Monthly Archives: July 2015

Paxton drops another same sex marriage appeal

Posted on July 8, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Another step forward. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton plans to dismiss an appeal challenging a Travis County judge’s February ruling that found the state’s ban on gay marriage to be unconstitutional. The U.S. Supreme Court’s June 26 decision declaring gay … Continue reading →

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

The debate over changing Confederate-named schools in HISD

Posted on July 8, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Predictably, not everybody likes the idea of rechristening HISD schools that were named for Confederate generals. Houston ISD board president Rhonda Skillern-Jones has said she wants her fellow trustees to consider renaming six campuses, following the June shooting deaths of … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Pushing for Vision Zero

Posted on July 8, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Jay Crossley opines in the Chron for a lower speed limit in Houston. Texas law requires a 30 mph speed limit in the city of Houston on local residential streets unless a different speed limit is posted. If you are … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

SOS to review motor voter complaints

Posted on July 8, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I hope this amounts to more than lip service. The Texas Secretary of State has agreed to study why thousands of Texans have complained over the past year and a half that they had problems registering to vote despite a … Continue reading →

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Federal lawsuit filed in Hood County

Posted on July 7, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

That sound you hear is the rubber meeting the road. The motion for a temporary injunction and temporary restraining order was filed this morning in Fort Worth federal court on behalf of Soifer’s clients, Jim Cato and Joe Stapleton, who’ve … Continue reading →

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And the battle moves to Irion County

Posted on July 7, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

“Where the heck is Irion County?” I hear you cry. Just the home of the next County Clerk that needs to be schooled on the Constitution, and not her dime store “understanding” of it. The county clerk in tiny Irion … Continue reading →

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TOP calls for changes in construction incentives

Posted on July 7, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

From Prime Property: Members of the Texas Organizing Project stood with signs across from a 40-story building under construction at Preston and Milam just off the park on downtown’s north side. The group was hoping to draw attention to the … Continue reading →

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What Dallas County can teach us about jail overcrowding

Posted on July 7, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Why can’t Harris County be more like Dallas County, at least in this regard? Dallas County’s jail population has hit an all-time low. That means more spacious jail tanks and fewer bologna sandwiches. If the trend continues, it could add … Continue reading →

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Here come the lawyers

Posted on July 6, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t see how the squadron of anti-equality attorneys has a case in the wake of Obergfell, but they’re gonna try their best to muck things up anyway. Now, conservative attorneys are gearing up to defend [government employees who refuse … Continue reading →

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Paxton’s cronies

Posted on July 6, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

This guy really is a piece of work. When seeking a job at the Texas attorney general’s office, it’s less about what is on your résumé than who you know. In Attorney General Ken Paxton’s first weeks in office, he … Continue reading →

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Circling back to city finances

Posted on July 6, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. This time, [City Finance Director Kelly] Dowe insists, the $126 million deficit he projects for the budget year that starts next summer is not going to disappear, as past projected shortfalls have. … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Metro and your smartphone

Posted on July 6, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Nice. As Metropolitan Transit Authority officials planned for the new system – which will affect practically every bus ride in the region – they have also focused on offering new services. One of those, a system that allows bus riders … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Weekend link dump for July 5

Posted on July 5, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

“This column looks back at Jaws and another shark attack movie that disappeared from U.S. theaters after lawyers sank their teeth into it.” Wait, Ann Coulter is still a thing? Who knew? And sadly, she’s just as horrible as always. … Continue reading →

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Paxton takes the culture-warrior lead

Posted on July 5, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Well, at least he’s found his calling in life. In the six months before Ken Paxton won election as Texas attorney general last fall, he stayed largely out of sight. Under an ethical cloud amid claims of financial fraud, he … Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized! | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Supreme Court to hear school finance appeal in September

Posted on July 5, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Mark your calendars. The Texas Supreme Court will hear oral arguments Sept. 1 in the long-running case challenging the state’s school-finance system. “We are very pleased that the court is moving so expeditiously,” attorney David Thompson, representing the Houston Independent … Continue reading →

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Clinics consider reopening

Posted on July 5, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

There’s a lot of uncertainty in the decisionmaking process, that’s for sure. Abortion providers cheered a move by the U.S. Supreme Court to temporarily block part of a Texas law that would have closed more than half the state’s 19 … Continue reading →

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The wedding industry is rubbing its hands with glee

Posted on July 5, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Nothing like having your market dramatically expanded overnight. Within hours after the Supreme Court legalized gay marriage in Texas and across the country, local wedding businesses and venues already began getting orders and bookings from same-sex couples. Those in the … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: A real live nephew of my Uncle Sam

Posted on July 4, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Taking a break from cover songs for a good, patriotic reason today: I’d love to see a modern take on that. Imagine Jay-Z interpreting and re-choreographing Jimmy Cagney’s song and dance above. Or Bruno Mars, or Justin Timberlake, or maybe … Continue reading →

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Lawsuit threatened in Hood County over clerk’s refusal to issue marriage license

Posted on July 4, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I was beginning to think that none of Texas’ 254 County Clerks were going to attempt to martyr themselves in the name of their “religious freedom” to not issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. I shouldn’t have worried. Attorneys for … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Cardinals identify a fall guy

Posted on July 4, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The latest Hacked-Stros news. The St. Louis Cardinals have terminated the contract of their scouting director, Chris Correa, as investigations continue into alleged hacking of a Houston Astros database. A Cardinals’ lawyer, James G. Martin, confirmed the move Thursday, saying … Continue reading →

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Adickes documentary

Posted on July 4, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I’d watch that. Recently local video production company The Storyhive announced details of an upcoming documentary about Houston artist and sculptor David Adickes, the man behind many of the large-scale public art pieces dotting the Bayou City area. The film, … Continue reading →

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Friday random ten: Revisiting the Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Songs list, part 2

Posted on July 3, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s their list, and here’s mine for this week: 1. How Soon Is Now? – Love Spit Love (#477, orig. The Smiths) 2. Where Did Our Love Go? – Diana Ross and The Supremes (#475) 3. Into the Mystic – … Continue reading →

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Paxton could be in real trouble

Posted on July 3, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Whoa. The criminal investigation against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has taken a more serious turn, with special prosecutors now planning to present a first-degree felony securities fraud case against him to a Collin County grand jury, News 8 has … Continue reading →

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Now Texas is suing the EPA over its clean water plan

Posted on July 3, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Another day, another anti-environmental lawsuit. It’s what we do. For the 20th time since the Obama administration took office in 2009, the federal Environmental Protection Agency is facing a lawsuit from Texas. Joined by Louisiana and Mississippi, Texas is challenging … Continue reading →

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

What about LGBT asylum seekers?

Posted on July 3, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Good question. As millions waited this week for a landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling on gay marriage, dozens of LGBT immigrants sat in American detention centers after fleeing what they say is persecution in their homelands because of their sexual … Continue reading →

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Texas throws in the towel with the Fifth Circuit

Posted on July 2, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Hallelujah. The 5th Circuit should affirm a lower court ruling that overturned Texas’ long-standing ban on same-sex marriage, Scott Keller, the state’s solicitor general, wrote in a letter to the appellate court. That letter was in response to the appellate … Continue reading →

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Outsourcing inmates again

Posted on July 2, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

We’ve been down this road before. For the first time in three years, the Harris County sheriff began transferring busloads of inmates this week to other correctional facilities to avoid overcrowding at the state’s largest jail. The jail population is … Continue reading →

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San Antonio wants a do-over on Uber and Lyft

Posted on July 2, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe the third time will be the charm. Mayor Ivy Taylor said Friday that there’s a demand for transportation-network companies in San Antonio and signaled that she wants to work a new deal that would allow Uber and Lyft to … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Texas blog roundup for the week of June 29

Posted on July 2, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance is still celebrating love’s victory as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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On to the benefits

Posted on July 2, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Now that same sex marriage is the law of the land, Texas employers need to make sure that the spousal benefits they offer apply to all spouses. “If an employer provides benefits to anyone who is currently married, they must … Continue reading →

Posted in Society and cultcha | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Ready to engage in the next fight

Posted on July 1, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

No rest for the righteous. On Monday, national and state gay rights leaders and the plaintiffs who sued for marriage equality convened in front of the Texas Capitol to make a different kind of vow: The fight for lesbian, gay, … Continue reading →

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SCOTUS gives polluters a win

Posted on July 1, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Alas. t emissions of mercury and other hazardous air pollutants, but it may only be a temporary setback for regulators. The justices split 5-4 along ideological lines to rule that the Environmental Protection Agency failed to take cost into account … Continue reading →

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

One more holdout concedes

Posted on July 1, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Hood County and its outspoken County Clerk bow to the inevitable. A Texas county clerk said on Tuesday her office will issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, reversing a previous decision that was based on religious objections. Some counties in … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

HBU contraceptive coverage decision overturned

Posted on July 1, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Good. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has turned back a challenge brought by several Texas religious organizations that oppose offering insurance contraceptive coverage to their employees, concluding that the plaintiffs have no right to challenge the … Continue reading →

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