Tag Archives: Texas Organizing Project

Fifth Circuit pauses vote harvesting injunction

Posted on October 17, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Here they come to do what they do. A federal appeals court has temporarily reinstated portions of Texas’ 2021 voting law regulating ballot handling, ruling that a judge’s previous decision to strike certain rules came too close to the 2024 … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged absentee ballots, ACLU, Americans with Disabilities Act, Brennan Center, Chris Hollins, curbside voting, Disability Rights Texas, Election 2020, Election 2024, elections administrator, FIEL Houston, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Greg Abbott, Harris County, HOPE, Isabel Longoria, Jolt Initiative, Ken Paxton, La Unión Del Pueblo Entero, lawsuit, League of Women Voters, MALDEF, Medina County, Mexican American Bar Association of Texas, OCA Houston, REV UP Texas, Secretary of State, Southwest Voter Registration Education Project, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, Texas Impact, Texas Organizing Project, The Lege, voter suppression, Voting Rights Act, Workers Defense Action Fund | Comments Off

More of the omnibus voter suppression bill blocked

Posted on October 13, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Better (very) late than never. Certain provisions of Texas’ sweeping 2021 voting law that restrict voter assistance violate the federal Voting Rights Act and cannot be enforced, a federal judge in Texas ruled Friday. Among the rules struck down by … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged absentee ballots, ACLU, Americans with Disabilities Act, Brennan Center, Chris Hollins, curbside voting, Disability Rights Texas, Election 2024, elections administrator, FIEL Houston, Greg Abbott, Harris County, HOPE, Isabel Longoria, Jolt Initiative, Ken Paxton, La Unión Del Pueblo Entero, lawsuit, League of Women Voters, MALDEF, Medina County, Mexican American Bar Association of Texas, OCA Houston, REV UP Texas, Secretary of State, Southwest Voter Registration Education Project, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, Texas Impact, Texas Organizing Project, The Lege, voter suppression, Voting Rights Act, Workers Defense Action Fund | 1 Comment

Vote harvesting provision of omnibus voter suppression law SB1 blocked in federal court

Posted on September 30, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Very timely, even if it took forever to get here. A federal judge ruled on Saturday that part of a Texas law that enacted new voting restrictions violated the U.S. Constitution by being too vague and restricting free speech. The ruling, made by … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged absentee ballots, ACLU, Americans with Disabilities Act, Brennan Center, Chris Hollins, curbside voting, Disability Rights Texas, Election 2020, elections administrator, FIEL Houston, Greg Abbott, Harris County, HOPE, Isabel Longoria, Jolt Initiative, Ken Paxton, La Unión Del Pueblo Entero, lawsuit, League of Women Voters, MALDEF, Medina County, Mexican American Bar Association of Texas, OCA Houston, REV UP Texas, Secretary of State, Southwest Voter Registration Education Project, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, Texas Impact, Texas Organizing Project, The Lege, voter suppression, Voting Rights Act, Workers Defense Action Fund | 1 Comment

The lawsuit over the omnibus voter suppression law has begun

Posted on September 12, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Settle in, this will take awhile. Two years after voting rights groups challenged Texas Republicans’ sweeping overhaul of its voting and election laws, the case comes to trial Monday in a federal court in San Antonio. The lengthy roster of … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged absentee ballots, ACLU, ACLU of Texas, Americans with Disabilities Act, Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Attorney General, Brennan Center, Chris Hollins, curbside voting, Dana DeBeauvoir, Disability Rights Texas, drop off boxes, Election 2020, elections administrator, FIEL Houston, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Georgia, Greg Abbott, Harris County, HOPE, Isabel Longoria, Jolt Initiative, Justice Department, Ken Paxton, La Unión Del Pueblo Entero, lawsuit, League of Women Voters, MALDEF, Medina County, Mexican American Bar Association of Texas, OCA Houston, Organization of Chinese Americans-Greater Houston, REV UP Texas, Secretary of State, Southwest Voter Registration Education Project, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, Texas Impact, Texas Organizing Project, The Lege, Travis County, voter suppression, Voting Rights Act, Workers Defense Action Fund | Comments Off

Part of the omnibus voter suppression law struck down

Posted on August 20, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Some good news. A federal judge in San Antonio ruled this week that it is illegal for Texas elections officials to reject mail-in ballots and the applications for them over ID mistakes on elections paperwork. The requirement was part of … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged absentee ballots, ACLU of Texas, Americans with Disabilities Act, Brennan Center, Chris Hollins, curbside voting, Dana DeBeauvoir, Disability Rights Texas, Election 2020, elections administrator, FIEL Houston, Georgia, Greg Abbott, Harris County, HOPE, Isabel Longoria, Jolt Initiative, Ken Paxton, La Unión Del Pueblo Entero, lawsuit, MALDEF, Medina County, Mexican American Bar Association of Texas, OCA Houston, REV UP Texas, Secretary of State, Southwest Voter Registration Education Project, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, Texas Impact, Texas Organizing Project, The Lege, Travis County, voter suppression, Voting Rights Act | 2 Comments

And now we have a judicial loser contesting the election

Posted on December 9, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

The Republicans did warn us they’d be sore losers. Republican judicial candidate Erin Lunceford filed a petition Wednesday seeking a new election in Harris County’s 189th judicial district court race after losing by 2,743 votes out of more than 1 … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged Andy Taylor, Bell County, Christian Menefee, Cindy Siegel, Election 2020, Election 2022, election contest, Election Day, Erin Lunceford, Harris County, Harris County Attorney, HD135, Jane Robinson, Jon Rosenthal, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, Mike May, provisional ballots, Republican Party, Supreme Court, Tamika Craft, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, Texas Organizing Project, The Lege, voter suppression | 8 Comments

This is all so dumb

Posted on November 16, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I’m going to quote a large swath of this Reform Austin story because it sums up what has been happening the past couple of days better than I could. Gov. Greg Abbott called for an investigation into Harris County’s election … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged Clifford Tatum, Commissioners Court, Election 2022, Election Day, elections administrator, Greg Abbott, Harris County, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, paper ballots, Secretary of State, Supreme Court, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, Texas Organizing Project | 9 Comments

So what if anything will come of that SCOTx ruling on the extra voting time?

Posted on November 10, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I have no idea. The Texas Supreme Court on Tuesday set the stage for a legal fight over whether to count ballots Harris County voters cast during an extended hour of voting ordered by a lower court. That lower court … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2022, Legal matters | Tagged Bell County, Christian Menefee, Election 2022, Election Day, Harris County, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, provisional ballots, Supreme Court, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, Texas Organizing Project, voter suppression | 1 Comment

Most of the lawsuit against the voter suppression law survives a motion to dismiss

Posted on August 6, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Some good news. In a limited order this week, a federal judge threw out some civil rights and discrimination claims brought as part of a complex and ongoing legal dispute over strict new voting rules in Texas. The lawsuit filed last year alleges that the … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged absentee ballots, ACLU, Americans with Disabilities Act, curbside voting, Dana DeBeauvoir, Disability Rights Texas, Election 2020, elections administrator, FIEL Houston, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Greg Abbott, Harris County, HOPE, Isabel Longoria, Jolt Initiative, Justice Department, Ken Paxton, La Unión Del Pueblo Entero, lawsuit, League of Women Voters, MALDEF, Medina County, Mexican American Bar Association of Texas, OCA Houston, REV UP Texas, Secretary of State, Southwest Voter Registration Education Project, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, Texas Impact, Texas Organizing Project, The Lege, Travis County, voter suppression, Voting Rights Act, Workers Defense Action Fund | Comments Off

Here’s the support for challengers to quorum breakers

Posted on February 9, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

It’s limited, but it’s not nothing. A new coalition that wants to install “better” Democrats in the Texas Legislature is endorsing primary opponents to two House members who were central in intraparty disputes last year. The Texans for Better Democrats … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged Art Fierro, Candis Houston, Claudia Ordaz-Perez, Communications Workers of America, Democratic primary, Election 2022, endorsements, Harold Dutton, Harris County, Harris County Judge, HD142, HD79, Lina Hidalgo, quorum, Texans for Better Democrats Coalition, Texas, Texas Organizing Project, The Lege, Working Families Party | 1 Comment

First two lawsuits filed against the voter suppression bill

Posted on September 4, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

No time wasted. The top elections official in Harris County and a host of organizations that serve Texans of color and Texans with disabilities have fired the opening salvos in what’s expected to be an extensive legal battle over Texas’ … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged absentee ballots, ACLU, Americans with Disabilities Act, Brennan Center, Chris Hollins, curbside voting, Dana DeBeauvoir, Disability Rights Texas, Election 2020, elections administrator, FIEL Houston, Greg Abbott, Harris County, HOPE, Isabel Longoria, Jolt Initiative, Ken Paxton, La Unión Del Pueblo Entero, lawsuit, League of Women Voters, MALDEF, Medina County, Mexican American Bar Association of Texas, OCA Houston, REV UP Texas, Secretary of State, Southwest Voter Registration Education Project, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, Texas Impact, Texas Organizing Project, The Lege, Travis County, voter suppression, Voting Rights Act, Workers Defense Action Fund | Comments Off

Beto’s “We can win” message

Posted on March 11, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Beto O’Rourke offers a blueprint for how Democrats can win in Texas. In 2020, Joe Biden lost by less than Hillary Clinton did in 2016; eleven of the twelve State House seats we won in 2018 were successfully defended, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Other punditry | Tagged Beto O'Rourke, Congress, coronavirus, Election 2016, Election 2018, Election 2020, Election 2022, Georgia, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, Texas, Texas Organizing Project, The Lege, turnout, voter registration | 2 Comments

Introducing the George Floyd Act

Posted on August 16, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Coming this spring to the Legislature. Black lawmakers at the Texas Legislature unveiled on Thursday the George Floyd Act, a sweeping police reform proposal that would ban chokeholds across the state and require law enforcement officers to intervene or render … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged ACLU of Texas, Black Lives Matter, choke holds, Combined Law Enforcement Agencies of Texas, Garnet Coleman, George Floyd, Greg Abbott, Harold Dutton, James White, Mothers Against Police Brutality, NAACP, police, qualified immunity, Royce West, Sandra Bland, Senfronia Thompson, Shawn Thierry, Texas, Texas Coalition of Black Democrats, Texas Legislative Black Caucus, Texas Organizing Project, The Lege | 2 Comments

The current status on local police reform efforts

Posted on June 12, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Well, the budget amendment process didn’t do much. City Council on Wednesday unanimously approved Mayor Sylvester Turner’s $5.1 billion budget for the next fiscal year, slightly increasing funds for the Houston Police Department even as some cities are under pressure … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged ACLU of Texas, Adrian Garcia, Ashton Woods, budget, Commissioners Court, Constable, Ed Gonzalez, Edward Pollard, George Floyd, Harris County, Harris County Sheriff, Houston, Houston City Council, Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative, HPD, HPOU, Immigrant Resource Legal Center, Independent Police Oversight Board, Letitia Plummer, Lina Hidalgo, Mark Herman, police, Rodney Ellis, Sherman Eagleton, Sylvester Turner, Tarsha Jackson, Texas Appleseed, Texas Civil Rights Project, Texas Organizing Project, United We Dream | 3 Comments

We need to talk about those lines

Posted on March 5, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I wish we could talk about something else, but we have to do this. Dozens of Democratic voters were still waiting to cast ballots at midnight in Houston, turning Super Tuesday into a painful slog for some citizens amid questions … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged Adrian Garcia, Christian Menefee, Democratic primary, Diane Trautman, Election 2020, Harris County, Harris County Clerk, HCDP, Hervis Rogers, Lina Hidalgo, primaries, Rodney Ellis, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, Texas Organizing Project, turnout, Vince Ryan, voting centers | 20 Comments

The main concern about voting centers

Posted on August 3, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

This Trib story, which is about the implementation of voting centers in multiple counties across Texas for the 2020 election, delves into one of the main concern about them: Voting centers can change from one election to the next, which … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged Bexar County, Dallas County, Diane Trautman, Election 2020, Harris County, Harris County Clerk, Hays County, Henderson County, Lubbock, NAACP, Tarrant County, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, Texas Organizing Project, voting centers | 1 Comment

How many prosecutors do we need?

Posted on February 10, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Opinions differ, but it’s a big question in Harris County right now. Hanover is one of many prosecutors Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said are overburdened — the reason she has asked Commissioners Court for a budget that would … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged Alex Bunin, budget, Commissioners Court, District Attorney, Harris County, HCCLA, jail overcrowding, jails, Kim Ogg, mental illness, public defender, Rodney Ellis, Texas Criminal Justice Coalition, Texas Organizing Project | 6 Comments

Civil rights groups push back on bogus SOS letter

Posted on January 29, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Lawyers with 13 organizations — including the Texas Civil Rights Project, the ACLU of Texas, the League of Women Voters of Texas and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund — are demanding that the state rescind an advisory sent to … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged AALDEF, ACLU of Texas, Common Cause, David Whitley, DPS, drivers licenses, immigration, Ken Paxton, League of Women Voters, Mi Familia Vota, NAACP, Secretary of State, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, Texas Organizing Project, voter registration | 8 Comments

Lawsuit filed over late start times at several precincts

Posted on November 6, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

This crap should not happen. After several polling locations in Harris County failed to open on time this morning, the Texas Civil Rights Project and the Texas Organizing Project are suing the county in hopes of extending Election Day voting … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged Election 2018, Harris County, Harris County Clerk, lawsuit, Texas Civil Rights Project, Texas Organizing Project | 6 Comments

The “death by a thousand cuts” strategy

Posted on July 26, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

How To Kill A Health Insurance Market, Non-Legislative Division: The move by the White House to quietly end the contracts of two companies key to assisting people enrolling for insurance under the Affordable Care Act caught Houston health advocates off … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged Donald Trump, health care, health insurance, Medicaid, Texas, Texas Organizing Project | Comments Off

Getting ready for the first SB4 hearing

Posted on June 21, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

All eyes are going to be on this next week. On Monday, June 26, U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia will hear the City of San Antonio’s request for a preliminary injunction to block Senate Bill 4, the “sanctuary cities” law, … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged Austin, El Cenizo, El Paso, Houston, immigration, Ken Paxton, La Unión Del Pueblo Entero, lawsuit, MALDEF, Maverick County, Sally Hernandez, San Antonio, Steve Adler, Texas, Texas Association of Chicanos in Higher Education, Texas Organizing Project, The Lege, Travis County, Workers Defense Project | 8 Comments

Houston will get involved in the SB4 fight later this month

Posted on June 10, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Very good to hear. Mayor Sylvester Turner plans to ask City Council to vote this month on joining lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of Texas’ new “sanctuary cities” law, ending months of equivocation on the controversial immigration enforcement measure. If City … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged Brenda Stardig, Ellen Cohen, Greg Abbott, Houston, Houston City Council, immigration, Jack Christie, Jerry Davis, lawsuit, Michael Kubosh, Mike Laster, Robert Gallegos, Sylvester Turner, Texas, Texas Organizing Project, The Lege | 3 Comments

Bexar County joins in on SB4 litigation

Posted on June 8, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Add another to the list. Bexar County has joined the fight against Senate Bill 4, the so-called “sanctuary cities” law. In their biweekly meeting Tuesday, three commissioners and Judge Nelson Wolff voted to join the City of San Antonio in … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged Bexar County, immigration, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, Nelson Wolff, San Antonio, Texas, Texas Organizing Project, The Lege | 1 Comment

State files motion to combine all the “sanctuary cities” lawsuits

Posted on June 5, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

This isn’t a surprise, but there is a bit of a twist. In a filing late Thursday, Attorney General Ken Paxton asked a federal district court in Austin to absorb two other legal challenges that have been filed against the … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged ACLU of Texas, Attorney General, Austin, El Cenizo, El Paso, immigration, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, LULAC, Maverick County, San Antonio, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, Texas Organizing Project, The Lege | 5 Comments

El Paso files “sanctuary cities” lawsuit

Posted on May 24, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Two and counting, as El Paso gets in on the anti-SB4 action. The lawsuit, filed by El Paso County, its Sheriff Richard Wiles and the Texas Organizing Project Education Fund, a client of the Texas Civil Rights Project, charges that … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged El Cenizo, El Paso, Greg Abbott, ICE, immigration, lawsuit, Maverick County, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, Texas Organizing Project, The Lege | Comments Off

House passes its “sanctuary cities” bill

Posted on April 28, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Terrible. After more than 16 hours of debate, the Texas House of Representatives early Thursday morning tentatively gave a nod to the latest version of a Senate bill that would ban “sanctuary” jurisdictions in Texas. The 93-54 vote on second … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged ACLU of Texas, AFL-CIO, Byron Cook, Charlie Geren, Gene Wu, immigration, Matt Schaefer, Senate, Texas, Texas Organizing Project, The Lege, Victoria Neave | 8 Comments

What might it take to beat Ted Cruz?

Posted on March 23, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Roll Call considers the question. As Democratic Rep. Joaquin Castro mulls a challenge to Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, Democrats and Republicans both say it would be a tall order in a deep-red state with little Democratic power. “I think what … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged Beto O'Rourke, Donald Trump, Election 2018, Joaquin Castro, Matthew Dowd, Senate, Ted Cruz, Texas, Texas Organizing Project, turnout | 1 Comment

TOP responds to Chron story on Mayor Turner

Posted on March 14, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Via the inbox, we come full circle: The following is a statement by Tarsha Jackson, Harris County director of the Texas Organizing Project, in reaction to the article “Progressives fret over Turner’s focus”: “Far from fretting over Mayor Sylvester Turner’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged AFL-CIO, Election 2015, Houston, Mayor, Sylvester Turner, Texas Organizing Project | 3 Comments

Is there some fretting about Mayor Turner?

Posted on March 13, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe? I don’t know. I guess it depends on how you define “fretting”. The resignation of Mayor Sylvester Turner’s top deputy – a social justice advocate and one of the mayor’s few confidants in a sea of senior staff appointed … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged AFL-CIO, Election 2015, Linda Morales, local control, Mayor, minimum wage, pension fund, Sylvester Turner, Tarsha Jackson, Texas Organizing Project, Texas. Houston, The Lege | 12 Comments

Two unsatisfying articles about the 2016 Democratic sweep in Harris County

Posted on March 10, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The Democratic sweep in Harris County has drawn some national attention, as writers from the left and right try to analyze what happened here last year and why Hillary Clinton carried the county by such a large margin. Unfortunately, as … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2016 | Tagged Devon Anderson, District Attorney, Donald Trump, Ed Gonzalez, Election 2008, Election 2012, Election 2014, Election 2016, Election 2018, Gary Polland, Harris County, Harris County Sheriff, Hillary Clinton, Jared Woodfill, judicial races, Kim Ogg, Latino voting, Paul Simpson, President, Ron Hickman, Texas, Texas Organizing Project, turnout | 10 Comments

Statewide review: 2016 was like 2008, but not in a good way

Posted on November 13, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

There’s no point in beating around the bush, so I’ll just come out and say it: Despite the excitement about increases in voter registration and heavy early voting turnout. statewide Democratic candidates outside of Hillary Clinton generally did not do … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2016 | Tagged Bexar County, Brazoria County, Cameron County, Collin County, Comal County, Court of Criminal Appeals, Dallas County, Denton County, Donald Trump, El Paso, Election 2008, Election 2012, Election 2016, Fort Bend County, Galveston, Harris County, Hays County, Hidalgo County, Hillary Clinton, Johnson County, Keith Hampton, Mike Keasler, Montgomery County, Parker County, Polk County, precinct analysis, President, Robert Burns, Sharon Keller, Tarrant County, Texas, Texas Organizing Project, Travis County, turnout, Webb County, Williamson County | 5 Comments

How turnout happens

Posted on November 1, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

If there are a lot of new voters turning out in Harris County this year, the Texas Organizing Project will be the reason why for a lot of them. The untapped power of the Latino electorate is one of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2016 | Tagged Election 2016, Harris County, Southwest Voter Registration Education Project, Texas, Texas Organizing Project, turnout, voter registration | 1 Comment

Another Voting Rights Act violation alleged

Posted on August 25, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

From Friday: Today, a coalition of 10 groups sent a letter to Carlos Casco, Secretary of State of Texas, requesting that his office take immediate steps to comply with the federal Voting Rights Act of 1985 (VRA) and the Texas … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Election 2016, Secretary of State, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, Texas Organizing Project, voter registration, Voting Rights Act | Comments Off

More focus on bail practices

Posted on August 22, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Something needs to be done, whether via the ongoing lawsuit or other means. Sandra Thompson, a University of Houston law professor, has spent hundreds of dollars bailing her cousin out of jail for minor offenses. “I get steamed under the … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged bail, Equal Justice Under Law, Harris County, jail overcrowding, jails, lawsuit, Texas, Texas Organizing Project | 4 Comments

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