Tag Archives: Kyle Kacal

Vouchers die another death

Posted on November 18, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

What a great use of everyone’s time these special sessions have been. ​The Texas House on Friday voted to strip school vouchers from the chamber’s massive education funding bill, effectively gutting Gov. Greg Abbott’s top priority from the legislation. The … Continue reading →

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The “prison gerrymandering” lawsuit

Posted on December 23, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Of the many lawsuits filed so far over Texas redistricting, this is the one I know the least about. Nearly a quarter of a million people were incarcerated in Texas when the Census was taken last year. When lawmakers redrew … Continue reading →

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It’s all about the tape

Posted on August 6, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

You want to hear the recording of that conversation between Speaker Dennis Bonnen and MQS in which Bonnen supposedly trashed a bunch of Republican legislators? You can’t hear it unless MQS wants you to. For the past week, Texas Republicans, … Continue reading →

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The Bonnen-MQS kerfuffle

Posted on July 28, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

As they say, pass the popcorn. Less than three weeks after state lawmakers wrapped up their 2019 legislative session, an unusual meeting convened with unlikely conferees from opposite ends of the Texas Capitol power structure. On one side: Republican House … Continue reading →

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House passes a bail reform bill

Posted on May 10, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

For what it’s worth. The Texas House gave an initial stamp of approval Thursday to a bill that addresses bail practices, which courts recently deemed unconstitutional in the state’s two most populous counties for discriminating against poor criminal defendants who … Continue reading →

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Abbott wants in on bail reform

Posted on March 22, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Not sure yet what to make of this. The ongoing federal lawsuits (and the potential for new ones) and recent jail deaths have further spurred efforts in Texas to address the court rulings and help get poor people accused of … Continue reading →

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If you can’t porkchop ’em, poison ’em

Posted on March 9, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The war on feral hogs enters a new phase. At a Feb. 21 news conference in Austin, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller announced the agency had issued a rule that would allow Kaput Feral Hog Bait, a pesticide containing the … Continue reading →

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Two truths about testing

Posted on April 12, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Lisa Falkenberg boils it down. While there’s no doubt standardized tests are an important part of student assessment, somewhere along the way, they became too important. We’ve tethered them to everything from student promotion to teacher pay to school reputation. … Continue reading →

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Some are elected to do things, others are elected to not do things

Posted on June 18, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Meet the opposite ends of the spectrum in the Legislature. They were the freshest of the freshmen — the two youngest members of the largest freshman class of the Texas House in 40 years. And even before they took office, … Continue reading →

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