Monthly Archives: September 2020

We are not ready to re-reopen

Posted on September 6, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but… Texas COVID-19 hospitalizations have declined the most significantly — 4,144 Tuesday, down from 10,893 on July 22 — but new cases, positive test rates, daily deaths and viral spread are all … Continue reading →

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Houston’s hottest neighborhoods

Posted on September 6, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

That’s temperature hot, not realtor hot. This summer, Houston joins 13 other cities in a massive, community-driven, heat mapping project. More than 80 volunteers like Powers and her son, dubbed “street scientists” by the organizing groups, covered roughly 300 square … Continue reading →

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Data for Progress: Biden 48, Trump 45

Posted on September 5, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: New polling data from Data For Progress shows Texas Democrats in a strong position to capture control of the Texas House of Representatives in the November general election. A late-August survey of likely Texas general election voters … Continue reading →

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Turning out more Asian-American voters

Posted on September 5, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Keep an eye on this. A national progressive group focused on getting Asian Americans to vote says it is going “all in” on Texas, looking to spend $1 million in the state where Asian Americans are the fastest growing segment … Continue reading →

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Wait, there’s a Census going on?

Posted on September 5, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I smack my forehead so hard. Through a small notice tucked into the state’s business register, Texas appears to have acknowledged that the 2020 census count is going badly. With just a month of counting to go in the crucial … Continue reading →

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Will we have redistricting hearings?

Posted on September 5, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Not looking great for it right now. In the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic, Texas Republicans have quietly halted plans to hold a series of public input hearings across more than 20 cities, slated to occur earlier this year, to … Continue reading →

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Why endorse Sarah Davis?

Posted on September 4, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a good question. Planned Parenthood’s Texas political arm on Thursday endorsed state Rep. Sarah Davis, rebuffing abortion rights activists who had lobbied the group to deny political support for the Houston Republican. The efforts to deny Davis the endorsement … Continue reading →

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CD17 poll: Sessions 45, Kennedy 42

Posted on September 4, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Another mind-blowing poll result, in a district that no one has seen as competitive. In a district where 56 percent of voters supported President Donald Trump in 2016, Democratic congressional candidate Rick Kennedy is in a strong position to challenge … Continue reading →

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From the “Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it” department

Posted on September 4, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Who’s ready to re-reopen Texas? Gov. Greg Abbott signaled he may be preparing to roll back some emergency restrictions put in place this summer at the height of the state’s coronavirus surge. Responding to concerns from the battered restaurant industry, … Continue reading →

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When HEB is on your side

Posted on September 4, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Who could be against you? Charles Butt, the billionaire owner of the San Antonio-based grocery chain H-E-B, sent a letter to the Texas Supreme Court this week, siding with Harris County on its plan to send mail ballot applications to … Continue reading →

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Supreme Court issues possibly pointless stay in mail ballots case

Posted on September 3, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

This story doesn’t quite say what it seems to say, as we will see. The Texas Supreme Court has temporarily blocked Harris County from sending mail-in ballot applications to all its voters for the November election. The decision Wednesday came … Continue reading →

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Morning Consult: Trump 48, Biden 47

Posted on September 3, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

We’re already starting to get a ton of new polls now that the conventions are over, and with that I expect some more Texas-specific polls. In the meantime, there’s this. Despite two weeks of party conventions and amid civil unrest … Continue reading →

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More on the Republican attempt to defenestrate the Libertarians

Posted on September 3, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

From the Statesman: Republican candidates and organizations are asking the Texas Supreme Court to remove 41 members of the Libertarian Party from the November ballots. All of the Libertarians are ineligible to run, the GOP argues, because they failed to … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of August 31

Posted on September 3, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance calls for a competent and compassionate response to Hurricane Laura as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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Voter Registration Week

Posted on September 3, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

It’s been going on all week, and a busy week this has been. After seeing record turnout for this year’s primaries and runoffs, Texas Democrats are striving for even higher numbers in the general election. They have a large pool … Continue reading →

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County Clerk scales back mail ballot application sendout for now

Posted on September 2, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Seems like a wise tactical move. The Harris County clerk is holding off his plan to send ballot applications to every registered voter in Harris County. County Clerk Chris Hollins said for now he is going to send ballot applications … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Poll: Michael Moore claims large lead in Commissioners Court race

Posted on September 2, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

From Keir Murray: Like Dallas County did over a decade ago, Harris County Commissioners Court poised to flip from 4-1 Republican to 4-1 Democrat in just two election cycles. @mmooretx strongly positioned to win Pct. 3. Trump trailing by 14 … Continue reading →

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Five things we could do now for police reform in Houston

Posted on September 2, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Seems like a good list to me. Five city council members on Monday sent a letter to Mayor Sylvester Turner outlining police reforms they said Houston can implement immediately, including a “complete overhaul” of the Independent Police Oversight Board, a … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Another example of why bail reform is needed

Posted on September 2, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

This is troubling in a lot of ways, but fortunately there is a path forward. Since November, eight defendants fresh out of jail on bond have walked into state District Judge Ramona Franklin’s court and been sent right back to … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Fifth Circuit hears arguments on vote by mail case

Posted on September 1, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

One more try before it’s too late to make a difference for this year. The Texas Democratic Party’s lawyer argued today before a federal appeals court that the state is unlawfully discriminating against the majority of the voting-age population by … Continue reading →

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And now the state has sued to stop the Clerk’s mail ballot application program

Posted on September 1, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Such a busy day in court. Acting at the request of the secretary of state, the Texas attorney general on Monday sued Harris County after it refused to drop plans to send applications for mail-in ballots for the November general … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Hotze and the Harris County GOP try to stop the Clerk from sending out mail ballot applications

Posted on September 1, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

It’s mandamus time! Again. The Harris County Republican Party on Monday joined a lawsuit asking the Texas Supreme Court to halt the county clerk’s plan to send mail ballot applications to all 2.4 million registered voters. The lawsuit accuses County … Continue reading →

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

Can downtown survive COVID-19?

Posted on September 1, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

So depressing to read. When Understory opened last summer, the stylish food hall in downtown’s Bank of America Tower quickly became the go-to lunch spot for throngs of office workers who stood in line for poke bowls, gourmet burgers and … Continue reading →

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