Tag Archives: special session

Hands Off Our Districts protest tomorrow

Posted on July 18, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Dear Democrats, friends and neighbors, We’re asking everyone who believes in fair representation to join us this Saturday at 10:00 AM for the Day of Protest, “Hands Off Our Districts.” In solidarity with community leaders, elected officials, and precinct chairs across Harris County, … Continue reading →

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Re-redistricting watch: El Paso in focus

Posted on July 17, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Not a big surprise. President Donald Trump’s request that Texas Republicans seek to create five new congressional seats for the GOP in an upcoming special legislation could involve redrawing boundaries in El Paso, a website focused on Congress says. Diluting … Continue reading →

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The long haul of recovery

Posted on July 16, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

We only really have a best guess as to how many people are still missing from the Hill Country floods. More than 10 days after catastrophic July Fourth floods along the Guadalupe River in Kerr County, the official death toll … Continue reading →

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What the medical marijuana industry wants from the special session

Posted on July 15, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

To protect their interests, of course. Texas’ medical marijuana dispensaries entered into this year’s legislative session with a two-prong strategy to expand: to loosen the state’s rules on their industry that has made the program largely inaccessible to those who … Continue reading →

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Just how intimate are those emails?

Posted on July 15, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

The mind reels. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott doesn’t want to reveal months of communications with Elon Musk or representatives from the tech mogul’s companies, arguing in part that they are of a private nature, not of public interest and potentially embarrassing. Musk had an … Continue reading →

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Ogg’s contempt hearing delayed by special session

Posted on July 14, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

You can run, but you can’t hide. A hearing to determine whether former district attorney Kim Ogg should be held in contempt of a court order is likely to be on hold until after Gov. Greg Abbott’s special legislative session … Continue reading →

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Why does Greg Abbott hate FEMA?

Posted on July 13, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I mean, FEMA loves Texas, so… Gov. Greg Abbott was quick to request federal assistance last week after devastating floods hit the Texas Hill Country. But the Republican governor is simultaneously helping the Trump administration find ways to “wean off” … Continue reading →

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Opening look at the re-redistricting effort

Posted on July 12, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

They’re coming for our districts. More than one million Houstonians could have new congressional representation as early as next year under Gov. Greg Abbott’s push to redraw the state’s political maps. Abbott has ordered the Texas Legislature into a special … Continue reading →

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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 →

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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 →

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Abbott adds redistricting and wingnut priorities to special session agenda

Posted on July 10, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

And also some flooding stuff, which was clearly top of mind for him. Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday unveiled a jam-packed agenda for the upcoming special legislative session, calling on lawmakers to redraw Texas’ congressional maps and address several unfinished … Continue reading →

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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 →

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California threatens retaliatory re-redistricting

Posted on July 5, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a thing they could do. House Democratic leadership, rank-and-file members and aides to at least one blue state governor have been meeting to decide how to retaliate if Texas Republicans follow through on the White House’s push to reshape … Continue reading →

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Abbott vetoes THC bill and calls special session

Posted on June 24, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Waited till the last minute because he’s such a drama queen. Gov. Greg Abbott on Sunday vetoed a contentious state ban on THC products and shortly after called a special legislative session asking lawmakers to instead strictly regulate the substance. … Continue reading →

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No one knows what Greg Abbott will do, special session edition

Posted on June 22, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll probably know something by the end of the day today, but beyond that who knows. Gov. Greg Abbott seemed to get everything he wanted out of the Texas Legislature this year. “Without a doubt, this is the best session … Continue reading →

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Republicans not saying anything about the re-redistricting proposal

Posted on June 13, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

A mostly no news update. Texas Republicans were evasive Thursday about a request from the White House to redistrict the state ahead of the 2026 midterm elections after exiting a meeting in Washington to discuss the proposal. President Donald Trump’s … Continue reading →

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More on the re-redistricting proposal

Posted on June 12, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Votebeat addresses a few questions. How do Texans in Congress feel about the proposal? On Capitol Hill, members of the Texas GOP delegation huddled Monday night to discuss the prospect of reshaping their districts. Most of the 25-member group expressed … Continue reading →

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Texas Congressional Republicans considering a new map for 2026

Posted on June 11, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

WTF? President Trump’s political team is encouraging Republican leaders in Texas to examine how House district lines in the state could be redrawn ahead of next year’s midterm elections to try to save the party’s endangered majority, according to people … Continue reading →

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Bill targeting abortion pills appears to be dead

Posted on May 28, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Three cheers for the end of session death-by-calendar watch. A major Texas bill that was poised to offer a blueprint for abortion restrictions has likely died in the state legislature. Senate Bill 2880, a top priority for the state’s abortion … Continue reading →

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A possible wrench in the voucher engine

Posted on April 16, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I approve. House Democrats are threatening to kill all constitutional amendments for the rest of session unless the House votes to put school vouchers before voters in November. They appear to have the numbers to make good on that special … Continue reading →

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Justice Department drops Texas redistricting lawsuit

Posted on March 14, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Can’t say I’m surprised. The U.S. Justice Department withdrew from a lawsuit alleging that Texas’ legislative and congressional district maps drawn after the 2020 U.S. census discriminated against Latino and Black voters by denying them an equal opportunity to participate … Continue reading →

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DOJ sues Colony Ridge developers

Posted on December 21, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Major plot twist. The federal government is suing Colony Ridge, accusing the Houston-area developer of using fraudulent lending practices targeting tens of thousands of Latino buyers with false statements and predatory loans in rural Liberty County. The U.S. Department of … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

ACLU and immigrants rights groups sue over our latest legislative atrocity

Posted on December 20, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Here we go. Immigrant rights organizations have sued Texas after Gov. Greg Abbott approved one of the strictest state immigration enforcement laws, which authorizes police to arrest immigrants suspected of crossing the border illegally. In their lawsuit, the American Civil … Continue reading →

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School safety funding is still a farce

Posted on December 15, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Blame Greg Abbott and his voucher monomania. Public school administrators were well aware that the Texas House’s vote to block a school voucher program last month would likely mean getting no new money for teacher raises and inflation adjustments this … Continue reading →

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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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COVID vaccine mandate ban for private employers passed

Posted on November 6, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Welp. A sweeping ban on COVID-19 vaccine mandates for employees of private Texas businesses is on its way to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk, carrying with it a $50,000 fine for employers who punish workers for refusing the shot. Senate Bill … Continue reading →

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The school safety funding farce

Posted on November 4, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Typical. State legislators made school safety a top priority this year after 19 students and two teachers died in the 2022 Uvalde school shooting. But even after they passed a sweeping bill on the topic this May, schools have been … Continue reading →

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Hey, remember Colony Ridge?

Posted on October 24, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

What if I told you that it was all a big nothing? Gov. Greg Abbott named Colony Ridge a top state priority when he placed it on the third special legislative session agenda — heeding calls by right-wing media to … Continue reading →

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The facts about Colony Ridge (that Greg Abbott and the other Republicans will ignore)

Posted on October 8, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

What the Liberty County Sheriff says: On a Sunday evening before Labor Day, Liberty County Sheriff’s Cpl. Robert Whitesel maneuvered his patrol car through the sprawling development known as Colony Ridge, humming along to a Guns N’ Roses power ballad. … Continue reading →

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Wait, there’s another Republican in trouble?

Posted on October 7, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

It’s been an eventful year. As state lawmakers prepare for the third special session of 2023, the protracted year of lawmaking is having the unintended effect of delaying a House member’s criminal trial. Rep. Frederick Frazier, R-McKinney, was indicted over … Continue reading →

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It’s special session time again

Posted on October 6, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Break’s over, y’all. Back on your heads. Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday released his agenda for the third legislative special session of the year, asking lawmakers to pass “school choice” and further crack down on illegal immigration. The special session … Continue reading →

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Once again with questions about Mike Miles’ finances

Posted on September 20, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

More good work from Houston Landing. New Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Miles’ plans for the district are built on the promise of more. More pay for teachers. More staff in classrooms. More security officers on campuses. But all of those … Continue reading →

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Republicans finally agree on a property tax cut

Posted on July 11, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Our moderate-length semi-statewide bit of unpleasantness is coming to an end. Probably. The $18 billion compromise between the Texas House and Senate — which includes more than $5 billion approved for relief in 2021 — would give increased tax relief … Continue reading →

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A Paxton threefer

Posted on June 7, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Law professor Quinn Yeargain points out something I’ve not seen discussed elsewhere. But for both ambitious Texas politicians waiting in the wings and eagle-eyed election observers, one of the most important questions is likely who will succeed Paxton if he’s … Continue reading →

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