Monthly Archives: August 2023

Interview with Plácido Gómez

We wrap up our week of HISD election interviews with Plácido Gómez, who is running to succeed Judith Crus in HISD District VIII. A native of New Mexico and a graduate of Rice University, Gómez was a student volunteer at … Continue reading

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Judge blocks “Death Star” law

I assume this has been appealed and thus the ruling is stayed for now, but in the meantime this is nice. via Gfycat A Travis County state district judge on Wednesday struck down Texas’ “death star” law preempting local regulations … Continue reading

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Katy ISD attacks its LGBTQ+ students

Shameful. Katy Independent School District trustees narrowly voted Monday to enact several restrictions on how employees can handle gender identity matters after listening to over four hours of public testimony overwhelmingly against the measure. In a heated 4-3 vote, Katy … Continue reading

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Texas blog roundup for the week of August 28

The Texas Progressive Alliance is still staring (and laughing) at the Former Guy’s mugshot as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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Interview with Judith Cruz

Continuing our series of HISD Trustee interviews, today we have Judith Cruz, the elected Trustee in District VIII. Like Dani Hernandez, Cruz’ victory in 2019 knocked out an incumbent in the illegal meeting to discuss ousting interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan; … Continue reading

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Paxton roundup: The Christian right does not care at all about his alleged infidelity

I appreciate the thought that went into this story, but come on. Have we not been paying attention to the last seven years? Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton rose to power as a champion of religious liberty, building a passionate … Continue reading

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Harris County election duties return to County Clerk and Tax Assessor

Welp. Elections Administrator Cliff Tatum will not be involved in Harris County elections operations after Friday, as he will not be hired by the county clerk’s or tax assessor-collector’s offices as part of a massive reorganization. Harris County’s elections operations … Continue reading

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Interview with Dani Hernandez

Today’s interview is with Dani Hernandez, the elected HISD Trustee in District III. Her win in 2019 ousted one of the trustees that had been involved in the illegal meeting to discuss ousting interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan. Hernandez is a … Continue reading

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A couple of thoughts as the HISD school year starts

The Chron editorial board has them, and so do I. So, in the spirit of the first day, we are setting out three of our own classroom expectations and concerns. We’ll skip the niceties too. Miles needs to control the … Continue reading

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Ken Paxton will not go away voluntarily

We didn’t really think that would happen, did we? Attorney General Ken Paxton dismissed rumors over the weekend that he will resign prior to his impeachment trial next week. On Saturday, Scott Braddock, editor of the legislative website Quorum Report, … Continue reading

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Interview with Kathy Blueford-Daniels

It is time once again for interview season. The City of Houston races are the marquee attraction for 2023 but we still have HISD Trustee elections and they matter even as their power has been temporarily removed. We begin today … Continue reading

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Gulfton BRT route approved

Moving forward. Long-sought improvements to transit service in Gulfton – arguably among the Houston region’s most transit-starved areas – have an official line on the map, though rapid service remains years away. Metropolitan Transit Authority officials on Thursday approved the … Continue reading

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The Fort Worth bitcoin mining experience

Wild. A year ago, Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker joked the city was now “cowtown and cryptocurrency” after plugging in donated bitcoin mining machines. That news generated millions of web impressions across the world, a nominal amount of money and … Continue reading

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Weekend link dump for August 27

“The federal and state indictments of Trump and those who aided his alleged dictatorial bid to illegally and unconstitutionally hold power will work their way through the courts. That process — the thorough investigation by prosecutors’ offices and the deliberative, … Continue reading

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Law banning gender-affirming care for minors temporarily blocked

And then unblocked, which is how these things go. A Texas law banning transgender youth from accessing puberty blockers and hormone therapy will go into effect next week after the state attorney general’s office filed to block a judge’s temporary … Continue reading

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The HISD elections

They will be on your ballot as well. Seven people have filed to run for four open Houston ISD trustee positions, roles that currently do not have any oversight of the district following the Texas Education Agency’s takeover. The TEA … Continue reading

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Why does Mike Miles want classroom doors open?

I don’t know. That seems to be a regular thing. Only a fence with holes and rotting wood planks stands between the back side of Coop Elementary School and the outside world. Last year, a man tried to scale it … Continue reading

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About those HISD central office cuts

More illusion than reality so far, it seems. A cornerstone of Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Miles’ plans for overhauling the district — rapidly eliminating nearly 700 jobs in its “bloated” central office — appears to be exaggerated by the district’s … Continue reading

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Houston “wins” 2028 RNC

Yippie. Houston will host the 2028 Republican National Convention, landing the high-profile event for the first time in more than 30 years. GOP officials announced the selection Friday during their summer meeting, giving Houston the nod over finalists Nashville and … Continue reading

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UTMB gets grant for a gun study

I’ll be very interested to see what they learn. Researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston will be at the forefront of an emerging field of study after receiving a $2 million grant to study ways to … Continue reading

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Yet another Paxton roundup

The Senate trial starts in 11 days, and there continues to be so much Paxton news. Political pressure is intensifying around Republican state senators who will serve as the jurors in the impeachment trial of suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton. … Continue reading

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Drought Contingency Plan Stage Two

From the inbox: The City of Houston will enter Stage Two of the City’s Drought Contingency Plan, effective August 27, 2023. The Drought Contingency Plan calls for Stage Two mandatory water conservation measures when the significant drop in annual rainfall … Continue reading

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Dispatches from Dallas, August 25 edition

This is a weekly feature produced by my friend Ginger. Let us know what you think. This week, in news from Dallas-Fort Worth, we have a story from Granbury, southwest of Fort Worth, that ties up a lot of book-banning … Continue reading

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Who might testify at the Paxton impeachment trial?

Maybe these people. The names of witnesses for Ken Paxton’s impeachment trial must be submitted to the Texas Senate by Tuesday, but the public won’t know who they are until they’re called to testify. Such witness lists are not public, … Continue reading

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The school security boondoggle

This is such a mess. Multiple Houston-area school districts say they can’t staff all of their campuses with armed district police officers as the upcoming school year begins, forcing them to seek alternatives to comply with a new state law … Continue reading

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Recess is good

I’m glad to see this. Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Miles announced on Tuesday that he is changing the recess schedule at schools under the New Education System to allow for more unstructured play time for kids in response to a … Continue reading

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Texas blog roundup for the week of August 21

The Texas Progressive Alliance marvels at the ability of the Fifth Circuit to turn grievance into legal theory as it brings you this week’s roundup. The TPA also encourages you to donate to Maui relief if you can.

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SCOTx denies stay request in elections administrator lawsuit

Welp. The Texas Supreme Court on Tuesday denied Harris County’s request for an emergency order that would have allowed the Harris County Elections Administrator’s Office to run the upcoming November election by temporarily delaying the implementation of a new state … Continue reading

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Menefee running for re-election

Not a surprise, but still good to see confirmed. Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee said Thursday he will be running for reelection in 2024, citing increased attention to politics with the upcoming municipal elections and the primary election filing period … Continue reading

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Fair For Houston approved for the ballot

And the questions about what it can accomplish if it passes have begun. Houston voters will decide whether the city should be part of a regional government board that does not give it proportional voting power, after City Council placed … Continue reading

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Who will advise Dan Patrick on impeachment?

He’s looking for help after the guy he picked initially backed out. A former state appeals court judge on Saturday turned down an appointment to serve as an adviser to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick during the upcoming impeachment trial of … Continue reading

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Buzbee to run for District G

When will he have the time for this? Tony Buzbee, the high-profile lead lawyer defending impeached Attorney General Ken Paxton, filed to run for Houston City Council on Monday. With hours until the filing deadline, Buzbee livestreamed himself filing to … Continue reading

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Time for another Cruise update

Driverless taxi service Cruise got the full go-ahead in San Francisco. In a win for the autonomous vehicle industry, California regulators have given the green light to Cruise and Waymo to offer commercial robotaxi services across San Francisco 24 hours … Continue reading

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Who votes in Houston elections?

The short answer is old people. When Houston residents head to the ballot box this November to elect a new mayor and city government, fewer people may actually show up than in Seattle, a city with a third of our … Continue reading

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