Monthly Archives: June 2017

Wisconsin case undermines even the scaled back bathroom bill

Posted on June 4, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Special session or not, this could be a big deal. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit likely just handed the Supreme Court a new case about a transgender student to consider. The Court’s opinion, issued Tuesday, eviscerates … Continue reading →

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Super Bowl economic impact was about what we expected

Posted on June 4, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Not too bad. The receipts are in, and February’s Super Bowl LI appears to have been a substantial boon for Houston — albeit with slightly less spending than expected. Gross spending during the nine days of Super Bowl programming, minus … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston, Other sports | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Saturday video break: Safety Dance

Posted on June 3, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Hey, I just realized that I’ve never seen the video of the Men Without Hats classic “Safety Dance”. Let’s watch, shall we? Well, that was…um, yeah, I got nothing. Let’s just go to the Literal Video version, because there just … Continue reading →

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San Antonio files “sanctuary cities” lawsuit

Posted on June 3, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Here they go. The cities of San Antonio and Austin announced on Thursday they have joined the fight to stop the state’s new immigration enforcement law, Senate Bill 4, in federal court. […] The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational … Continue reading →

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

Dayna Steele is in for CD36

Posted on June 3, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Hooray! Hilton at 10:30 a.m. It was during the Women’s March on Washington, one day after President Donald Trump’s inauguration, that Steele said she was inspired to take action. Following a few months of research, including conversations with her family … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , | 10 Comments

Council passes the 2017-18 budget

Posted on June 3, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

With a bit of drama along the way. City Council voted to boost funding for a controversial program that helps district council members tackle neighborhood projects Wednesday, even as it approved an annual budget from which one police cadet class … Continue reading →

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Friday random ten – Girls’ music of 2016, part 1

Posted on June 2, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The girls got their share of music last year as well, enough to span two lists. Here’s the first half: 1. Confident – Demi Lovato 2. Ex’s & Oh’s – Elle King 3. Mockingbird – Eminem 4. Hello – Adele … Continue reading →

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Firefighters sue over pension reform law

Posted on June 2, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I suppose this was inevitable. Houston’s firefighters pension fund has sued Mayor Sylvester Turner and numerous city officials over the pension reform plan Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law Wednesday, putting up another potential hurdle in Houston’s efforts to solve … Continue reading →

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

AirBnB bill fails to pass

Posted on June 2, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

One minor surprise from this now-ended legislative session. A conference committee Saturday voted to strip an amendment that would have blocked cities from regulating short-term rentals like Airbnb, all but killing the measure with less than two days left in … Continue reading →

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State appeals injunction of “fetal remains” rule

Posted on June 2, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Here we go. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton asked a federal appeals court Tuesday to overturn an Austin judge’s ruling that blocked the state from enforcing a rule requiring fetal tissue to be buried or cremated. U.S. District Judge Sam … Continue reading →

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No Astrodome vote this fall

Posted on June 1, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

This is a bit of a surprise. [Sen. John] Whitmire filed a bill that would force the county to get voter approval before spending any money on the Dome. “It’s a dream and you shouldn’t spend taxpayer dollars on a … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2017, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

When might Houston file a lawsuit over SB4?

Posted on June 1, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Unclear at this time. Responding to calls for Houston to take a tougher stance on immigration legislation, Mayor Sylvester Turner said Tuesday he still is reviewing a controversial state law passed this month that allows police to ask people their … Continue reading →

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More big employers against a bathroom bill

Posted on June 1, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t know what it will take to get this message to sink in, but it won’t be for lack of trying. The CEOs of 14 top companies, including Facebook, Apple, Microsoft and Amazon, have sent a letter to Gov. … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of May 29

Posted on June 1, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance doesn’t need a back channel to bring you this week’s roundup.

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