Monthly Archives: March 2023

The Book-Loving Texan’s Guide to the May 2023 School Board Elections

Posted on March 21, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Very much of interest. Introduction Basic Background: The Way to Win This is the third cycle I’ve made this document, and I bring you good news: it is very possible to avoid a pro-censorship school board takeover, even in deep … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The state’s requirements for HISD

Posted on March 21, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

It’s their job to make it happen. After forging ahead with a takeover of the Houston Independent School District, state leaders have outlined three conditions that must be met before transferring power back to the elected school board, a process that will likely … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

We finally have a reason for the timid police response in Uvalde

Posted on March 21, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

It was because the shooter was using an AR-15, and the cops didn’t want to get slaughtered. Almost a year after Texas’ deadliest school shooting killed 19 children and two teachers, there is still confusion among investigators, law enforcement leaders … Continue reading →

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Precinct analysis: State House 2022

Posted on March 20, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

We have data. Texas Democrats and Republicans are beginning to gear up for a presidential election cycle in which opportunities to flip seats for Congress and the Legislature appear limited. It’s a natural outcome after Republicans redrew legislative and congressional … Continue reading →

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More on the Denton experience with marijuana decriminalization

Posted on March 20, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

A long story from the Dallas Observer. Nick Stevens stood before the Denton City Council looking equally frustrated and determined. The activist had helped to lead the grassroots charge to decriminalize marijuana in the North Texas college town. Now he … Continue reading →

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Commissioners Court supplements Public Defender budget and supports adding more courts

Posted on March 20, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Good moves. Harris County Commissioners Court this week approved a package of public safety measures to support state legislation to create additional district courts, expand the county’s holistic assistance response team program and look at enlarging the public defender’s office. The measures are … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for March 19

Posted on March 19, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

“In other words: Christian advocacy group accuses Conservative and Reform Jews of lying about their own religious dogma. This will end well.” “Netflix TV users can now customize the appearance of subtitles and closed captions on the streaming platform, allowing … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged | 2 Comments

Federal complaint filed over TEA takeover

Posted on March 19, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll see if it can have an effect. The Greater Houston Coalition for Justice this week filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education alleging that Texas is discriminating against Houston schoolchildren by taking over the majority-minority school district. … Continue reading →

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Uvalde families ask to be added to the public information lawsuit against DPS

Posted on March 19, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

A direct response to the Uvalde County DA and her questionable claims. Some Uvalde families of victims who were killed or injured during the massacre at Robb Elementary School last year have asked a judge to add them as plaintiffs … Continue reading →

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More World Cup events on tap for 2026

Posted on March 19, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Cool. The 2026 World Cup soccer tournament is expanding by 24 games, and Houston is prepared to handle any added games. FIFA voted Tuesday for a change in format to the 48-team event by adding games. The total of 104 … Continue reading →

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Asking the feds to stop the TEA takeover

Posted on March 18, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Can’t hurt to ask. U.S. Rep Sheila Jackson Lee said Thursday she is seeking federal government intervention to halt the Texas Education Agency’s takeover of the Houston Independent School District. Jackson Lee said she has been in contact with the … Continue reading →

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SCOTx denies pre-election challenge to San Antonio marijuana reform referendum

Posted on March 18, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

First the voters will vote, then as needed the lawsuits will happen. The Texas Supreme Court ruled Friday that any legal challenges to a proposed charter amendment on policing reforms must wait until after voters weigh in on the measure … Continue reading →

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Harris County creates reproductive health access fund

Posted on March 18, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Good. In a bid to protect residents’ already restricted access to reproductive health care, Harris County officials voted to approve a proposed fund to go toward Harris County Public Health and smaller community organizations at Tuesday’s Commissioners Court meeting. The … Continue reading →

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So now we start processing what happened and what will happen with the TEA takeover

Posted on March 17, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron editorial board points to three key items. Still, if this takeover must happen — and Texas Education Agency announced Wednesday that it is indeed happening — we want it to work. Houston’s schoolchildren don’t have time for another … Continue reading →

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Appealing the injunction that halted DFPS investigations of trans kids’ families

Posted on March 17, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Just keeping you informed. Attorney General Ken Paxton, in an appeal, is asking the courts to lift an injunction that stopped the state from conducting child abuse investigations over transition-related medical care for transgender youth. Paxton argued that the families … Continue reading →

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More on the lawsuit that seeks to clarify exceptions to Texas’ forced birth laws

Posted on March 17, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

A couple of interesting articles to read to enhance our understanding of the lawsuit filed by five women who claim that Texas’ anti-abortion laws have harmed them. From Vox: In theory, even after the Supreme Court’s anti-abortion decision in Dobbs v. … Continue reading →

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

Dispatches from Dallas, March 17 edition

Posted on March 17, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

This is a weekly feature produced by my friend Ginger. Let us know what you think. This week in North Texas, we have bad bills filed by our local legislators and follow-ups on a variety of ongoing stories in North … Continue reading →

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The TEA takeover has begun

Posted on March 16, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

At least the suspense is over. That’s the extent of my optimism about this. State education leaders notified the Houston Independent School District on Wednesday that they are resuming the process of stripping all power from the district’s elected school … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The unhinged abortion pill lawsuit hearing

Posted on March 16, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

What a shitshow. The future of medication abortion in the United States remains up in the air after a federal judge heard arguments Wednesday in a suit challenging the Food and Drug Administration’s long-standing approval of mifepristone. U.S. District Judge … Continue reading →

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On the source of Houston’s greenhouse gas emissions

Posted on March 16, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

This story is a lot more complex and nuanced than the headline would lead you to believe. It may come as no surprise to anyone who has spent time on Houston’s roads at rush hour that just over half of all the … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of March 13

Posted on March 16, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance hopes your internal clocks have all adjusted as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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The hearing for that unhinged abortion pill lawsuit is today

Posted on March 15, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Like I said, brace yourselves. A federal judge in Texas will hear arguments Wednesday in a closely watched dispute that could halt distribution of a key drug used for medication abortion and disrupt access nationwide, even in states where reproductive rights are protected. … Continue reading →

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

Founder of that voter roll maintenance program that election denialists hate has stepped down

Posted on March 15, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I’m sure this will calm everyone down and restore the faith everyone once had in this program. Right? David Becker, an election law advocate who helped create the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), is vacating his position on its board … Continue reading →

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Uvalde DA joins DPS in resisting release of shooting info

Posted on March 15, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

We’re still waiting. Uvalde’s district attorney has joined the Texas Department of Public Safety in fighting the release of public records related to last year’s mass shooting at Robb Elementary School, arguing that all of the families who lost children … Continue reading →

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

The latest obsession of election denialist crackpots

Posted on March 14, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

You may want to sit down before you read this. In virtual meetings taking place over a year, right-wing activists and Republican legislators have stoked concern over a multistate coalition that Texas and more than 30 other states use to … Continue reading →

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The Lege still doesn’t want to pay for Paxton’s whistleblower sins

Posted on March 14, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Who can blame them? Now midway through the legislative session, Paxton and state lawmakers are at a standstill, and taxpayers are caught in the middle. Lawmakers have so far declined to include the settlement money in any budget bills, while … Continue reading →

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Metro gets some BRT money

Posted on March 14, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Thank you, FTA, may we please have some more? Houston’s biggest bus rapid transit line, the planned University Corridor, is still on the drawing board, but already is drawing in federal funds. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, in a Thursday announcement, said … Continue reading →

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Chron story on Fair For Houston

Posted on March 13, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Good stuff. Local advocates have launched a petition drive aimed at increasing the city’s voice on the Houston-Galveston Area Council, a 13-county regional planning council that has been criticized by Houston leaders for what they consider unfair federal fund allocation. Consisting of … Continue reading →

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The unhinged abortion pills lawsuit will take place in darkness

Posted on March 13, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Nothing about this is good. The Texas judge who could undo government approval of a key abortion drug has scheduled the first hearing in the case for Wednesday but took unusual steps to keep it from being publicized, according to … Continue reading →

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

More on spending less on court-appointed lawyers

Posted on March 13, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Seems like a good start. A Houston Chronicle investigation into how some private attorneys earn enormous sums to represent thousands of indigent people accused of crimes in Harris County – at a cost of $60 million to taxpayers last year – is prompting … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Weekend link dump for March 12

Posted on March 12, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

“If this were any other state, Presley might arguably be an outright favorite to win this race. The problem, of course, is that he happens to be running in Mississippi, which has among the highest levels of racial polarization in … Continue reading →

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The next frontier in forced birth litigation

Posted on March 12, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

This is truly wild, and potentially very scary. A Texas man is suing three women under the wrongful death statute, alleging that they assisted his ex-wife in terminating her pregnancy, the first such case brought since the state’s near-total ban … Continue reading →

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Court blocks phony “defunding” claim again

Posted on March 12, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: A Travis County District Court temporarily blocked Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar’s determination that Harris County defunded the Precinct 5 Constable’s office in violation of state law. The order means the Comptroller’s determination as to Harris County’s budget … Continue reading →

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Muskville, Texas

Posted on March 12, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

What did Bastrop do to deserve this? Elon Musk is planning to build his own town on part of thousands of acres of newly purchased pasture and farmland outside the Texas capital, according to deeds and other land records and … Continue reading →

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