Tag Archives: Mary Gonzalez

House passes bill to ban gender affirming care for minors

Friday was a bad day. Texas has taken a major step toward banning transgender minors from getting puberty blockers and hormone therapy — care that medical groups say is vital to their mental health — after the state House gave Senate Bill 14 initial approval Friday. Trans Texans and LGBTQ advocates consider … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

So about that DPS delay in notifying the victims of the credential stuffing attack

Here’s their explanation. [DPS Director Steve] McCraw said DPS officials kept the news under wraps to avoid jeopardizing the agency’s investigation, including efforts to arrest the fraudsters who organized the scheme. The explanation came in response to questioning from state … Continue reading

Posted in Crime and Punishment, Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on So about that DPS delay in notifying the victims of the credential stuffing attack

DPS victimized by credential stuffing attack

That’s the technical term for this. The Texas Department of Public Safety was duped into shipping at least 3,000 Texas driver’s licenses to a Chinese organized crime group that targeted Asian Texans, DPS Director Steve McCraw told a Texas House … Continue reading

Posted in Crime and Punishment, Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Paxton makes his plea to the Lege

It’s more accurate to say that one of his assistants pleaded for him while he mostly sat silent, but whatever. Days after the Texas house speaker openly opposed using taxpayer dollars to settle a whistleblower suit against Attorney General Ken … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Paxton makes his plea to the Lege

Abbott’s awesome border “emergency” cash-a-palooza

You get a lucrative contract! And you get a lucrative contract! Gov. Greg Abbott’s border crackdown is producing a private contractor bonanza, showering tens of millions of dollars on staffing companies, technology firms and builders, including one business that sold … Continue reading

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

2022 primary results: Legislative races

You might start with the Daily Kos rundown of races of interest, which includes all of the Congressional races worth watching. One of those got an early resolution, as former Austin City Council member Greg Casar declared victory before 9 … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on 2022 primary results: Legislative races

On primarying the quorum breakers

Of interest. Working Families Party, a political party and relative newcomer to Texas politics that backs Democrats aligned with their platform, aims to spend in the ballpark of half a million dollars this cycle, WFP Texas Co-director Pedro Lira told … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on On primarying the quorum breakers

It’s mostly about the gay books

Color me not surprised. While a Texas House committee chairman’s inquiry into schoolbooks has often been linked to new state laws limiting how teachers address slavery and racism, most of the literature he’s called into question deals with a wholly … Continue reading

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Is it really a quorum?

It is if no one is counting too closely. Texas House Republicans finally got their long-sought quorum Thursday — by the skin of their teeth. There were 99 members registered as present Thursday evening, the exact number needed to end … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Is it really a quorum?

We have a quorum

Welp. For the first time in nearly six weeks, enough lawmakers were present in the Texas House on Thursday for the chamber to conduct business — opening the door for the passage of the GOP priority elections bill that prompted … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Dissension in the ranks

sigh Some of the Texas House Democrats who are still in Washington, D.C., did not hold back Monday as they watched more of their colleagues return to Austin and bring the chamber within single digits of a quorum. “You all … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The next bathroom bill

You can see it coming from here. The Texas House LGBTQ Caucus is counting on Democrats flipping the Republican-held House to keep another possible ‘bathroom bill’ off the table during the 2021 legislative session. Texas Republicans last week rallied around … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Rep. Cesar Blanco to run for Sen. Jose Rodriguez’s seat

Looks like this has been settled quickly. State Rep. César Blanco, D-El Paso, is running for the seat being vacated by state Sen. José Rodríguez. In a video published Monday, Blanco alluded to the deadly mass shooting last month in … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Rep. Cesar Blanco to run for Sen. Jose Rodriguez’s seat

The San Antonio Chick-fil-A lawsuit

Oh, good Lord. In a lawsuit citing a controversial new state law, five area residents are suing the city of San Antonio over its decision to prevent Chick-fil-A — a franchise known for opposing same-sex marriage — from opening a … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Undead “religious liberty” bill passes House

This is why people caution that no bill is truly dead at the Lege until sine die. Over the tearful opposition of the Legislature’s first-ever LGBTQ Caucus and several failed attempts at a procedural block, the Texas House passed a … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

More calls for Joaquin Castro to run for Senate

It’s getting louder. Latino Victory Fund, a national advocacy group that began in San Antonio, is putting more pressure on U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro to leap into the Senate race against Texas GOP Sen. John Cornyn. On Friday, Latino Victory … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Dems propose their school finance bills

It’s good to have a broad array of options. The Texas House Democratic Caucus laid out a $14.5 billion plan for school finance reform and property tax relief Thursday, releasing a list of priorities in advance of a key school … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Initial thoughts: The Lege

Live by the gerrymander, die by the gerrymander. At the end of the 2011 legislative session, state Rep. Rafael Anchia, a Dallas Democrat, sat down to dinner with a Republican colleague from the Texas House. Anchia was exhausted and incensed. … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The women challenging Democratic men

One more point of interest from The Cut: And Democratic women aren’t leaving the men of their own party undisturbed. In Minnesota, former FBI analyst Leah Phifer is challenging incumbent Democratic representative Rick Nolan; Sameena Mustafa, a tenant advocate and … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The women challenging Democratic men

Record number of LGBT candidates running this year

OutSmart does the math. A record 40 openly LGBTQ people will run for public office in Texas in 2018, according to an extensive review by OutSmart. That’s roughly twice as many as in any previous election cycle in the state’s … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Let’s talk about sex education

We’re not good at it. A Democratic state lawmaker is looking to bolster high school sex education requirements in hopes that Texas can lower its teen birth rates. Rep. Mary González, D-Clint, filed House Bill 1547 to require sex education … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , | 13 Comments

New school grading system looks pretty harsh

Brace yourselves. Schools in poor neighborhoods overwhelmingly received the worst grades under Texas’ new rating system — but even typically high-performing districts got C’s and D’s, according to scores that will be released Friday. The “what if” grades show how … Continue reading

Posted in School days, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

2016 primaries: State races

Let’s start with the Democratic race for Railroad Commissioner, and a few words from Forrest Wilder: The Gene Kelly Effect: Texas Democrats are almost perennially embarrassed by what you might call the Gene Kelly Effect — the depressing tendency of … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2016 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on 2016 primaries: State races

Pointless “pastor protection” bill passes House

Whatever. The House tentatively approved Thursday a bill saying that Texas pastors, churches and religious institutions can’t be sued by private parties or penalized by government for spurning gay weddings. Many clergy, especially Southern Baptist ministers opposed to gay marriage, … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

House passes stricter judicial bypass bill

Unfortunate but expected. After about four hours of debate and a barrage of failed amendments by Democrats, the House passed House Bill 3994 by Republican state Rep. Geanie Morrison of Victoria on a 98-47 vote. The measure would enact several … Continue reading

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Mostly positive reviews for the Aycock school finance plan

So far, so good. A plan from a top House lawmaker to overhaul the state’s public education funding system received largely favorable reviews from school districts during a marathon legislative hearing that ended late Tuesday night. “While this bill, some … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Mostly positive reviews for the Aycock school finance plan

Let the budgetary games begin

The House takes up the budget today, with over 300 amendments and riders queued up for votes. A couple of things to watch for as the debate goes on: Killing vouchers. Lawmakers in the Texas House will have a chance … Continue reading

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Let the budgetary games begin

Faith leaders rally for equality

Good to see. Faith leaders from across Texas gathered Tuesday at the state Capitol, urging legislators to lift the state’s ban on gay marriage and pass laws forbidding discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. While some cities — … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Faith leaders rally for equality

Don’t stop fighting for choice

That’s the message I take from this. They’re pushing a boulder up a hill in the conservative Texas Legislature. But three House Democrats remain laser-focused on repealing the 24-hour waiting period for abortion imposed by the state’s 2011 sonogram law. … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Don’t stop fighting for choice

Tuition re-regulation on the menu

There are different ways it could go. Tuition at Texas universities has more than doubled in the 12 years since state lawmakers authorized colleges to set their own rates. Now legislators are pushing to take back that control. It’s not … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

DCCC wants Gallego for a rematch in 2016

No surprise here. Rep. Pete Gallego lost his re-election bid two weeks ago — and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is already pushing for him to run in 2016, Roll Call reports. Gallego, a freshman Democrat from Alpine, was unseated … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2016 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on DCCC wants Gallego for a rematch in 2016

First impressions of the 2014 results

My initial thoughts, for what they are worth. – Let me begin by saying that for all the criticism I had of the UT/Texas Trib’s polling and the skepticism of Internet-sample methodology, they were fairly accurate in the end. In … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

The farm team

Roll Call takes a look at the Texas Democrats of the future. Democrats rarely fielded competitive Senate candidates over the past two decades — the party’s three best performers in that time span received 44 percent, 43 percent and 43 … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Primary results: Legislature and Congress

The big news on the Democratic side is the close loss by longtime Rep. Lon Burnam in HD90, who fell by 111 votes to Ramon Romero Jr. I know basically nothing about Rep.-elect Romero, but I do know that Rep. … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments