Tag Archives: Texas Association Against Sexual Assault

Why lawsuits?

Posted on April 7, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

If you’ve wondered why the women who have accused Deshaun Watson of sexual harassment and assault have filed lawsuits against him instead of police reports, this Chron story offers some reasons. The 22 women suing Deshaun Watson for allegedly sexually … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Still grappling with how to handle sexual harassment claims

Posted on January 12, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

I like the idea of putting the authority to investigate harassment claims in the Legislature into an independent body. Calls for independence between sexual misconduct investigations and those in power have grown in recent months, and experts and several lawmakers … Continue reading →

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The phony “bathroom” issue

Posted on October 17, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I am so tired of this. Although Houston’s 36-page equal rights ordinance makes no mention of public restrooms, access to restrooms has become the focus of a raging public debate with the law set to go before voters on election … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2015 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 19 Comments

Combs tells strip clubs to pay up

Posted on May 9, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting. Texas Comptroller Susan Combs is pressing the state’s strip clubs to cough up millions of dollars she says they owe under a new “pole tax” even though the $5-a-patron fee still faces a court challenge. “Any claim that ongoing … Continue reading →

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SCOTUS declines to hear strip club tax case

Posted on January 29, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The end of the road for this particular bit of litigation. The U.S. Supreme Court will not take up the adult entertainment industry’s lawsuit against the state’s $5-per-patron strip club tax, justices decided Monday. “Texas is now one step closer … Continue reading →

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The strip club tax is on the table

Posted on June 22, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Among the things that conference committee members will be discussing as they try to finalize the budget is a reworking of the strip club tax that was first passed in 2007. This session, while awaiting a ruling on the case … Continue reading →

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Senate approves rape kit testing bill

Posted on May 5, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Earlier this week I mentioned a bill, SB1636, by Sen. Wendy Davis that aimed at getting thousands of untested rape kits analyzed. I’m pleased to say that it was passed unanimously by the Senate today, and now heads to the … Continue reading →

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Strip club fee appealed to Supreme Court

Posted on June 15, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

As expected. The legal battles continue to spin around Texas’ so-called “pole tax,” a $5 entrance fee at strip clubs that has been ruled an unconstitutional regulation of free expression. Lawyers for Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott and state Comptroller … Continue reading →

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Appeals court upholds strip club tax ban

Posted on June 8, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Score two for the state’s strip clubs. The 3rd Court of Appeals panel sided against the $5 per-patron fee, passed by the Legislature in 2007 with the goal of raising sexual-assault prevention funds, in a divided 2-1 opinion released Friday. … Continue reading →

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The fees not paid

Posted on May 18, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The battle over the dueling strip club bills in the Lege this session has mostly been over how much revenue each would collect. But the state has to actually collect that revenue for any of that to be relevant. Dozens … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A response from TAASA to the rape kits story

Posted on May 15, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

When I posted about that recent Click2Houston story regarding the sexual assault victim who was billed by the hospital for the rape kit, I wondered if this was a screwup or standard procedure. Well, here’s a response to the story … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Cohen pulls strip club bill

Posted on May 14, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The battle of the strip club bills is over, as Rep. Ellen Cohen has pulled her bill, thus killing it for the session. She said “it was clear there was an attempt to find a point of order” — a … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Tuesday Lege roundup

Posted on May 12, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Some more notes about what has been happening in the Lege… – It looks like the program to test high school athletes for steroids will be scaled back. Texas lawmakers have reached a deal to slash steroid testing of public … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Bill filed to modify strip club fee

Posted on March 3, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Got the following from State Rep. Ellen Cohen’s office: State Representative Ellen Cohen filed House Bill 2070 today to reform the Adult Entertainment Fee she passed during the 80th Legislative Session in 2007. “We have been successful in raising the … Continue reading →

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Strip club fee back in court

Posted on February 12, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

You may recall that in the last legislative session, a bill (HB1751) was passed that imposed a $5 per customer fee on strip clubs, with the revenue going to a sex assault prevention fund, among other things. That fee was … Continue reading →

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