Monthly Archives: May 2019

Two for HD134

Posted on May 21, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Local attorney and business owner Ruby Powers announced on Thursday that she is running to represent District 134 in the Texas House of Representatives. “Our district deserves a state representative who will ensure that families can send … Continue reading →

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There’s always time for an attack on Planned Parenthood

Posted on May 20, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

This one comes with an attack on local control, so it’s a twofer. Texas and its local governments would no longer be able to partner with abortion providers or their affiliates — even for services like sexual health education and … Continue reading →

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Double dipping

Posted on May 20, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

You almost have to admire the nerve. Houston’s highest-paid city council staffer has continued to collect his $119,600 salary despite being out of the state in a U.S. Army military law training program since January. Daniel Albert, chief of staff … Continue reading →

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Bullet train dodges more bullets

Posted on May 20, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

More good news for Texas Central. The Dallas-Houston high-speed rail project dodged a bullet this week when lawmakers hashing out the state budget released their decision to strike a provision that could have delayed the project. A committee of Texas … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for May 19

Posted on May 19, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

“If bitcoin is so safe, why does it keep getting hacked?” “Why abortion access is not only a right according to the 14th amendment (privacy) but also the 1st (prohibiting free exercise of religion.)” “Instead of obtaining plum positions in … Continue reading →

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An early review of the Senate campaign so far

Posted on May 19, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I have thoughts about this. When U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro announced earlier this month that he would not run for U.S. Senate in 2020, the San Antonio Democrat cleared up one major question hanging over his party’s primary. But the … Continue reading →

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So long, red light cameras

Posted on May 19, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Like ’em or not, they’re on their way out, barring a veto from Greg Abbott. The Republican-led push to rid Texas intersections of red-light cameras moved one step closer to becoming law after the state Senate signed off on a … Continue reading →

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Anti-Israel boycott law amended

Posted on May 19, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

For whatever this is worth. Gov. Greg Abbott this week signed a bill into law that limits the scope of a controversial anti-Israel boycott law, just weeks after a federal judge temporarily blocked its enforcement in an ongoing First Amendment … Continue reading →

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SB9 clears House committee

Posted on May 18, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Let the stalling tactics begin! The House Elections Committee voted Friday to advance a controversial election bill, setting up a race to get it onto the full chamber’s agenda ahead of bill-killing deadlines that start this weekend. The committee approved … Continue reading →

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Paxton again refuses to comply with House Oversight Committee

Posted on May 18, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

It’s like he has no interest in oversight, or something. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office this week again denied a request for a records by a U.S. House panel seeking to investigate the state’s botched voter purge program. […] … Continue reading →

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Lineup shuffling at the DA’s office

Posted on May 18, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

This was a surprise. Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg’s top lieutenant is out the door after the latest staffing shake-up at an office already plagued by high turnover and ongoing retention problems. Tom Berg, a former defense attorney who … Continue reading →

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So what’s happening with SB9, the vote suppression bill?

Posted on May 17, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

The big House committee hearing was on Wednesday. Filed in early March, Senate Bill 9 by Republican state Sen. Bryan Hughes emerged as a priority for Senate leadership and first appeared to seize on bipartisan support for modernizing outdated voting … Continue reading →

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Ortiz Jones 2.0

Posted on May 17, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Gina Ortiz Jones is back for another go at CD23. Gina Ortiz Jones, the Democrat who narrowly lost last year to U.S. Rep. Will Hurd, R-Helotes, is running again. Jones, a former Air Force intelligence officer, launched her long-anticipated 2020 … Continue reading →

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Injunction ordered in Skull Creek lawsuit

Posted on May 17, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Hope this helps. Three months after the waters of Skull Creek first turned black, a Travis County state district judge issued a temporary injunction Tuesday against Inland Environmental and Remediation and David Polston, its president, requiring the company to stop … Continue reading →

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Prop B ruled unconstitutional

Posted on May 16, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Oh, my. A state district judge on Wednesday ruled Proposition B, the voter-approved measure that grants Houston firefighters the same pay as police of corresponding rank and seniority, unconstitutional and void. The ruling came in a lawsuit brought in November … Continue reading →

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Undead “religious liberty” bill passes Senate

Posted on May 16, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Scott Braddock: On a vote of 19 to 12, the Texas Senate votes to advance the Holy Chicken Nugget bill to third reading #TxLege — Scott Braddock (@scottbraddock) 6:32 PM – 15 May 2019 … Continue reading →

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House votes to raise smoking age

Posted on May 16, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

This could happen. The Texas House voted Tuesday to raise the legal smoking age from 18 to 21, except for military personnel. Senate Bill 21 received preliminary approval from the lower chamber more than one month after the Senate approved … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of May 13

Posted on May 16, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance practices saying sine die in the mirror as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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A tale of screwed cities

Posted on May 15, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

That’s my unofficial title for this legislative session. The interest group representing Texas cities used to be one of the most powerful legislative forces at the Capitol. This session, it has become the GOP’s most prominent adversary. Its members have … Continue reading →

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Federal lawsuit filed over homeless feeding ordinance

Posted on May 15, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I’m kind of surprised that this hadn’t been filed before now. On a recent evening in April, a few dozen people experiencing homelessness lined up outside Central Library in downtown Houston for a free — and illegal — meal of … Continue reading →

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We could have had an excise tax on e-cigarettes

Posted on May 15, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

But then Greg Abbott got involved. At the urging of the nation’s biggest tobacco company, Gov. Greg Abbott launched a late-hour push to change Texas legislation creating a 10% state retail excise tax on e-cigarette and vapor smoking products. That … Continue reading →

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Chris Bell looking at a Senate run

Posted on May 14, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

We haven’t had one of these stories in a couple of weeks. Chris Bell, the former Democratic congressman and gubernatorial nominee from Houston, is mulling a bid for U.S. Senate in 2020 against U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. Bell told … Continue reading →

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“What is dead may never die”, bad bills edition

Posted on May 14, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

That nasty anti-LGBT bill that was killed in the House has been revived in the Senate. After LGBTQ lawmakers in the Texas House killed a religious liberty bill they feared could be dangerous to their community, the Texas Senate has … Continue reading →

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What’s going on in Skull Creek?

Posted on May 14, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s a story from a couple of weeks ago that you may have missed. I know I missed it until it was pointed out to me. For more than two months, the waters of Skull Creek have flowed black, its … Continue reading →

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How should we feel about Joaquin Castro not running for Senate?

Posted on May 13, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron’s Erica Greider has opinions. In announcing that he won’t challenge Republican U.S. Sen John Cornyn next year, Texas congressman Joaquin Castro explained that he wanted to focus on the “important and meaningful work” he is doing in Congress. … Continue reading →

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Census outreach

Posted on May 13, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I am puzzled why this is controversial. A divided city council on Wednesday approved a $650,000 contract aimed at boosting the number of Houston residents who participate in the 2020 census, a measure that generated partisan debate in which some … Continue reading →

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The Sandra Bland cellphone video

Posted on May 13, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Wow. New cellphone footage from the now infamous traffic stop of Sandra Bland shows her perspective when a Texas state trooper points a Taser and yells, “I will light you up!” Bland, 28, was found dead three days later in … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for May 12

Posted on May 12, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

“And the most important thing to understand about Thomas of Monmouth’s massively, enduringly influential and culture-shaping story is this: It’s a lie. It’s a vicious, outrageous fabrication — the product of an evil, deceitful man with a twisted mind.” “So … Continue reading →

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Bad bill alert: SB9

Posted on May 12, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

We’re a bit more than two weeks out from the end of this legislative session. It feels like it’s been pretty quiet, but perhaps that’s just in comparison to the last session when it was a nonstop fight over the … Continue reading →

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Firefighters get Prop B back pay

Posted on May 12, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Good for them. The city of Houston on Friday issued lump-sum paychecks to more than 3,900 firefighters, a move Mayor Sylvester Turner said reflects the implementation, retroactive to Jan. 1, of Proposition B, the measure granting firefighters the same pay … Continue reading →

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Revitalizing recycling

Posted on May 12, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

This is encouraging. On Monday, bipartisan legislation designed to help offset the sapped demand for recyclables abroad cleared a final legislative hurdle at the Texas Capitol. Senate Bill 649, which passed the Senate last month on a 21-10 vote, cleared … Continue reading →

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Cable franchise fees

Posted on May 11, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Hey, remember how the city of Houston had to lay off a bunch of workers to to close a $179 million budget deficit? Well, there’s more where that came from. The Texas House on Thursday approved legislation that would limit … Continue reading →

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Senate protects Confederate monuments

Posted on May 11, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I will never understand this. After nearly four hours of testimony and an emotional show of opposition from some legislators of color in the Texas Senate, the upper chamber approved Tuesday a bill that would expand protections for historical monuments. … Continue reading →

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Flying motorcycles

Posted on May 11, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Look out above. A team of engineers at Texas A&M University is participating in the $2 million-plus GoFly Prize competition, an event sponsored by the aerospace company Boeing to challenge engineers to develop flying devices that are relatively quiet, fit in … Continue reading →

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