Tag Archives: Tom Oliverson

Some Republicans consolidate around one Speaker candidate

Posted on September 23, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

As is always the case, the field has narrowed. In the most concerted attack to date on Republican Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan from within the GOP House ranks, 48 representatives and nominees for House districts selected Rep. David Cook … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

How about a Dem for Speaker?

Posted on September 17, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Ana-María Rodríguez Ramos, come on down! A Texas House Democrat is joining the crowded field to challenge Republican Rep. Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, for the speakership. Rep. Ana-María Rodríguez Ramos, D-Richardson, told The Texas Tribune she felt energized to run for … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Smithee makes five

Posted on September 16, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

And the beat goes on. State Rep. John Smithee, R-Amarillo, is the fifth person to enter the race for Texas House speaker. Smithee, a 73-year-old attorney, is a long-serving Republican state representative from Amarillo. He is one of the most … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Four! Four Speaker challengers!

Posted on September 13, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Everyone in the pool! State Rep. James Frank, a Wichita Falls Republican who is one of the Texas House’s leading voices on health and foster care, announced Tuesday he is running for speaker, making him the fourth member to challenge … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

And then there were three Speaker challengers

Posted on September 6, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I know nothing about this guy. Mansfield Republican David Cook said Tuesday he intends to run for Texas House Speaker, becoming the third person to challenge the chamber’s current leader, Beaumont Republican Dade Phelan. Cook, who has served two terms … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

State Supreme Court upholds gender affirming care ban

Posted on June 29, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Can’t say I’m surprised. Hugely disappointed, but not surprised. The Texas Supreme Court upheld a recent state law that prohibits doctors from prescribing gender-affirming care to transgender minors after parents and medical professionals challenged the constitutionality of the restriction. Justice … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on State Supreme Court upholds gender affirming care ban

Influencers now required to disclose paid political content

Posted on June 23, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Could be stricter, and Lord knows our overall campaign finance system is a mess, but this was a slam dunk. Texas’ top campaign finance watchdog voted Tuesday to require social media figures to disclose when they are paid for … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Influencers now required to disclose paid political content

Another Speaker contender

Posted on June 3, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I suspect this list will get longer. Whether they all make it to the actual vote for Speaker is another story. State Rep. Shelby Slawson announced Thursday she is running for Texas House speaker, becoming the second member to challenge … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Another Speaker contender

Influencer disclosures

Posted on April 2, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I approve of this. Texas’ top campaign finance watchdog gave initial approval last week to a proposal that would require social media users to disclose if they are being paid to share or create political advertisements. The Texas Ethics Commission’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Rep. Oliverson files for Speaker

Posted on March 22, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Something like this was inevitable. State Rep. Tom Oliverson on Thursday announced a surprise challenge to Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan, condemning his fellow Republican’s “dysfunctional” leadership as he fights for political survival in a May runoff. Oliverson, an anesthesiologist … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

SCOTx has its hearing on gender affirming care ban

Posted on February 1, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t know what to expect. The Texas Supreme Court heard a legal challenge Tuesday to a new state law banning doctors from prescribing gender-affirming care for transgender youth, a prohibition that a district court judge said was unconstitutional. After … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Law banning gender-affirming care for minors temporarily blocked

Posted on August 27, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

And then unblocked, which is how these things go. A Texas law banning transgender youth from accessing puberty blockers and hormone therapy will go into effect next week after the state attorney general’s office filed to block a judge’s temporary … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Law banning gender-affirming care for minors temporarily blocked

The lawsuit over the gender affirming care ban had its hearing

Posted on August 18, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Hoping for a quick ruling in favor of the plaintiffs. Medical experts pushed back against Texas lawmakers’ assertions that puberty blockers and hormone therapies are experimental and put young transgender patients at risk as they testified Tuesday in a hearing … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

More on the shitty people who prop up Ken Paxton

Posted on August 15, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

There’s no end to these assholes, part 2. In late June, about a dozen conservative Gen Z influencers converged on Fort Worth for a few days of right-wing networking. They hit local night spots, posed for group photos and met … Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized! | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Lawsuit filed against anti-trans gender affirming care law

Posted on July 14, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

No time wasted on this one. Several families with transgender children are asking a judge to block a new Texas law that would stop minors from accessing many types of transition-related health care, including puberty blockers and hormone therapies. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Lege kneecaps Harris County elections

Posted on May 24, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. The Texas House of Representatives voted Tuesday to force Harris County to eliminate its chief election official and to give state officials more authority over elections there. On a 81–62 party line … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Lege targets Harris County election administrator

Posted on February 28, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

We knew something like this was coming. House and Senate bills filed by Republican lawmakers in response to Harris County’s mismanagement of its recent elections could give the Texas secretary of state the authority to step in, suspend county election … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Lege targets Harris County election administrator

“Silver loading”

Posted on May 17, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I did not know this. The latest state to take strong action to improve affordability in its ACA marketplace is … Texas? […] But let me explain some background details first. Below 200 percent of the federal poverty level (that … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Sure, let’s have a fraudit here in Texas

Posted on July 24, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

What could possibly go wrong? Republican House members are seeking a forensic audit of the November election results, but only in Texas’ largest counties that mostly went for Democrat Joe Biden. Legislation filed by Rep. Steve Toth, R-The Woodlands, requires … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Sure, let’s have a fraudit here in Texas

Texas Central opponents see an opportunity

Posted on April 18, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Never waste an opportunity. Examination of a planned high-speed rail line between Houston and Dallas should be halted as the country addresses the new coronavirus pandemic and the company rethinks its financial shape, 30 elected officials in Texas told federal … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

January 2020 campaign finance reports: State House, part 1

Posted on January 25, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I’m going to take a two-part look at the finance reports in State House districts. Part One will be from Harris County, looking at both contested primaries and contested November races. Part Two will focus on races in the counties … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

State House remembers it was going to do something about sexual harassment

Posted on May 18, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

It’s something. Months after reports detailed a pervasive culture of sexual harassment at the state Capitol, Texas House Speaker Joe Straus on Wednesday announced another measure to address the issue. Straus, a Republican who will retire early next year, created … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on State House remembers it was going to do something about sexual harassment

A bipartisan bill to address actual vote fraud

Posted on May 15, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Miracles do happen. Here’s something folks rarely see in Austin, or other statehouses, in these politically prickly times: a bipartisan effort to crack down on voter fraud. In the waning days of the 85th Texas Legislative Session, a group of … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on A bipartisan bill to address actual vote fraud