Tag Archives: Texas

Judges can discriminate against same-sex couples

Posted on November 1, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

For now, at least. Texas judges who decline to perform a wedding ceremony based on a “sincerely held religious belief” do not violate the state’s rules on judicial impartiality, according to a comment the Texas Supreme Court added to the state’s judicial … Continue reading →

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Fifth Circuit upholds Tarrant County redistricting map

Posted on October 31, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Not a surprise. A group of Tarrant County residents who sued over the county’s redistricting process did not prove the new map is racially discriminatory, a federal appeals court ruled Wednesday. Tarrant County’s Republican commissioners pushed through an unusual mid-decade redistricting … Continue reading →

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A brief Fort Worth ISD roundup

Posted on October 31, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

You know the drill… How a single Fort Worth ISD campus prompted a state takeover The Texas Education Agency is taking over the Fort Worth Independent School District — a district with more than 70,000 students — because a campus … Continue reading →

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Elon Musk once again makes a full self-driving promise

Posted on October 31, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Death, taxes, etc. During the Tesla Q3 earnings call, CEO Elon Musk revealed that, within the next few months, the company’s robotaxi service could begin operating without the safety monitors that currently ride in the front seat of all the … Continue reading →

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A brief wrapup of the redistricting trial

Posted on October 30, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Meant to do this awhile ago but never quite got my act together. The future of Texas congressional elections and minority voting rights are in the hands of three federal judges after hearing nearly two weeks of testimony in a … Continue reading →

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Michelin 2.0

Posted on October 30, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

They’re back, with more stars. The Michelin Guide announced its picks for top Texas restaurants at the Wortham Theater Center Tuesday night. Last year, 15 Texas restaurants earned a Michelin star, including six in the Houston area. Michelin recognized 117 restaurants in total last year. Stars … Continue reading →

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Paxton sues over alleged Tylenol-autism link

Posted on October 29, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Welp. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing Johnson and Johnson, accusing the pharmaceutical company of failing to warn consumers about the risk of taking Tylenol while pregnant. This lawsuit, the first of its kind from a state government, comes … Continue reading →

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McLennan County joins the mid-decade redistricting trend

Posted on October 29, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Three does make a trend. An unusual mid-decade redistricting that McLennan County commissioners quietly approved this past week appears to transfer thousands of Republican voters to the historically Democrat-friendly Precinct 2 of the Commissioners Court. Precinct 2 was drawn in … Continue reading →

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Full Fifth Circuit to reconsider West Texas A&M drag ban

Posted on October 29, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Hrmph. A federal appeals court will take a second look at whether West Texas A&M University can ban drag shows, setting aside an earlier ruling that found the university’s ban likely violated students’ free speech rights. The Fifth Circuit Court … Continue reading →

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Sen. Eckhardt will run for CD10

Posted on October 28, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Game on. State Sen. Sarah Eckhardt launched her campaign for Texas’ 10th Congressional District on Monday, saying voters in the district, long held by Republicans, deserve choices. The Austin Democrat’s announcement comes a month and a half after Rep. Michael … Continue reading →

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Paxton chases a doctor out of state

Posted on October 28, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

It’s horrible, and there’s no end in sight. A Dallas pediatrician has surrendered her medical license, a year after becoming the first target of a law that banned providing gender-transitioning hormones to minors. Last October, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton … Continue reading →

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October 2025 campaign finance reports – CD18

Posted on October 27, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I looked at the October campaign finance reports for Congress and Senate last week, but didn’t include CD18 because they had a later deadline for reporting. Today we get to catch up on that. The April reports for Congress and … Continue reading →

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Will Fort Worth ISD get to keep its Superintendent?

Posted on October 27, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I think this will give some insight into how the TEA is thinking about its takeover strategy now. Instability has defined Fort Worth schools for more than a decade, former and current city leaders say. Immediately after the state moved to … Continue reading →

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Early voting Day Five: A brief comparison

Posted on October 26, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Final EV total 2021 = 114,060 Final EV total 2017 = 60,974 Day Five EV total 2025 = 63,969 So less than halfway through early voting this year, we have exceeded the entire EV total from 2017, and are more … Continue reading →

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Cards Against Humanity settles its lawsuit against Elon Musk

Posted on October 26, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

We continue to live in strange times. Cards Against Humanity, the satirical party game, has settled its trespassing lawsuit against Elon Musk’s rocket company SpaceX. Court records show the lawsuit was dropped last month. In an email to fans sent … Continue reading →

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A different approach to Austin-San Antonio commuter rail

Posted on October 26, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Very interesting. Deeply flawed, as far as I can tell, but interesting. Travis County leaders are exploring new ways to connect Austin to San Antonio. On Tuesday morning, county commissioners approved a $124,953 study from HNTB, an engineering company, to … Continue reading →

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Dems have a statewide judicial slate

Posted on October 25, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: DEMOCRATS LAUNCH CAMPAIGNS FOR TEXAS STATEWIDE JUDICIAL OFFICES Seven Democrats launch campaigns this week for the Texas Supreme Court and Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. Democrats are planning to campaign for every statewide judicial office on the … Continue reading →

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Metro makes its excuses

Posted on October 25, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Weak. Metro board chair Elizabeth Brock on Thursday stood by the agency’s decision to remove the Montrose rainbow crosswalk this week after a Houston resident asked why it was erased so quickly. “My primary concern is how quickly y’all allowed … Continue reading →

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TEA will take over Fort Worth ISD

Posted on October 24, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Good luck, y’all. You’re gonna need it. Fort Worth ISD’s nine locally elected trustees are out as Texas officials stepped in Thursday after years of poor student outcomes. In the new year, a slate of state-appointed leaders will take over … Continue reading →

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Book ban law permanently enjoined

Posted on October 24, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Very good. A Waco federal judge has permanently blocked Texas from enforcing the key provision of a 2023 law restricting the content of school library books, ruling Wednesday that a requirement that vendors rate each title for sexual explicitness … Continue reading →

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Delving into the Paxton mysteries

Posted on October 23, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Will we see their divorce records? More than a year after Donald Miles and his ex-wife’s divorce became final after 24 years of marriage, Miles wanted to keep those records private. The Plano resident filed a motion last October to … Continue reading →

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Austin seeks waiver for its rainbow crosswalk

Posted on October 23, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

All the cool kids are doing it. The city of Austin is exploring a waiver that would allow its current street art to stay in place. In a message board post on Monday, Mayor Kirk Watson said the city plans … Continue reading →

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The indie bookstore comeback

Posted on October 23, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Good to see. Hope it lasts. Barnes & Noble, the nationwide bookseller, almost went out of business a few years ago. Its return is being heralded as a case study and a corporate comeback. Once upon a time, Barnes & … Continue reading →

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We could have asked!

Posted on October 22, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I am smacking my forehead so hard, you guys. The City of San Antonio will seek an exemption from the State of Texas in order to keep the city’s rainbow crosswalk. The decision comes after the state issued a mandate … Continue reading →

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Harris County joins amicus effort to block Texas National Guard deployment in Chicago

Posted on October 22, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee has joined a national coalition of more than 100 local government leaders in filing an amicus brief opposing the Trump administration’s unlawful federalization and deployment of Texas National Guard troops to … Continue reading →

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Eagle Eye Gun Detection

Posted on October 22, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

There’s a new AI-enhanced weapons detection system on the block. Eagle Eye Networks has launched its newest feature, Eagle Eye Gun Detection, an AI-enabled technology designed to detect visible firearms in real-time and alert first responders within seconds. The system … Continue reading →

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Lawsuit filed against app age verification law

Posted on October 21, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. A Texas student group and two high schoolers are suing to block a new state law that would require everyone — adults and minors alike — to verify their age before downloading … Continue reading →

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Early voting Day One: Looking back at 2017 and 2021

Posted on October 21, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

One day of early voting is in the books. I’m not going to follow the EV reports every day, as this is as off a year as we get in our election cycle, but I will check in a couple … Continue reading →

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October 2025 campaign finance reports – Senate and Congress (Not CD18)

Posted on October 20, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I’m doing this one a little differently, for two reasons. One is that I want to include non-Democratic candidates in the CD18 special election, just so we’re all on the same page. And two, as of this past weekend when … Continue reading →

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Our flying taxi dreams will not come true in time for the World Cup

Posted on October 20, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Sadness. Two major transit modes won’t play a role in moving World Cup visitors around. Flying taxis, which Arlington Mayor Jim Ross hoped would be ready in time for the tournament, won’t be taking spectators to the stadium through the … Continue reading →

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Early voting for the November 2025 election begins tomorrow

Posted on October 19, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: The Harris County Clerk’s Office (HCCO) urges voters to take advantage of Early Voting, which starts Monday, October 20, and ends Friday, October 31. Ballot Items Include 17 proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution 18th Congressional District Houston City Council At-Large Position … Continue reading →

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Fort Bend redistricts its Commissioners Court

Posted on October 19, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Was wondering when they were going to get around to this. The Fort Bend County Commissioners Court voted 3–2 Monday to adopt a new precinct map, replacing boundaries drawn in 2021 and reigniting debate over political representation in the county. … Continue reading →

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Anti-campus protest law blocked

Posted on October 18, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Good. A federal judge in Austin has temporarily blocked key parts of Texas’ new law limiting expression on campuses, halting the University of Texas System’s enforcement of a ban on overnight expression and limits on speakers, amplified sounds and drums … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Cy-Fair ISD and the constitutional amendments

Posted on October 18, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron calls for sanity in Cy-Fair where its wingnut board members have been running wild. MAGA-on-MAGA mudslinging. Secret recordings. Anti-woke purges. We wish we were talking about the latest White House sideshow. Unfortunately, we’re talking about the board of trustees overseeing the … Continue reading →

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