Monthly Archives: August 2017

The economic impact of SB4

Posted on August 3, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

It could be big. Representatives from Texas’ business, local government and higher education sectors argued Tuesday that the state’s new immigration-enforcement law, which is slated to take effect Sept. 1, could do billions of dollars in damage to the Texas … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Can we share these lanes?

Posted on August 3, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Metro is rethinking how the light rail lines run in parts of downtown. Traffic woes and collisions along the newest light-rail lines in downtown have Metro leaders toying with the idea of backpedaling on their promise not to close parts … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Fifth Circuit sets bail hearing

Posted on August 3, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Mark your calendars. Harris County will have another chance to defend its embattled cash bail system this fall in a lawsuit brought by indigent defendants who languished in jail for days because they couldn’t afford money bail. The Fifth U.S. … Continue reading →

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

Texas blog roundup for the week of July 31

Posted on August 3, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance puts skinny lattes over skinny repeals as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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Dear business community: Dan Patrick is not your ally

Posted on August 2, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the full Chron story about the latest group of business leaders to call for a stop to the bathroom bill. I want to focus on one key aspect of this: A week after police chiefs from Houston, San Antonio … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Maternal mortality bills pass the House

Posted on August 2, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Good. House lawmakers tentatively approved a series of bills Monday aimed at helping Texas curb its unusually high rate of women dying less than a year after childbirth. The primary measure, House Bill 9, would direct the state’s Task Force … Continue reading →

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No deal for Dukes

Posted on August 2, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The die is cast. The Travis County District Attorney’s office on Tuesday said its offer to drop all corruption charges against state Rep. Dawnna Dukes, D-Austin, in exchange for her agreeing to resign immediately had expired. In a statement sent … Continue reading →

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Let’s do talk about Democratic legislative candidates

Posted on August 1, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I have so many things to say about this. The hottest new trend in Democratic politics these days is running for Congress — everybody’s doing it. So far, more than 200 Democrats have filed to challenge Republican incumbents and raised … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Still more big businesses against the bathroom bill

Posted on August 1, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

It’s like there’s a strong, overwhelming consensus or something. Top executives of big oil companies and other major Houston firms and organizations on Monday weighed into the political dogfight over the controversial bathroom bill, calling on Gov. Greg Abbott to … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Dukes offered deal to resign

Posted on August 1, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Take it, I say. Beleaguered state Rep. Dawnna Dukes has until the end of the day Tuesday to resign from office — and submit to a drug and alcohol assessment — as part of a plea offer in her criminal … Continue reading →

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