme Court, claiming the league conspired to remove Cary McNair from the McNair family business interests, including the Texans. In a release issued Saturday, Buzbee’s law … Continue reading →

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Parker’s poll puts her in the lead

Posted on October 3, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: A poll recently conducted by LRP shows former Houston Mayor Annise Parker in strong position to win the March 2026 Democratic primary for Harris County Judge. Voters know and like Parker, which earns her majority support and … Continue reading →

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Ogg gets sued for “political targeting”

Posted on October 3, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I dunno, man. Two conservative Houston firebrands have joined together in a lawsuit accusing former District Attorney Kim Ogg of using her former office to target political opponents. Blogger Aubrey Taylor, the man once charged with injuring late U.S. Rep. … Continue reading →

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Second Baptist’s shenanigans

Posted on October 2, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Let them fight. For nearly 50 years, the Rev. Ed Young led a Houston conservative megachurch that now boasts 94,000 congregants, $1 billion in assets and high-profile members like Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, leading oil executives and prominent business leaders. That ended on … Continue reading →

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District Clerk Marilyn Burgess not running for re-election

Posted on September 24, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

A bit of a surprise. Marilyn Burgess, the elected Harris County district clerk, is not running for a third term in 2026, she said in a statement days after voting for her own pay increase amid a salary grievance. Burgess, … Continue reading →

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More kids are not getting vaccinated

Posted on September 20, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

This is so bad. For more than a half-century, vaccines have had remarkable success eradicating the most lethal and devastating childhood infectious diseases, saving millions of lives and ushering in a relative golden era of global public health. But now, … Continue reading →

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Erica Lee Carter withdraws from County Judge race

Posted on September 19, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

A bit of a surprise, at least to me. Former Congressman Erica Lee Carter announced Wednesday that she will not be running for Harris County Judge after previously signaling interest in the seat. Back in July, Carter had stated over social … Continue reading →

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Still more on Elon’s flood tunnels

Posted on September 19, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I once again call your attention to an episode of CityCast Houston, in which host Raheel Ramzanali chats with the host of the CityCast Las Vegas podcast about the experience they’ve had with Elon Musk and the Boring Company and … Continue reading →

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Judge Hidalgo will not run for re-election

Posted on September 17, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

We have our answer. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo announced late Monday that she will not be seeking re-election in 2026. The decision, announced exclusively during ABC 13’s evening broadcast, marks an end to the progressive Democrats tenure as Harris … Continue reading →

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More on Elon’s flood tunnels

Posted on September 16, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Insecure man makes defensive response to fair questions about his wild idea. Film at 11. Billionaire Elon Musk is taking issue with a recent investigation by the Houston Chronicle and The Texas Newsroom that raised questions about a flood tunnel … Continue reading →

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Less funding for homelessness means more homeless

Posted on September 11, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

It’s just math. An annual survey of the homeless population in the Houston area suggested that the region — which has attracted international attention for its ability to reduce homelessness — is at an inflection point. As the emergency funding … Continue reading →

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The Summer Willis Act

Posted on September 11, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Too much of what we got from the Legislature this year was garbage. Wingnut Republican priorities are the only things that really matter to them, and we got a lot of it. But some decent things made it through, and … Continue reading →

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Please don’t lie about the amount of poop in Houston’s waterways

Posted on September 4, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t think that’s too much to ask. Two former employees of a wastewater testing lab in Conroe are facing federal conspiracy charges after authorities alleged they falsified test results to conceal high levels of feces and other contaminants released … Continue reading →

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DaSean Jones to resign from his bench in October

Posted on September 1, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

This comes as a bit of a surprise. Judge DaSean Jones, the elected Democrat in the 180th District Court and the defendant in Harris County’s last pending 2022 election contest suit, plans to resign in October, his lawyer said Friday. … Continue reading →

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Do we still want flood tunnels if Elon is building them?

Posted on August 30, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Fascinating stuff. The devastating flooding in Houston caused by Hurricane Harvey in 2017 killed dozens of people, inundated hundreds of thousands of homes and left the community desperate for a solution. Since then, local flood experts have extensively studied the … Continue reading →

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Fighting healthcare cuts was a winner

Posted on August 28, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Good to know. The Trump administration’s cuts to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funding for state and local health departments had vastly uneven effects depending on the political leanings of a state, according to a KFF Health News analysis. … Continue reading →

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Hotze again asks for pause in his civil trial

Posted on August 27, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

“Screw this guy” will always be my response. Conservative activist Steven Hotze asked the Texas Supreme Court to pause a lawsuit against him until after the criminal trial of his former private eye, who in 2020 allegedly assaulted an air-conditioning repairman … Continue reading →

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The censure

Posted on August 10, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Don’t we have enough drama already? Harris County commissioners voted 3-1 Thursday to censure Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo following a heated disagreement over a proposed tax increase for early childcare programs. Commissioners Lesley Briones, Tom Ramsey and Adrian Garcia … Continue reading →

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Fifth Circuit upholds voter ID for vote by mail

Posted on August 8, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Of course they did. A federal appeals court has upheld Texas’ requirement that potential voters must list their identification information in their application for a mail-in ballot. In Texas, voting by mail is only available for certain groups of people, … Continue reading →

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The Afghan women’s soccer players of Houston

Posted on August 5, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Great story. The early evening sun still shone strongly overhead when Sodaba Khinjani adjusted her cleats and squinted out at the soccer field at Bayland Park in southwest Houston. The temperature was hotter than the playing conditions she was used … Continue reading →

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On Ed Pollard’s campaign cash

Posted on August 3, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a lot, as we have previously noted. It isn’t even close to the time potential candidates will start announcing their intention to run for Houston mayor in 2027. But if campaign finance reports are any indicator, Council Member Edward … Continue reading →

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HFT sues unsuccessfully HISD over new teacher pay raises

Posted on August 1, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Of interest. A local teachers union is suing Houston ISD’s Superintendent Mike Miles and the Board of Managers after the district decided to distribute new teacher pay raises from the state by performance, not years of experience. The $3.7-billion Teacher … Continue reading →

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City Council officially sets At Large #4 special election

Posted on August 1, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Just dotting the I’s and crossing the T’s here. Houston voters will elect a new City Council member in November who could play a formative role in shaping city policy for the next eight years. The council on Wednesday voted … Continue reading →

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How’s that Trump thing been working out for us?

Posted on July 26, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

A brief sampling… Texans could see higher energy costs as Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ slows clean energy growth, report says Less clean energy will be built in Texas as a result of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” signed into law by President … Continue reading →

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The Astrodome at 60

Posted on July 21, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

We still don’t know what we’re going to do with it. In the winter of 2018, Ed Emmett thought he found the perfect plan to save the Astrodome and make it useful for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo — … Continue reading →

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There’s a map

Posted on July 20, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

The special session gavels in tomorrow and there’s a new proposed Congressional map, but before we get to that let’s look at the lay of the land going into the session. On Monday, state lawmakers held a call with U.S. … Continue reading →

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July 2025 campaign finance reports – Harris County offices

Posted on July 18, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

It’s mid-to-late July, and you know what that means: It’s campaign finance report season! We’ve got a lot to cover, as there’s more angles and intrigue than usual, certainly a lot more than there was three months ago. I’ll start … Continue reading →

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Hands Off Our Districts protest tomorrow

Posted on July 18, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Dear Democrats, friends and neighbors, We’re asking everyone who believes in fair representation to join us this Saturday at 10:00 AM for the Day of Protest, “Hands Off Our Districts.” In solidarity with community leaders, elected officials, and precinct chairs across Harris County, … Continue reading →

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Ogg’s contempt hearing delayed by special session

Posted on July 14, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

You can run, but you can’t hide. A hearing to determine whether former district attorney Kim Ogg should be held in contempt of a court order is likely to be on hold until after Gov. Greg Abbott’s special legislative session … Continue reading →

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No more backup power mandates for senior living places

Posted on July 12, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

That’s our Legislature, y’all. In the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl, thousands of seniors across the Houston region were stuck in buildings without power or air-conditioning, often left to fend for themselves in the sweltering summer heat. The suffering galvanized Houston-area Democrats to once again fight for what had repeatedly failed: … Continue reading →

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The opening lineup in At Large #4

Posted on July 10, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Three and counting, with more surely to come. Letitia Plummer’s bid for Harris County judge means her at-large seat on Houston City Council is now open. The Houston City Council will soon decide when to hold an election to fill … Continue reading →

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