Tag Archives: DPS

Hill Country flood roundup

Posted on July 11, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Just some articles of interest, no real thread. Climate Change Helped Fuel Heavy Rains That Led to Devastating Texas Flood Climate scientists said the torrential downpours on July 4 exemplify the devastating outcomes of weather intensified by a warming atmosphere. … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged Camp Mystic, climate change, CodeRED, Dan Patrick, DOGE, DPS, FEMA, Flood Information & Response System, flooding, Greg Abbott, Guadalupe River, HEB, Homeland Security, James Avery, John Nielsen-Gammon, Kerr County, Kerrville, Kristi Noem, National Emergency Management Association, National Weather Service, NOAA, San Angelo, San Antonio, Senate, special session, Ted Cruz, Texas, Texas Department of Emergency Management, Texas Water Development Board, The Lege, Tropical Storm Barry, Upper Guadalupe River Authority | 1 Comment

So now the Lege will get involved

Posted on July 10, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

As I said yesterday, I don’t know if Greg Abbott would have called a special session to address the great tragedy happening in the Hill Country if one hadn’t already been on the calendar for other reasons. He didn’t call … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege, The great state of Texas | Tagged Camp Mystic, CodeRED, Dan Patrick, DOGE, DPS, Dustin Burrows, FEMA, Flood Information & Response System, flooding, Greg Abbott, Guadalupe River, Heart O' the Hills, Joe Moody, Kerr County, Kerrville, National Emergency Management Association, National Weather Service, NOAA, Paul Bettencourt, Phil Bedient, Rafael Anchia, San Angelo, San Antonio, Sarah Eckhardt, Senate, special session, SSPEED, Texas, Texas Department of Emergency Management, Texas Water Development Board, The Lege, Tropical Storm Barry, Upper Guadalupe River Authority, Wes Virdell | 2 Comments

The flood warning history of Kerr County

Posted on July 9, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

They’ve tried for awhile to get some funding for a flood warning system. They’ve failed every time. Nearly a decade before catastrophic flash flooding killed at least 75 people in Kerr County, including 27 children, several local officials were hard … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged Camp Mystic, CodeRED, Comfort, Dan Patrick, DOGE, DPS, FEMA, Flood Information & Response System, flooding, Greg Abbott, Guadalupe River, Gulf of Mexico, Homeland Security, Hurricane Beryl, Hurricane Harvey, Ken King, Kendall County, Kerr County, Kerrville, National Emergency Management Association, National Weather Service, NOAA, Phil Bedient, San Angelo, San Antonio, Senate, special session, SSPEED, Texas, Texas Department of Emergency Management, Texas Water Development Board, The Lege, Tropical Storm Barry, Upper Guadalupe River Authority | 10 Comments

Fifth Circuit keeps SB4 block in place

Posted on July 9, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

A bit of good news. A Texas law that would deputize state and local police to question and arrest people they suspect of being in the country illegally was blocked once again. The law would also authorize local judges to … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged ACLU of Texas, American Gateways, Bastrop County, Congress, Donald Trump, DPS, El Paso, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Greg Abbott, Harris County, Hidalgo County, immigration, Joe Biden, Justice Department, Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, lawsuit, MALDEF, McLennan County, Mexico, SCOTUS, Senate, Steve McCraw, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, The Lege | Leave a comment

On the value of disaster warnings

Posted on July 8, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

It’s hard to know where to start with this. For the last three days, state Rep. Wes Virdell has been out with first responders in Kerr County as they searched for victims and survivors from the devastating floods that swept … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged Camp Mystic, Dan Patrick, DOGE, DPS, FEMA, flooding, Guadalupe River, Gulf of Mexico, Homeland Security, Hurricane Beryl, Ken King, Kerr County, Kerrville, National Emergency Management Association, National Weather Service, NOAA, San Angelo, San Antonio, Senate, Texas, Texas Department of Emergency Management, The Lege, Tony Tinderholt, Tropical Storm Barry, Wes Virdell | 9 Comments

Hill Country flood update 2

Posted on July 7, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

A brief overview of the situation, written on Sunday at noon. The death toll rose to 68 as a result of the Fourth of July floods along the Guadalupe River, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said. That includes 28 children. There were … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged Camp Mystic, DOGE, DPS, FEMA, flooding, Guadalupe River, Gulf of Mexico, Heart O' the Hills, HFD, Homeland Security, Hurricane Beryl, Kerr County, Kerrville, National Emergency Management Association, National Weather Service, NOAA, San Angelo, San Antonio, Texas, Texas Department of Emergency Management, Tropical Storm Barry | 4 Comments

Hill Country flood update

Posted on July 6, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

The situation remains very bad, with a significant potential to get much worse. The official death toll from the catastrophic floods that hit the Texas Hill Country rose to 27 as of Saturday morning, according to the Kerr County sheriff’s … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged Camp Mystic, DOGE, DPS, FEMA, flooding, Guadalupe River, Gulf of Mexico, HFD, Hurricane Beryl, Kerr County, Kerrville, National Weather Service, NOAA, Texas, Texas Department of Emergency Management, Tropical Storm Barry | 6 Comments

The Hill Country floods

Posted on July 5, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Just terrible. At least 13 people are dead and dozens more are missing — including more than 20 children who were staying in area summer camps — as heavy rains caused “catastrophic” flooding along the Guadalupe River, with parts of … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged DPS, flooding, Guadalupe River, HFD, Kerr County, Kerrville, Texas, Texas Department of Emergency Management | 14 Comments

No Kings

Posted on June 15, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Good stuff. Thousands of demonstrators crowded into streets, parks and plazas across the U.S. on Saturday to protest President Donald Trump, marching through downtowns and blaring anti-authoritarian chants mixed with support for protecting democracy and immigrant rights. Governors across the U.S. … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged activism, Austin, Charlie Geren, Conroe, Donald Trump, DPS, Houston, Minnesota, Sarah Eckhardt, Sugar Land, Texas | 5 Comments

Paxton opines against birth certificate and drivers license changes

Posted on March 16, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

This fuckin’ guy… State agencies should not honor court orders to change the sex on someone’s driver’s license or birth certificate, according to an opinion filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton Friday. He also said state agencies should retroactively … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged birth certificate, DPS, drivers licenses, Equality Texas, Greg Abbott, Ken Paxton, Lambda Legal, Supreme Court, Texas, Texas Department of State Health Services, The Lege, transgender rights | 2 Comments

Uvalde legislator files bill to improve police response to the next Uvalde situations

Posted on March 6, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Of interest. State Rep. Don McLaughlin, who was mayor of Uvalde when a gunman tore through the town’s peace and killed 19 children and two teachers at an elementary school, has filed a bill aimed at addressing some of the … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged Don McLaughlin, DPS, gun control, guns, police, Texas, The Lege, Tracy King, Uvalde | Comments Off

Some kind of immigration action happening at Colony Ridge

Posted on February 25, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Could be a big deal, or could just be Monday. Hard to say for sure. A state and federal law enforcement operation targeting “criminals and illegal immigrants” in Colony Ridge took place Monday morning, according to a social media post by Gov. … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra | Tagged Colony Ridge, Customs and Border Patrol, Donald Trump, DPS, Election 2024, FIEL Houston, Greg Abbott, Homeland Security, Jay Knight, John Harris, Liberty County, Texas, The Lege, Tom Homan, Trey Harris | 1 Comment

Once more, with feeling: There was no fraud in the 2022 election

Posted on October 30, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron provides a coda to that accursed election and all of the bullshit that followed. When Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced in August that she had found no evidence of election rigging during the 2022 midterm elections, … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged Clifford Tatum, District Attorney, DPS, Election 2022, election contest, elections administrator, Greg Abbott, Harris County, Kim Ogg, lawsuit, paper ballots, Secretary of State, Steve McCraw, Texas, Texas Rangers | Comments Off

More on the drivers license/birth certificate gender change ban

Posted on September 12, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

This Houston Landing story from Friday covers the recent news about the very quiet policy changes regarding birth certificates and drivers licenses, and adds some extra information at the end. I’m going to focus on that part of it. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged birth certificate, DPS, drivers licenses, Equality Texas, Ken Paxton, Lambda Legal, passports, Texas, Texas Department of State Health Services, Transgender Education Network of Texas, transgender rights, voter ID | 1 Comment

Now trans Texans can’t get their birth certificates updated

Posted on September 4, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

This is getting uglier. The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) made an unannounced policy change Friday, modifying its requirements for Texans seeking to change the sex marker on their birth certificates. The DSHS website previously said the agency … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged birth certificate, DPS, drivers licenses, Ken Paxton, Texas, Texas Department of State Health Services, Transgender Education Network of Texas, transgender rights | 1 Comment

The current state of voter purging

Posted on August 30, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll start here, and there’s a lot to unpack. Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday announced that the state has removed over 1 million names from the Texas voter rolls, mainly people who moved out of state or died but including … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged ACLU of Texas, Bexar County, Campaign Legal Center, David Whitley, Donald Trump, DPS, drivers licenses, Election 2024, Gene Wu, Greg Abbott, Harris County, immigration, Jane Nelson, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, LULAC, MALDEF, National Voter Registration Act, SCOTUS, Secretary of State, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, voter registration, voter suppression | 6 Comments

DPS will no longer update gender on drivers licenses

Posted on August 22, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

What the hell? Transgender Texans will not be able to change the sex listed on their driver’s licenses, according to a policy change rolled out this week. Under the new policy, Texans will not be able to change the sex … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged birth certificate, DPS, drivers licenses, Ken Paxton, Texas, transgender rights, voter ID | 9 Comments

Judge orders some Uvalde records to be released

Posted on July 18, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Really hard to believe that this is still a contested issue, but here we are. The school district and sheriff’s office in Uvalde must release their records and documents related to the Robb Elementary School shooting — including police body … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training Center, Attorney General, body cameras, Christina Busbee, DPS, gun control, guns, Justice Department, lawsuit, Merrick Garland, National Association of School Resource Officers, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, Pete Arredondo, Roland Gutierrez, schools, Sheriff, Steve McCraw, Texas, Texas Public Information Act, Texas Rangers, Uvalde | Comments Off

Uvalde parents sue DPS officers

Posted on May 24, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I hope they can get this to a courtroom. I fear that “qualified immunity” will stop them beforehand. Relatives of 17 children killed and two kids injured in Texas’ deadliest school shooting are suing Texas Department of Public Safety officers … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged DPS, gun control, guns, Javier Cazares, lawsuit, Mindy Gutierrez, Pete Arredondo, qualified immunity, Texas, Uvalde, Uvalde County, Veronica Luevanos | 1 Comment

The Fifth Circuit has its merits hearing on SB4

Posted on April 4, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

This is the big one. A federal appeals court heard arguments Wednesday from Texas and the federal government about whether it should continue blocking a new Texas law that would let state police arrest migrants suspected of entering the U.S. … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged ACLU of Texas, American Gateways, Bastrop County, Congress, Donald Trump, DPS, El Paso, Election 2024, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Greg Abbott, Harris County, Hidalgo County, immigration, Joe Biden, Justice Department, Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, lawsuit, MALDEF, McLennan County, Mexico, SCOTUS, Senate, Steve McCraw, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, The Lege | Comments Off

Fifth Circuit leaves SB4 block in place

Posted on March 28, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Good. A federal appeals panel late Tuesday night declined to put Texas’s migrant deportation law back in effect, saying the state law seizes powers that are “likely reserved to the United States.” The 2-1 opinion from the 5th Circuit Court … Continue reading →

Mexico asks Fifth Circuit to keep blocking SB4

Posted on March 25, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

They definitely have an interest in this. The Mexican government is urging a federal court to block Texas’ migrant deportation law, arguing it will trample the country’s right to regulate its own borders, terrorize the 2.4 million Mexican nationals living … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged ACLU of Texas, American Gateways, Bastrop County, Congress, Donald Trump, DPS, El Paso, Election 2024, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Greg Abbott, Harris County, Hidalgo County, immigration, Joe Biden, Justice Department, Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, lawsuit, MALDEF, McLennan County, Mexico, SCOTUS, Senate, Sheriff’s Association of Texas, Steve McCraw, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, Texas Municipal Police Association, Texas Police Chiefs Association, The Lege | Comments Off

Fifth Circuit has its SB4 hearing

Posted on March 21, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

More whiplashing. The chief judge on an appeals panel weighing whether to block Texas’ new migrant deportation law appeared skeptical that it does not run afoul of longstanding precedent leaving immigration enforcement solely to the federal government. Questioning the state’s … Continue reading →

And just like that, SCOTUS flipflops on SB4

Posted on March 20, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

UPDATE: It’s blocked again! A federal appeals court late Tuesday night stopped a state law allowing Texas police to arrest people suspected of illegally crossing the Texas-Mexico border — hours after the U.S. Supreme Court had allowed it to go … Continue reading →

SCOTUS pauses SB4 again

Posted on March 19, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

This time indefinitely. The Supreme Court on Monday extended a temporary block on a new Texas immigration law that is being challenged by the Biden administration. In an order issued by conservative Justice Samuel Alito, the court again imposed a … Continue reading →

SB4 remains on hold

Posted on March 13, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Fine by me. No rush. The Supreme Court on Tuesday further delayed a new Texas law empowering state authorities to arrest and deport migrants that would transform immigration enforcement long left to the federal government. Justice Samuel Alito extended an … Continue reading →

City of Uvalde gets its report on police performance at Robb Elementary

Posted on March 9, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

It landed with a thud. A city-commissioned independent review of Uvalde police’s response to the Robb Elementary School shooting cleared local officers of wrongdoing, infuriating parents of the 19 children killed in the massacre and at least two city council … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged Christina Busbee, DPS, guns, Jesse Prado, Justice Department, Texas, Uvalde, Uvalde County | 3 Comments

The Fifth Circuit remains extremely on brand

Posted on March 5, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Of all the Fifth Circuits in the world, they’re the Fifth Circuitest. A new law empowering state authorities to arrest and deport migrants seeking asylum in the United States may soon take effect after an appeals court stepped in to … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged ACLU of Texas, American Gateways, Congress, Donald Trump, DPS, El Paso, Election 2024, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Greg Abbott, immigration, Joe Biden, Justice Department, Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, lawsuit, Mexico, SCOTUS, Senate, Steve McCraw, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, The Lege | 1 Comment

SB4 blocked by federal court

Posted on March 1, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Good. A federal judge in Austin on Thursday halted a new state law that would allow Texas police to arrest people suspected of crossing the Texas-Mexico border illegally. The law, Senate Bill 4, was scheduled to take effect Tuesday. U.S. … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged ACLU of Texas, American Gateways, Congress, Donald Trump, DPS, El Paso, Election 2024, Greg Abbott, immigration, Joe Biden, Justice Department, Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, lawsuit, Mexico, SCOTUS, Senate, Steve McCraw, Texas, Texas Civil Rights Project, The Lege | 1 Comment

SB4 lawsuit has its day in court

Posted on February 18, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll see what happens. Lawyers for the Biden administration and Texas faced off in a federal court in Austin on Thursday to argue whether a new state law that would allow police to arrest people suspected of crossing the Texas-Mexico … Continue reading →

Don’t expect much from that Uvalde grand jury

Posted on February 11, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I mean, I wasn’t, but in case you were, don’t. After more than a year of pressure to file criminal charges against some of the Texas law enforcement officers responsible for the botched response to the Robb Elementary School shooting, … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training Center, Christina Busbee, DPS, gun control, guns, Justice Department, lawsuit, Merrick Garland, National Association of School Resource Officers, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, Pete Arredondo, schools, Texas, Uvalde | Comments Off

On hiring more cops

Posted on January 22, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Not as easy to do as you might think. Halfway through his inaugural speech, Houston Mayor John Whitmire said the city made it far too hard for people to join the Houston Police Department. As an example, Whitmire pointed out … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, Local politics | Tagged budget, DPS, Election 2023, Houston, HPD, John Whitmire, Mayor, Metro, police, public safety district, revenue cap, schools, Sylvester Turner, The Lege | 1 Comment

DOJ releases its Uvalde report

Posted on January 20, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

It’s brutal. Officers had many opportunities as the 2022 school massacre in Uvalde, Texas, was still unfolding to reassess their flawed response to the shooting that left 19 children and two teachers dead, the US Justice Department concludes in a … Continue reading →

Justice Department sues over SB4

Posted on January 4, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

As they had threatened to do. The U.S. Department of Justice sued Texas on Wednesday over a new state law that allows Texas police to arrest migrants suspected of crossing the Texas-Mexico border illegally. “Texas cannot disregard the United States … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged ACLU of Texas, American Gateways, DPS, Greg Abbott, immigration, Joe Biden, Justice Department, Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, lawsuit, Mexico, SCOTUS, Senate, Steve McCraw, Texas, The Lege | 1 Comment

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