Tag Archives: Justin Rodriguez

Paxton versus Bexar County

Posted on September 4, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I’m sorry to make Ken Paxton the main character today, but he kind of is. Bexar County is moving forward with plans to hire an outside company to find and register potential voters ahead of the 2024 presidential election — … Continue reading →

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Bexar County looks for ways to reduce future mail ballot rejections

Posted on March 24, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Good luck. I hope if they learn anything useful they share it with the rest of us. Bexar County Commissioners on Tuesday directed local officials to come up with a plan to reduce the number of rejected mail-in ballots in … Continue reading →

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I remain pessimistic about the chances of good voting bills passing

Posted on November 28, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

This Trib story suggests that with Republicans doing well in the high turnout 2020 election, and with the emergency measures that were implemented to expand voting access, the odds of getting a bill passed to make some forms of voting … Continue reading →

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More election innovation, please

Posted on August 11, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Some good stuff here: less than 90 days to E-Day & we’re pushing for Bexar to: ✅ send all 65+ reg voters app to vote by mail ✅ expand EV hrs to include at least one 24-hour site ✅ increase … Continue reading →

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More ways to improve access to voting

Posted on September 3, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

In Harris County: Inmates of the Harris County Jail may soon be able to vote. Harris County leaders have approved a study on setting up a polling location at the jail as early as this November. The County Clerk’s and … Continue reading →

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Today is Runoff Day in HD125

Posted on March 12, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s not eff this up, shall we? The day after Ray Lopez advanced to the special election runoff for House District 125 last month, he called his three former Democratic opponents and asked for their support against Republican Fred Rangel. … Continue reading →

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Today is Runoff Day in HD145

Posted on March 5, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

From the Inbox: Tuesday, March 5, 2019, is Election Day for voters in Texas State Representative District 145. There will be 27 Voting Locations open from 7 am to 7 pm. Voters may visit the County Clerk’s election page, www.harrisvotes.com … Continue reading →

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On special election runoff turnout and HD125

Posted on February 19, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I figured a story like this was inevitable after Round One of the HD125 special election, in which Republican Fred Rangel got 38% of the vote and four Democrats combined to take the rest, with three of them being close … Continue reading →

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Early voting ends in HD125

Posted on February 10, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I have to admit, I’d totally forgotten about this special election. The special election for Texas House District 125 has been on a characteristically slow roll as early voting closed Friday in the contest to fill former State Rep. Justin … Continue reading →

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Five file for HD125

Posted on January 16, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Our fourth and hopefully final special legislative election for this cycle is now queued up. Five candidates have signed up for the Feb. 12 special election to fill the seat of former state Rep. Justin Rodriguez, according to the Secretary … Continue reading →

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A first look at contenders in HD125

Posted on January 13, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Gilbert Garcia of the SA Express News points to a potential frontrunner for the HD125 special election. Ray Lopez never appears to be in a hurry. During his eight years on the City Council, the gray-haired, mustachioed former AT&T marketing … Continue reading →

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HD125 special election set

Posted on January 8, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

It will overlap the ones going on now. Gov. Greg Abbott has picked Feb. 12 as the date for a special election to replace former state Rep. Justin Rodriguez, D-San Antonio, who stepped down last week to become a Bexar … Continue reading →

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Rep. Justin Rodriguez resigns to take County Commissioner job

Posted on January 5, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

We will need that special election. State Rep. Justin Rodriguez, D-San Antonio, is leaving the Legislature to become a Bexar County commissioner. The county’s judge, Nelson Wolff, appointed Rodriguez on Friday to replace Paul Elizondo, the longtime commissioner who died … Continue reading →

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We may soon need another legislative special election

Posted on January 4, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

In Bexar County. State Rep. Justin Rodriguez is expected to fill the vacant Commissioners Court seat of political icon Paul Elizondo, a major local power broker and a veteran of the commission for more than 30 years who died last … Continue reading →

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Session ends in chaos

Posted on May 30, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Seems fitting. The normally ceremonial last day of this year’s regular session of the Texas Legislature briefly descended into chaos on Monday, as proceedings in the House were disrupted by large protests and at least one Republican representative called immigration … Continue reading →

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Voter ID 2.0 gets final passage

Posted on May 29, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Hopefully, this will turn out to have been a waste of time. The Texas House and Senate have approved a deal to relax the state’s voter identification requirements, meaning the closely watched legislation now only awaits Gov. Greg Abbott’s approval. … Continue reading →

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Voter ID education was a massive failure

Posted on April 12, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

This is outrageous. The University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs recently completed a report, “The Texas Voter ID Law and the 2016 Election,” based on surveys of registered voters who sat out the 2016 elections in the state’s … Continue reading →

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Bill to force transparency on voter ID outreach filed

Posted on March 19, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I approve. A state lawmaker wants to shine a light on how Texas spends millions of taxpayer dollars to educate the public about its controversial voter ID law. Democratic Rep. Justin Rodriguez is proposing legislation that for the first time … Continue reading →

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Overview of two Bexar County legislative primaries

Posted on February 11, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The turnover of Bexar County’s Democratic legislative caucus continues apace. With the departures in 2015 of Mike Villarreal and Jose Menendez (succeeded by Diego Bernal and Ina Minjarez, respectively) and the departures this year by Joe Farias, Trey Martinez-Fischer, and … Continue reading →

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Menendez sworn in

Posted on March 6, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

We’re back at full strength in the Senate. José Menéndez became San Antonio’s newest state senator in a ceremony Monday that featured the Alamo City Democrat taking the oath of office and urging his new colleagues in the upper chamber … Continue reading →

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What will happen with pre-K this session?

Posted on January 21, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

They say it’s a priority, though I would advise tempering one’s expectations. Currently, Texas funds a half day of preschool for 4-year-olds whose first language is not English, whose families have low incomes, whose parents are active duty military or … Continue reading →

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Money in judicial races isn’t about partisanship

Posted on March 16, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Dan Patrick isn’t the only one seeking to change how we select judges in Texas. Freshman state Rep. Justin Rodriguez, D-San Antonio, is an attorney who has been frustrated for years by this state’s hyper-political process for selecting judges (and … Continue reading →

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Another story about parents and education cuts

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I really want to believe that there’s an uprising in the works and that the Lege could be a very different place for the better next year, but I’m reserving judgment on that for now. Deep cuts in school funding … Continue reading →

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30 Day finance reports, other state races

Posted on May 9, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

To complete my tour of the 30 day finance reports, here are the 30 day finance reports from Democratic legislative primaries around the state. Dist Candidate Raised Spent Loans Cash ========================================================== 035 Gus Ruiz 11,047 27,858 25,000 2,067 035 Joseph … Continue reading →

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Residency is more state of mind than anything else

Posted on April 29, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

From the “Home is where you say it is” department. Her dogs live there, her mail arrives there, and her “stuff” is still there. But Delicia Herrera insists she no longer lives at the home she owns on SW 39th … Continue reading →

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Bexar County legislative hopefuls

Posted on August 21, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Some news out of Bexar County about Democratic legislative candidates. Two former San Antonio councilmen who left office this summer because of term limits are back in politics and gearing up for their first partisan campaigns for seats in the … Continue reading →

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Still smoking in San Antonio

Posted on May 18, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

But maybe not for much longer. San Antonio City Councilman Justin Rodriguez announced [last] Friday that he is sponsoring an ordinance to outlaw smoking in most public places, including all bars, restaurants and workplaces. Rodriguez said San Antonio is one … Continue reading →

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