Monthly Archives: May 2017

The stars at night are still not as brights as they could be

Posted on May 7, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

We need to do better. In the high mountains of a wild desert, day drains from the sky and night lights appear like halos on the horizon. There’s no moon. Just Mercury chasing the setting sun in the west, Jupiter … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: Rescue Me

Posted on May 6, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the Doc Thomas Group: I have no idea how I got this CD. Maybe it was Tiffany’s, maybe someone gave it to me, whatever the origin was it has been lost to the mists of time. It’s a pretty … Continue reading →

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Revenue cap will be on the November ballot

Posted on May 6, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Here it comes, assuming the pension reform bill doesn’t get mugged in a dark alley. Mayor Sylvester Turner plans to ask voters to lift Houston’s cap on property tax collections in November, a move that could loosen one of the … Continue reading →

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Senate approves bail reform bill

Posted on May 6, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Good. After weeks of politically touchy negotiations capped by a shove from a Houston federal judge, the Texas Senate on Thursday approved significant changes in the state’s bail bond system designed to keep low-level offenders from sitting in jail because … Continue reading →

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Judicial Conduct commission seeks suspension of JP Hilary Green

Posted on May 6, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Holy moley. In an explosive and rare move, Texas judicial authorities on Wednesday asked the Texas Supreme Court to suspend a Harris County justice of the peace accused of paying prostitutes for sex, misusing illegal drugs and ruling unethically in … Continue reading →

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Who’s your lawyer?

Posted on May 6, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Ross Ramsey has a simple question. Do you remember the name of the lawyer who advised the Texas House and Senate when they wrote the 2011 voter ID bill? That’s the law a federal judge in Corpus Christi found to … Continue reading →

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

Friday random ten: Stuff I bought in 2016

Posted on May 5, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

A little later than usual because of the previous series, but it’s time for my annual review of the music I acquired in the last year. We’ll begin with purchases from iTunes, Noisetrade, and elsewhere. 1. Birdland – Maynard Ferguson … Continue reading →

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It’s already crowded in CD07

Posted on May 5, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Gonna need a scorecard to keep track of all the players. On Wednesday, two Texas Democrats are launching separate campaigns for Congress in a district that’s served as a Republican stronghold since the congressional days of former President George H.W. … Continue reading →

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Final EV report for the May 6 election

Posted on May 5, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Before I get to the numbers, here’s a Chron overview of the Pasadena Mayor’s race that mentions the numbers towards the end. “I believe it’s a pivotal time in this city’s history – that it can either draw together and … Continue reading →

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One last look at the recapture re-vote

Posted on May 5, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

There’s a lot at stake here, and not a whole lot of people voting on it. For the second time in seven months, voters within the Houston Independent School District will determine how – and if – it should pay … Continue reading →

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“Sanctuary cities” bill gets final passage

Posted on May 5, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

It’s done. The Texas Senate on Wednesday voted 20-11 to accept the House’s version of Senate bill 4, legislation that would ban “sanctuary” jurisdictions in Texas and allow police to inquire about the immigration status of people they lawfully detain. … Continue reading →

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Justice Department will send election monitors to Pasadena

Posted on May 4, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Okay. The U.S. Department of Justice is monitoring the Pasadena city elections as the suburb faces mounting federal scrutiny in the wake of a federal judge’s ruling that the city intentionally violated the Voting Rights Act by discriminating against Hispanics. … Continue reading →

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Why won’t the county settle the damn bail lawsuit?

Posted on May 4, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Lisa Falkenberg asks the same question I’ve been asking. Now that Chief U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal – it should be noted, a Republican appointee — levelled her devastating assessment of Harris County’s rigid bail system a few days ago, … Continue reading →

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Faith leaders against discrimination

Posted on May 4, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

More of this, please. Prayer is a staple of the Texas Capitol, where lawmakers begin each legislative day with an invocation and bowed heads. But on Wednesday, about 50 faith leaders of various denominations lined the stairs outside the Texas … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of May 1

Posted on May 4, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance has squeezed all the news out of the past week like an $8 juice bag and put it into the roundup for you.

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Trib overview of the Pasadena elections

Posted on May 3, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Good stuff. When voters head to the polls here Saturday, their city council and mayoral picks could have repercussions well beyond this working-class Houston suburb. It will be the first election since a federal judge struck down the city’s 2013 … Continue reading →

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County considers its bail options

Posted on May 3, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I can think of one, if they need some help. With just two weeks until the 193-page order from Chief U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal kicks in May 15, county officials are working to draft a plan to deal … Continue reading →

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Senate passes “driverless car” bill

Posted on May 3, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

This is a first. Texas took a step toward self-driving vehicles zipping up and down its highways and streets under a first-of-its-kind measure approved Thursday by the Texas Senate. Approved by a 31-0 vote, Senate Bill 1622 would implement minimum … Continue reading →

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Someone really doesn’t like the Paxton case judge

Posted on May 3, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

It’s dirty tricks time. An anonymous campaign-like piece of mail has begun appearing in Texas attacking the judge overseeing Attorney General Ken Paxton’s criminal securities fraud trial, discrediting the Tarrant County jurist who has said he plans to stay with … Continue reading →

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Castro will not run for Senate in 2018

Posted on May 2, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Well, that’s settled. U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, has decided not to challenge U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, in 2018. He announced the decision in an email to supporters Monday, saying he wants to remain focused on his work … Continue reading →

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Senate passes pension reform bill

Posted on May 2, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Progress. Houston’s pension reform package passed the Texas Senate by a 25-5 margin Monday, as a possible political blockade dissolved to provide the landmark proposal a speedy passage. Mayor Sylvester Turner’s reforms now await a hearing in the state House … Continue reading →

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Court denies motion for appeals in redistricting case and sets trial date

Posted on May 2, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

We are moving along in this process after such a long long looooooooooooooooong wait to get here. A three-judge panel on Monday denied Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s request to appeal a March ruling that said the Legislature intentionally discriminated … Continue reading →

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The SB4 protests

Posted on May 2, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I admire the hell out of this. At least two dozen protesters on the grounds of the Texas Capitol on Monday evening were charged with misdemeanor trespassing, the culmination of a day-long sit-in. The demonstration began around 10 a.m. Monday … Continue reading →

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Precinct analysis: Congressional districts

Posted on May 1, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Legislative Council now has full data from the 2016 elections on its site, so this seemed like as good a time as any to take a look at the data from Congressional districts. I’m much more limited in … Continue reading →

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TxDOT public hearings on I-45 widening scheduled for May 9th & May 11th

Posted on May 1, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox, from Jim Weston of the I-45 Coalition: The I-45 Project – Planning Stage is coming to an end!  This next meeting is a HEARING –  much different from the public meetings that TxDOT has been holding. This … Continue reading →

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Nonprofit VOTE report on voter turnout

Posted on May 1, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

For your perusal. NATIONAL TURNOUT Voter turnout exceeded 2012 at a level consistent with the last three presidential elections. 60.2% of the nation’s 231 million eligible voters cast ballots, according to ballots counted and certified by state election boards, compared … Continue reading →

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