Monthly Archives: May 2016

New methane rules finalized

Posted on May 15, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Gentlemen, start your lawyers. The Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday issued its final rule for methane emissions from the oil and gas industry. The rule limits methane emissions from new oil and gas infrastructure and requires operators to submit to … Continue reading →

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George Scott holds on in Katy ISD race

Posted on May 15, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Every vote matters, y’all. A longtime critic of the Katy Independent School District has ousted a 27-year incumbent from the board of trustees, winning by three votes out of nearly 3,000 cast, according to unofficial total results announced Friday. Conservative … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: I’ve Seen All Good People/Your Move

Posted on May 14, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs take on a typically tricky Yes staple: I love Susanna Hoffs’ voice, and I love her interpretation of this song. You should definitely check out her various collections of covers with Sweet, called “Under The … Continue reading →

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Supreme Court upholds school finance system

Posted on May 14, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

I’m stunned. The Texas Supreme Court on Friday issued a ruling upholding the state’s public school funding system as constitutional, while asserting it could be better. “Our Byzantine school funding ‘system’ is undeniably imperfect, with immense room for improvement. But … Continue reading →

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

Castro says he’s not been vetted for VP

Posted on May 14, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

So much for that, it would seem. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro said Tuesday that, despite all the speculation that he’s being considered to be Hillary Clinton’s running mate, he hasn’t been vetted by the Democratic front-runner’s … Continue reading →

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Sheriff primary runoff overview

Posted on May 14, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Unless you live in HD139, this is the most consequential runoff on the Democratic ballot. [Ed] Gonzalez has drawn heavy support from the Democratic establishment, including former Mayor Annise Parker, state Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, and the Harris County chapter … Continue reading →

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So far, so good for Mayor Turner

Posted on May 14, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

That’s the general consensus of his first four-plus months in office. Faced with a $160 million budget shortfall that would leave some wringing their hands until deadline day, Mayor Sylvester Turner presented his plan a month ahead of schedule. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Friday random ten: In the city, part 10

Posted on May 13, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

New York, New York, so nice they said it twice… 1. New York State Of Mind – Billy Joel 2. New York State Of Mind – Rowlf the Dog 3. New York, New York – Big Daddy 4. The Night … Continue reading →

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Paxton’s day in appellate court

Posted on May 13, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The grand jury was out to get Ken Paxton, apparently. Lawyers for Attorney General Ken Paxton on Thursday tried to cast doubt on the makeup of the grand jury that indicted him. They’re hoping to overturn a lower court’s decision … Continue reading →

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Meyers voter ID lawsuit on hold

Posted on May 13, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

That’s my interpretation of this. Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Larry Meyers and his co-plaintiff yesterday nonsuited their lawsuit against the state that claimed the voter ID law was unconstitutional. The plantiffs plan to refile their lawsuit after they … Continue reading →

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I-45 update: North St Bridge and more

Posted on May 13, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The latest update from the I-45 Coalition: Dear I-45 Coalition member, October 2015 was the last update … it’s now May 2016 … several things have changed in the past 8 months. As a quick summary, TxDOT will be rebuilding … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Still saying No to Reynolds

Posted on May 13, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron reiterates its opposition to Rep. Ron Reynolds in the HD27 primary runoff. Texas’ Attorney General Ken Paxton has been indicted for securities fraud. Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller is under criminal investigation by the Texas Rangers for misusing state … Continue reading →

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Precinct 1 Commissioners Court race update

Posted on May 12, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Three items of interest: 1. There will be a public forum on Sunday, May 22, from 3 to 5 PM at CWA Local 6222- 1730 Jefferson St, Houston, TX 77002, to meet the people who have expressed interest in being … Continue reading →

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Cruz says he will run for re-election in 2018

Posted on May 12, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Oh, goody. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, is officially running for re-election in 2018. Cruz filed paperwork Wednesday afternoon to seek a second term, adding some clarity to his political future just over a week after he ended his presidential … Continue reading →

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By all means, go for Jared

Posted on May 12, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Keeping it classy. The race for chairman of the Texas Republican Party has spawned charges that the party’s current leader, Tom Mechler, supports a “disgusting homosexual agenda.” A supporter of Jared Woodfill, a Houston lawyer and former chairman of the … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of May 9

Posted on May 12, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance congratulates the Leicester City football club for its amazing underdog Premier League championship as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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The Donald is spurring people to register to vote

Posted on May 11, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Just another data point for your consideration. Registration among Hispanic voters is skyrocketing in a presidential election cycle dominated by Donald Trump and loud GOP cries to close the border. Arturo Vargas, executive director of the National Association of Elected … Continue reading →

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Dan Patrick is obsessed with children’s bathrooms

Posted on May 11, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

This guy, I swear. Transgender advocates derided Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on Wednesday for what they described as his “fake outrage” over the Fort Worth school district’s new transgender bathroom guidelines, calling the Republican a shameless bully. “A bully like … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Yeah, we’re still talking about the Austin rideshare referendum

Posted on May 11, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The tech community was as divided as everyone else. Joshua Baer, founder of Capital Factory, the downtown technology incubator, has been a critic of the proposed regulations. He said he believes the vote sent signals that Austin is hostile to … Continue reading →

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We’re still lousy at funding schools

Posted on May 11, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

In case you were wondering. Texas still ranks in the bottom third of states in spending per pupil in the U.S., with essentially no change in either amount or standing, a new study shows. The finding doesn’t help, and could … Continue reading →

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Are driverless cars ready or not?

Posted on May 10, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

GM and Lyft think theirs are pretty close. General Motors Co. and Lyft Inc. within a year will begin testing a fleet of self-driving Chevrolet Bolt electric taxis on public roads, a move central to the companies’ joint efforts to … Continue reading →

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Uber and Lyft do what they said they would

Posted on May 10, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

They’ve cut and run. Uber and Lyft made good on their threat to end Austin service Monday, pulling out two days after voters rejected their $9.1 million bid to overturn the city’s rules for ride-hailing companies. Their departure came despite … Continue reading →

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Sugarek/Jeffery foster family update

Posted on May 10, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

From Lisa Falkenberg: The drab little courtroom off the square in Wharton, with its blond wood, stoic flags and idle metal detector at the door, seemed like an alternative universe. Two Houston foster mothers who entered Thursday with anticipation and … Continue reading →

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RIP, Carl Whitmarsh

Posted on May 10, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

This was certainly a shock. Carl Whitmarsh used to joke that when he died, there would be as many people ready to dance on his grave as to cry over his death. A towering figure in Harris County Democratic politics, … Continue reading →

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Roundup of runoff candidate interviews and Q&As

Posted on May 9, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

As we know, early voting for the primary runoffs begins in a week. I did my usual series of interviews and judicial Q&As for the primary, but there were a few candidates I didn’t get to for one reason or … Continue reading →

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More on the Austin rideshare referendum

Posted on May 9, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The fallout continues to fall. Austin voters on Saturday decisively rejected Uber and Lyft’s $8.6 million bid to overturn the city’s rules for ride-hailing apps, bringing a stunning conclusion to the most expensive campaign in city history. The failure of … Continue reading →

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Rick Perry must really need a job

Posted on May 9, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

That’s the most charitable explanation I can think of for this. Former Gov. Rick Perry, who had called Donald Trump a “cancer on conservatism,” is now endorsing the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. Perry, a former candidate who had backed U.S. … Continue reading →

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This week in Ken Paxton Dishonesty

Posted on May 9, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

What else has he been lying about? Ken Paxton told federal investigators a tech CEO gave him $100,000 worth of stock five years ago, but he never disclosed the shares as either a gift or income, an issue ethics experts … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for May 8

Posted on May 8, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

I for one welcome our robot monk overlords. “There’s a sickness here. We’re covered with ticks. We call them trolls, and they are, but that’s also a way to dismiss them — as if they’re just cantankerous outliers hiding under … Continue reading →

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Austin rideshare referendum goes down

Posted on May 8, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Boom. Preliminary election day results in Austin show 56 percent of voters against Proposition 1, a ride-hailing ordinance supported by Uber and Lyft. With 76.76 percent reporting, 13,957 have voted against the ordinance and 10,901 have voted for. These numbers … Continue reading →

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Jarvis Johnson wins HD139 special election

Posted on May 8, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

For whatever it turns out to be worth. Houston voters on Saturday selected Jarvis D. Johnson to fill the remainder of the unexpired term of former District 139 State Representative Sylvester Turner, now mayor of Houston. Johnson, a former Houston … Continue reading →

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Keep an eye on 2018, too

Posted on May 8, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

From Greg Abbott’s campaign Facebook page: And from the greasy lips of Dan Patrick: There are some who say that they could never vote for Donald Trump — in fact, I was one of those people early on in this … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Remember the runoffs

Posted on May 8, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron makes their endorsements for the primary runoffs, which will happen on May 24, with early voting from the 16th to the 20th. Let me sum up: Republican Member, Railroad Commissioner: Gary Gates Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: It’s The End Of The World As We Know It

Posted on May 7, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

It’s one of my favorite Celtic bands doing their thing with this REM classic: The was Great Big Sea, the finest band from Newfoundland. Hard to believe you could take that song up-tempo, but there you have it. For comparison … Continue reading →

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