Monthly Archives: January 2023

So is Henry Cuellar still being investigated by the FBI?

Posted on January 21, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

It’s been a year since his home was raided. Is there another shoe to drop? Last January, FBI agents raided U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar’s home and office in Laredo, emerging with a computer and plastic bins and bags containing personal … Continue reading →

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Tesla to build a factory in Brookshire

Posted on January 21, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Good luck, Brookshire. Tesla appears to be preparing a large new industrial facility west of Houston in a project that further deepens the electric vehicle-maker’s investments in Texas about a year after billionaire Elon Musk moved its headquarters to Austin. … Continue reading →

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The Chron drops a big Hotze story

Posted on January 20, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Despite the headline, I didn’t find a whole lot of new details of interest here. Most of the new stuff consists of the various unhinged things that Hotze has been saying about elections and how everyone is covering up massive … Continue reading →

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Poncho Nevárez’s recovery

Posted on January 20, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Good story. State Rep. Poncho Nevárez felt the sudden urge to fall back on old tendencies when the state’s top law enforcement officer gave him a call in the fall of 2019. An envelope, with his official letterhead, containing about … Continue reading →

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Why are people mad about R’Bonney Gabriel?

Posted on January 20, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t know why this story fascinates me so much, but it does. Please indulge me just a little longer. Just days after Houston native R’Bonney Gabriel was crowned the 71st Miss Universe at the first Filipina American winner, the Miss … Continue reading →

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You can donate to Ted Cruz’s 2024 opponent now

Posted on January 19, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Kudos to Daily Kos for being out ahead of the curve. We’re not gonna lie: Holding the Senate in 2024 is going to be hard. Democrats are defending 23 seats to just 11 for Republicans, and three of those are … Continue reading →

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Emergency miscarriage care

Posted on January 19, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s another thing most of us have not had to think much about in the past when abortion was generally legal. [A uterine aspiration (also commonly known as a D&C) or the removal of tissue from the uterus via suction] is a … Continue reading →

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Hydrogen hub Houston?

Posted on January 19, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

It could happen. Houston-area leaders seeking to make the city one of the nation’s designated hydrogen hubs have received a push from the U.S. Energy Department. The department’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations received 79 “concept papers” from groups seeking … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of January 16

Posted on January 19, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance has already started the countdown clock to sine die as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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So how much money does Whitmire have available for his mayoral campaign?

Posted on January 18, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

It’s already a lot, and it could be a whole lot more. State Sen. John Whitmire is kicking off his mayoral campaign with a $10 million war chest, most of it drawn from the money he has amassed over decades … Continue reading →

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UT bans TikTok on campus WiFi

Posted on January 18, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

This feels like a bit of an overreaction to me, but we’ll see if others follow suit. The University of Texas at Austin has blocked access to the video-sharing app TikTok on its Wi-Fi and wired networks in response to … Continue reading →

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HCC redistricting update

Posted on January 18, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I got this email from HCC Trustee Reagan Flowers, which has prompted me to remind you that HCC redistricting is also happening, and per the Redistricting Info page, there are community events going on right now to help you understand … Continue reading →

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Precinct analysis: Inside and out of the city

Posted on January 17, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Most years we don’t get the data to differentiate between votes cast by residents of Houston and votes cast by Harris County non-Houston residents. There needs to be a citywide referendum of the ballot in order to get at this … Continue reading →

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Uvalde parents will take their fight to the Lege

Posted on January 17, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

They’re not going to get what they want and they know it, but they’re still going to fight. I have so much respect for them. More than seven months after a teenage gunman killed 21 people at Robb Elementary School, … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

I-45 construction never stops

Posted on January 17, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

It just keeps moving on. Though attention remains on rebuilding Interstate 45 through northern parts of Houston, state highway officials also are planning for the next round of road work. The Texas Department of Transportation has scheduled two public meetings, … Continue reading →

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So what’s the deal with that I-45 deal?

Posted on January 16, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Still to be determined. Houston, Harris County and the Texas Department of Transportation have an agreed path forward for rebuilding Interstate 45, and a lot of steps to get there. Details big and small remain works in progress and a … Continue reading →

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More on our future doctor shortage

Posted on January 16, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

This is unsustainable. Abortion restrictions have forced Texas obstetrician-gynecology residency programs to send young doctors out of the state to learn about pregnancy termination, a burdensome process educators say is another example of abortion bans undermining reproductive health care. At … Continue reading →

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R’Bonney Gabriel wins Miss Universe

Posted on January 16, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I know, I know, not my usual beat, but it’s a followup on a previous post, so here we are. R’Bonney Gabriel, the first Filipina Texan to win Miss Texas USA and Miss USA, has a new title: Miss Universe. The 28-year-old … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for January 15

Posted on January 15, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

“In addition to helping absorb water, rain gardens can filter dirty street runoff, reduce urban heat, and provide a habitat for pollinators like bees and birds. So if you have space for it, you might consider adding one to your … Continue reading →

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Paxton sued over his deranged ballot access opinion

Posted on January 15, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Good. The Williamson County attorney’s office has sued Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, claiming a ruling he made that gives the public immediate access to ballots after an election violates state law. County officials, the lawsuit said, can be charged … Continue reading →

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No more library fines in Houston

Posted on January 15, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Good news for some of you, I’m sure. Houston Public Library patrons no longer will have to pay overdue fees and will have a month-long amnesty period to get past fines canceled. City Council on Wednesday unanimously approved the library’s … Continue reading →

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Uvalde DA gets DPS report on school shooting

Posted on January 15, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

We’re still a long way from seeing it for ourselves. State police investigating the Uvalde school shooting have sent an initial report to prosecutors, according to a spokesperson for the Texas Department of Public Safety. The Texas Rangers, a division … Continue reading →

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SCOTx removes injunction blocking TEA takeover of HISD

Posted on January 14, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t know what happens next, but there’s a lot more of this to play out. The Texas Supreme Court cleared the way Friday for the state to potentially take control of the Houston Independent School District, which state education … Continue reading →

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Universal Studios to open a theme park in Frisco

Posted on January 14, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Of interest, at least to those in the target demographic. Another major development is coming to Frisco. City business leaders on Wednesday morning announced that a new Universal Studios theme park is planning to come to the booming Collin County … Continue reading →

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Nobody knows the state of the gas supply in Texas

Posted on January 14, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

That can be a problem during freezes. You know, like the one we had over Christmas. As questions continue to swirl about widespread outages Atmos Energy customers experienced in North Texas and beyond last week, the opacity of Texas’ sprawling … Continue reading →

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Two out of three state leaders open to expanded gambling

Posted on January 13, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

As we know, two out of three ain’t bad, but it also ain’t enough. House Speaker Dade Phelan on Thursday left the door open to legalizing sports betting and casino gambling in Texas, the latest sign that opposition may be … Continue reading →

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It’s re-redistricting time

Posted on January 13, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

More amusing than alarming, with a bit of annoying as well. The Texas Senate voted unanimously on Wednesday to again take up the decennial process of redrawing the boundaries of the state’s political districts a year and a half after … Continue reading →

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San Antonio will vote on marijuana decriminalization

Posted on January 13, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll see how it goes. Progressive groups celebrated on the steps of City Hall Tuesday afternoon before delivering the boxes of signed petitions needed to get a measure in front of voters that would decriminalize both cannabis possession and abortion. … Continue reading →

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The Lege does its housekeeping

Posted on January 12, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

In the Senate, they drew their lots to see who would have to run again in 2024. It was the luck of the draw for Texas senators on Wednesday as they drew lots to decide which half of them would … Continue reading →

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HD135 election contest dismissed

Posted on January 12, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: This week, Speaker of the Texas House Dade Phelan dismissed the election contest filed by Mike May, the candidate who lost to Representative Jon Rosenthal in the 2022 election for house district 135. The case was dismissed … Continue reading →

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More on the Winter Street Studios fire

Posted on January 12, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron profiles two artists that were affected by the recent fire at the Winter Street Studios. At Winter Street Studios, red caution tape draped an X pattern over an entrance to the building, a workspace for Houston area artists. … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of January 9

Posted on January 12, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance mourns the death of labor stalwart David Van Os as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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Dade Phelan easily re-elected Speaker

Posted on January 11, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

No drama, as expected. Texas House of Representatives members on Tuesday voted 145-3 to elect state Rep. Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, to a second term as speaker — the most powerful position in the lower chamber. He defeated state Rep. Tony … Continue reading →

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SCOTx to decide if ERCOT can be sued

Posted on January 11, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Big decision to come. Lawyers argued before the Texas Supreme Court on Monday over whether the state’s power grid operator should be protected from lawsuits, a question that has become especially important after the deadly February 2021 freeze. Individuals and insurance companies have … Continue reading →

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