Author Archives: Charles Kuffner

Your omicron booster will be ready this week

Posted on September 5, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I’ll be getting mine. Most Texans will be eligible in the coming days for a second round of Covid-19 booster shots after updated vaccines got final federal approval this week. The new doses, from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, are designed to … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Your omicron booster will be ready this week

Weekend link dump for September 4

Posted on September 4, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

So what would a dragon smell like, anyway? “An Afghan family slowly adapts to life in Austin a year after the Taliban takeover”. “The Case for the 16-Year-Old Vote”. “Voters in Florida’s panhandle will choose this November between two of … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged | 1 Comment

A different poll about abortion in Texas

Posted on September 4, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting and encouraging, but I’m not sure I buy it. One year after Texas implemented what was then the most restrictive abortion law in the country, a majority of Texas voters are expressing strong support for abortion rights. In a … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

More evidence of misdemeanor bail reform’s success

Posted on September 4, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Lower costs, fewer wrongful incarcerations and guilty pleas, less recidivism. What more do you want? Fewer misdemeanor defendants went on to commit crimes in Harris County after federal litigation in 2017 aimed at curtailing the jailing of low-income people charged … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on More evidence of misdemeanor bail reform’s success

We keep on building homes in the floodplains

Posted on September 4, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

It’s how we roll. When Hurricane Harvey devastated the Houston region with a deluge of rain, one of the places where the water escaped its bounds was near a Spring Branch floodway known as Brickhouse Gully, satellite data shows. There, … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on We keep on building homes in the floodplains

Let’s protect Galveston’s red wolves

Posted on September 4, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

They’re one of the cooler things about Galveston. The coyotes that roam Galveston Island are quickly becoming famous. The animals are the subject of dedicated social media pages and their silhouettes have been emblazoned on T-shirts. Earlier this year, they … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Let’s protect Galveston’s red wolves

Investigating abortions is Houston’s “lowest priority”

Posted on September 3, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

So says Mayor Turner, and I’m glad to hear it. Mayor Sylvester Turner said Thursday that investigating abortions under the state’s near-total ban is the city’s “lowest priority” when it comes to crime. Turner said the city would continue to … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Of course the redistricting lawsuit trial will be delayed

Posted on September 3, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

All we ever get is delays. The legal fight over the shape of Texas political representation for the next decade won’t be decided until next year after a federal panel agreed Tuesday to delay a trial over new political maps. … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Of course the redistricting lawsuit trial will be delayed

“Scamilton” church apologizes

Posted on September 3, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Missed this last week.   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by The Door McAllen Church (@doormcallen) The Door McAllen church released a statement this morning apologizing for their production of ‘Hamilton’, in which they altered lyrics … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters, Society and cultcha | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on “Scamilton” church apologizes

Data For Progress: Christian 44, Warford 40 (RRC)

Posted on September 2, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: The race for Texas Railroad Commission is up for grabs this November, with voters looking for change and Democratic nominee Luke Warford in a statistical tie with incumbent Wayne Christian. A new poll from Data for Progress shows Democratic … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Harris County approves the option of suing Comptroller over baloney “defunding” claim

Posted on September 2, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Harris County Commissioners Court on Wednesday authorized a pair of private law firms to sue Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar, who accused the county of defunding law enforcement last week, forcing a halt to consideration of its $2.2 billion budget. … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters, Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Abbott weasels on raising the minimum age to buy an assault weapon

Posted on September 2, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Typical. Gov. Greg Abbott said Wednesday that it would be unconstitutional to increase the minimum age to buy assault-style rifles from 18 to 21 years old — a key proposal Uvalde parents have called for after an 18-year-old gunned down … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2022, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Another story about driverless trucks on I-45

Posted on September 2, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

The driverless trucks start coming and they don’t stop coming. Waymo will partner in coming weeks with manufacturer Daimler Truck to put self-driving 18-wheelers on the road, further expanding the technology company’s autonomous testing between Dallas and Houston. The big … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Another story about driverless trucks on I-45

Harris County officially gets its $750 million from the GLO

Posted on September 1, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

With hopefully more to come, as well as something for Houston. Harris County Commissioners Court unanimously approved an agreement Wednesday with the Texas General Land Office to receive $750 million in federal flood mitigation funding, and called on the agency … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Harris County officially gets its $750 million from the GLO

Another lawsuit over Uvalde public information

Posted on September 1, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

This all really is ridiculous. The Texas Tribune, along with a group of other news organizations, filed a lawsuit Monday against the city of Uvalde, the Uvalde County Sheriff’s Office and the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District asking a judge … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Another lawsuit over Uvalde public information

Pension reform law reinstated by appeals court

Posted on September 1, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

A win for the city. A state appeals court on Tuesday tossed out a ruling that jeopardized part of Houston’s pension reform plan, reversing a victory the firefighters’ pension board had scored in late 2020. The Houston Firefighters’ Relief and … Continue reading →

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

Texas blog roundup for the week of August 29

Posted on September 1, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Yeah, we’re going to squeeze one more reference to “no confidential information in the Texas Progressive Alliance weekly roundup” before we (maybe) move on to another intro topic.

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged , | Comments Off on Texas blog roundup for the week of August 29

People who live in crime-filled houses should not throw stones

Posted on September 1, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Local idiot megachurch pastor Ed Young recently said some typically ignorant and politically-charged things, which has people justifiably upset. Not the first time for him, either. I have better things to do than think about Ed Young, so let me … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Harris County looks to sue over Comptroller’s BS “defunding” claim

Posted on August 31, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Tell it to the judge. Harris County Commissioners Court this week is expected to hire an outside law firm to take legal action against the state and Comptroller Glenn Hegar, who accused the county of defunding law enforcement in violation … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

More on the Gillespie County elections office resignations

Posted on August 31, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

From Votebeat, how this mess got started. Last November’s sleepy constitutional amendment election nearly came to blows in Gillespie County, a central Texas county known for its vineyards. A volunteer poll watcher, whose aggressive behavior had rankled election workers all … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on More on the Gillespie County elections office resignations

MLBPA seeks to represent minor leaguers

Posted on August 31, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Good to see, though there are some questions that will need to be answered. The Major League Baseball Players Association took an initial step toward unionizing the minor leagues Sunday night, sending out authorization cards that will allow minor league … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on MLBPA seeks to represent minor leaguers

White Oak bike trail extension: Getting close to done

Posted on August 31, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

It’s been a bit more than a month since the last update, and as you can see a lot has gotten done. As you can see, the trail itself is about 90% done, with only the far west end still … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on White Oak bike trail extension: Getting close to done

What do we expect from CD23?

Posted on August 30, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

It was the perennial razor-close high-dollar swing district all last decade. Will Hurd won it three times, but never reached 50% in any of the three elections. It moved a few points towards the GOP in 2020 when Tony Gonzales … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on What do we expect from CD23?

CC4 poll: Briones 44, Cagle 42

Posted on August 30, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Lesley Briones, candidate for Harris County Commissioner, Precinct 4, released the results of a new poll today that shows her in the lead: Briones 44% / Cagle 42%. The poll was conducted August 9-13 by the national firm, … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The gaps in Texas’ background check law

Posted on August 30, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

From Pro Publica: In the spring of 2009, Elliott Naishtat persuaded his colleagues in the Texas Legislature to pass a bill that he believed would require the state to report court-ordered mental health hospitalizations for Texans of all ages to … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The gaps in Texas’ background check law

The Lege sure thinks a lot of companies need to be coddled

Posted on August 29, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

It’s kind of amazing, actually. Texas banned 10 financial firms from doing business with the state after Comptroller Glenn Hegar said Wednesday that they did not support the oil and gas industry. Hegar, a Republican running for reelection in November, … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Lege sure thinks a lot of companies need to be coddled

Maybe we shouldn’t pave over our best rain-absorbing wetlands

Posted on August 29, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Just a thought. Even just paving over less of them might be wise. At the far west end of Houston along the Katy Freeway, where the concrete city gives way to bigger sky and taller grass, signs advertising new master-planned communities greet … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Paxton still trying to intervene in the Genecis case

Posted on August 29, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Never stop never stopping. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is attempting for the second time to intervene in a legal fight over gender-affirming medical care at two Dallas hospitals. In an appeal filed this month, Paxton said that a lower court judge erred in ruling … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Paxton still trying to intervene in the Genecis case

Weekend link dump for August 28

Posted on August 28, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

“We live in deeply conspiratorial times. The spread of misinformation has never happened more speedily, never been so easy to monetize, never felt so inescapably ingrained in our daily lives. It covers every aspect of our being, from politics to … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged | Comments Off on Weekend link dump for August 28

Libertarians will remain on the ballot

Posted on August 28, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Too bad, Republicans. The Texas Supreme Court on Friday rejected a Republican effort to remove a host of Libertarian candidates from the November ballot, saying the GOP did not bring their challenge soon enough. In a unanimous opinion, the all-GOP … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2022, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Libertarians will remain on the ballot

More on the Uvalde class action lawsuit

Posted on August 28, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

A few more details, anyway. Charles Bonner served the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District with the multibillion-dollar claim Monday, requesting compensation for the victims. Bonner told The Texas Tribune he intended to serve Uvalde city leaders on Tuesday evening at … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on More on the Uvalde class action lawsuit

More on the targeting of medical abortion

Posted on August 28, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

The end goal has always been a complete national ban on abortion. The “return it to the states” nonsense is a dodge to make you think it won’t be that bad and the people claiming it’s about a national ban … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on More on the targeting of medical abortion

Paxton finds a new way to be two-faced

Posted on August 27, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I mean, what were we supposed to believe? Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton stunned election administrators across the state last week when he released an opinion that, in theory, would allow anyone to access ballots almost immediately after they were … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Paxton finds a new way to be two-faced

Judge rules Texas cannot ban handgun sales to 18-to-20-year olds

Posted on August 27, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

WTAF? A federal court in Fort Worth on Thursday struck down a Texas prohibition that limited adults under 21 from carrying handguns. Texas law bars most 18- to 20-year-olds in the state from obtaining a license to carry a handgun … Continue reading →

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