Monthly Archives: April 2015

Texas blog roundup for the week of April 20

Posted on April 23, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance honors the victims of the Oklahoma City bombing on the 20th anniversary of that dark day as it brings you this week’s roudup.

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Senate passes a voucher bill

Posted on April 22, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Hopefully, this will die in the House. Some low-income families unhappy with their public schools would get help paying private school tuition under a plan that won tentative approval in the Texas Senate Monday. Senate Bill 4, which would use … Continue reading →

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Minjarez wins in HD124

Posted on April 22, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

At long last, that’s a wrap. Former Bexar County prosecutor Ina Minjarez cruised to victory late Tuesday in the runoff for José Menéndez’s old seat in Texas House District 124 the last vacancy this session in the Legislature. With all … Continue reading →

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Lone Star Rail District update

Posted on April 22, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Haven’t heard from these guys in awhile. According to [Lone Star Rail District], the [proposed rail line] will provide essential relief from the I-35 highway congestion. The express trip from downtown Austin to downtown San Antonio would take 75 minutes. … Continue reading →

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Willis recuses himself from Paxton probe

Posted on April 22, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Good call. Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis has asked a judge to relieve him from further involvement in investigations of his friend, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Late Monday, Willis said that earlier in the day, he filed a … Continue reading →

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No, seriously, expand Medicaid or else

Posted on April 21, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Bring. It. On. The federal government is officially holding state leaders’ feet to the fire, hoping to get Texas to expand its Medicaid program to provide health insurance to more low-income Texans. Federal officials called the state’s health agency this … Continue reading →

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House approves bill to move Public Integrity Unit

Posted on April 21, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Like it or not, looks like this is going to get done. The Texas House gave initial approval Monday to a stripped-down bill that would remove public corruption cases from Travis County’s Public Integrity Unit. Final House approval is expected … Continue reading →

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More on judicial bypass

Posted on April 21, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Nonsequiteuse provides an update, and it’s not looking good. Rep. King’s HB723, which was left pending in the Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence Committee last week, was weak sauce compared to Rep. Morrison’s HB3994, on the State Affairs Committee agenda for … Continue reading →

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Lisa Falkenberg wins Pulitzer for commentary

Posted on April 21, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Major congratulations. Houston Chronicle Columnist Lisa Falkenberg has won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary, the Pulitzer board announced Monday. It was the first Pulitzer Prize awarded to the Chronicle in its 114-year history. The Chronicle has had finalists on … Continue reading →

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More on the potential Hillary effect in Texas

Posted on April 20, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

From the Trib, from shortly before Hillary Clinton made her official announcement. 2. She could resuscitate Texas’ Democratic farm teams. Beyond the presidency, Democrats are betting on gains in the U.S. House in 2016. They’ve got nowhere to go, they … Continue reading →

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The alternate approach to statewide regulations for Uber and Lyft

Posted on April 20, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

That’s one way to do it. Another round of sparring between Texas cities and car service companies like Lyft and Uber played out on Tuesday before a panel of Texas lawmakers. The proposal that was debated — which would let … Continue reading →

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Still no action on fixing birth certificates

Posted on April 20, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

It’s shameful that this doesn’t have the votes to get out of committee. Prior to a hearing on a bill that would permit faith-based adoption agencies to discriminate against LGBT people, Rep. Rafael Anchia (D-Dallas) delivered an impassioned speech on … Continue reading →

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Fixing sidewalks

Posted on April 20, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I like this. Houston’s leaders often decry the condition of city sidewalks, whether missing, overgrown or buckled by tree roots. Then there’s the safety risks when pedestrians are forced to walk on the crumbling concrete or adjacent streets. But the … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for April 19

Posted on April 19, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Wait, The Rules is still a thing? We are doomed as a species. Also, what Amanda Marcotte says. The Rules was as sexist towards men as it was towards women. Three reasons to be optimistic about the fight to save … Continue reading →

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Fifth Circuit hears request to lift immigration injunction order

Posted on April 19, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Always best to temper one’s expectations with these guys. An argument from U. S. Department of Justice lawyers that the state of Texas doesn’t have standing to challenge the Obama administration’s controversial immigration policy met with resistance from a pair … Continue reading →

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Early voting totals for HD124 runoff

Posted on April 19, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Early voting for the HD124 runoff was last week, with Tuesday the 21st being Runoff Day. According to the Bexar County Elections website, 1165 early votes cast so far in the runoff for HD124. That’s a slight improvement over the … Continue reading →

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Uber satisfies Mayor Parker’s demands

Posted on April 19, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

OK then. Tensions eased Friday in a dispute between Mayor Annise Parker and Uber, which partners with local drivers to coordinate paid rides via smartphone, after the company outlined plans to help drivers obey Houston’s for-hire vehicle rules. Responding to … Continue reading →

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AirBnB in Texas

Posted on April 19, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The Rivard Report offers a useful overview of this growing service. With success comes regulation and Airbnb, the wildly popular “sharing economy” website that allows users to rent out portions of their home to adventuresome travelers, has had more than … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: Gloria

Posted on April 18, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Settle in, kids, this is going to be a long one. We start with the original version of this classic, performed by Them, a “Northern Irih rock band featuring Van Morrison”, who are not to be confused with Them!, a … Continue reading →

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City prevails in HERO repeal petition lawsuit

Posted on April 18, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Hallelujah! Opponents of Houston’s non-discrimination ordinance failed to gather enough valid signatures to force a repeal referendum, a state district judge ruled Friday, validating city officials’ decision to toss out the petition foes submitted last summer. After separate rulings from … Continue reading →

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Pennington withdraws from Mayor’s race

Posted on April 18, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Sad news. City Councilman Oliver Pennington announced he would end his candidacy for mayor on Friday, citing his wife’s health. The term-limited councilman, who represents west Houston’s District G, said in a press release he would complete his third and … Continue reading →

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Tesla makes its pitch

Posted on April 18, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a start. At a packed committee hearing Monday evening, advocates for Tesla Motors told a panel of Texas House members that it was time to bring state car sales laws into the 21st century and allow the company to … Continue reading →

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Our corporate allies

Posted on April 18, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Whatever else you may think, they represent our best chance to beat back anti-LGBT legislation this session. With more than 20 anti-LGBT bills pending in the Texas Legislature, a coalition of major employers in the state — including Dell, Samsung … Continue reading →

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Friday random ten: Parenthetically speaking, part 11

Posted on April 17, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

More great parentheticals coming right at you. 1. Remember (Walking In The Sand) – Aerosmith 2. Right Next Door (Because Of Me) – Robert Cray 3. Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) – Bruce Springsteen 4. S.I.M.P. (Squirrels In My Pants) – … Continue reading →

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Mayor Parker pressures Uber

Posted on April 17, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Good. After two weeks of rising tensions between the city and the ride-sharing service Uber, Mayor Annise Parker on Wednesday warned the company it risks losing the right to operate in Houston unless it submits a plan to bring its … Continue reading →

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Mostly positive reviews for the Aycock school finance plan

Posted on April 17, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

So far, so good. A plan from a top House lawmaker to overhaul the state’s public education funding system received largely favorable reviews from school districts during a marathon legislative hearing that ended late Tuesday night. “While this bill, some … Continue reading →

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High speed rail opponents go to Congress

Posted on April 17, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s a press release from Texans Against High Speed Rail: Lawmakers in Austin who represent thousands of Texans along the proposed Dallas Houston high-speed rail project being promoted by Texas Central Railway (TCR) have officially requested opposition to the project … Continue reading →

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Widening I-10 to San Antonio

Posted on April 17, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Like, all the way. The roughly 200-mile stretch of Interstate 10 from San Antonio to Houston could become more spacious, as the Texas Department of Transportation has raised the idea of adding a third lane to the highway in each … Continue reading →

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Bill to ban anti-fracking ordinances likely to go forward

Posted on April 16, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Disappointing. Despite vociferous opposition from local elected officials, environmentalists and citizens, many Democrats in the Texas Legislature are supporting controversial legislation that would strip local governments of the power to regulate or ban fracking. House Bill 40, by Rep. Drew … Continue reading →

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Pothole progress

Posted on April 16, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Hooray. Two months after Mayor Annise Parker called Houston’s pockmarked streets a “crisis situation” and pledged to clear a mounting pothole repair backlog, the city has reduced open work requests by about 1,000 despite a steep increase in calls for … Continue reading →

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Fort Bend ISD

Posted on April 16, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

A lot going on over there. With a fifth-grader in Palmer Elementary School in Missouri City, Steve Brown has begun to think about where his son should attend middle school. The campus is just a two-minute drive from the current … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of April 13

Posted on April 16, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance revels in the start of another baseball season as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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As usual, the Fifth Circuit is where hope goes to be strangled

Posted on April 15, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Ugh. Judge Jerry E. Smith’s presence on the panel that will hear oral arguments in Texas v. United States on Friday is simply a disaster for the DAPA and expanded DACA programs. Smith, the self-described former right-wing activist, once described … Continue reading →

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More Uber safety debating

Posted on April 15, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a topic that’s not going away. With the new, smartphone-based services, drivers and passengers said, the relationship between the person behind the wheel and the person paying for the trip is unique: “It’s just you and them,” one driver … Continue reading →

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