Tag Archives: Tom Oliverson

Rep. Oliverson files for Speaker

Something like this was inevitable. State Rep. Tom Oliverson on Thursday announced a surprise challenge to Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan, condemning his fellow Republican’s “dysfunctional” leadership as he fights for political survival in a May runoff. Oliverson, an anesthesiologist … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2024, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

SCOTx has its hearing on gender affirming care ban

I don’t know what to expect. The Texas Supreme Court heard a legal challenge Tuesday to a new state law banning doctors from prescribing gender-affirming care for transgender youth, a prohibition that a district court judge said was unconstitutional. After … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Law banning gender-affirming care for minors temporarily blocked

And then unblocked, which is how these things go. A Texas law banning transgender youth from accessing puberty blockers and hormone therapy will go into effect next week after the state attorney general’s office filed to block a judge’s temporary … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Law banning gender-affirming care for minors temporarily blocked

The lawsuit over the gender affirming care ban had its hearing

Hoping for a quick ruling in favor of the plaintiffs. Medical experts pushed back against Texas lawmakers’ assertions that puberty blockers and hormone therapies are experimental and put young transgender patients at risk as they testified Tuesday in a hearing … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

More on the shitty people who prop up Ken Paxton

There’s no end to these assholes, part 2. In late June, about a dozen conservative Gen Z influencers converged on Fort Worth for a few days of right-wing networking. They hit local night spots, posed for group photos and met … Continue reading

Posted in Scandalized! | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Lawsuit filed against anti-trans gender affirming care law

No time wasted on this one. Several families with transgender children are asking a judge to block a new Texas law that would stop minors from accessing many types of transition-related health care, including puberty blockers and hormone therapies. The … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Lege kneecaps Harris County elections

I have three things to say about this. The Texas House of Representatives voted Tuesday to force Harris County to eliminate its chief election official and to give state officials more authority over elections there. On a 81–62 party line … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Lege targets Harris County election administrator

We knew something like this was coming. House and Senate bills filed by Republican lawmakers in response to Harris County’s mismanagement of its recent elections could give the Texas secretary of state the authority to step in, suspend county election … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Lege targets Harris County election administrator

“Silver loading”

I did not know this. The latest state to take strong action to improve affordability in its ACA marketplace is … Texas? […] But let me explain some background details first. Below 200 percent of the federal poverty level (that … Continue reading

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

Sure, let’s have a fraudit here in Texas

What could possibly go wrong? Republican House members are seeking a forensic audit of the November election results, but only in Texas’ largest counties that mostly went for Democrat Joe Biden. Legislation filed by Rep. Steve Toth, R-The Woodlands, requires … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Sure, let’s have a fraudit here in Texas

Texas Central opponents see an opportunity

Never waste an opportunity. Examination of a planned high-speed rail line between Houston and Dallas should be halted as the country addresses the new coronavirus pandemic and the company rethinks its financial shape, 30 elected officials in Texas told federal … Continue reading

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

January 2020 campaign finance reports: State House, part 1

I’m going to take a two-part look at the finance reports in State House districts. Part One will be from Harris County, looking at both contested primaries and contested November races. Part Two will focus on races in the counties … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

State House remembers it was going to do something about sexual harassment

It’s something. Months after reports detailed a pervasive culture of sexual harassment at the state Capitol, Texas House Speaker Joe Straus on Wednesday announced another measure to address the issue. Straus, a Republican who will retire early next year, created … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on State House remembers it was going to do something about sexual harassment

A bipartisan bill to address actual vote fraud

Miracles do happen. Here’s something folks rarely see in Austin, or other statehouses, in these politically prickly times: a bipartisan effort to crack down on voter fraud. In the waning days of the 85th Texas Legislative Session, a group of … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on A bipartisan bill to address actual vote fraud