Author Archives: Charles Kuffner

On resign to run

Posted on August 9, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

The TL;dr version of this is “No one ever said the Elections Code was fair”. John Whitmire’s plans have been clear since November: He is running for re-election to the state Senate, and he also is running for mayor. If all … Continue reading →

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The Fresh Start program

Posted on August 9, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I approve of this. The possibility of finally putting a misdemeanor from 1993 behind her brings 53-year-old Jennifer Sigers to tears. “I’m more excited than anything that this too shall pass,” said Sigers, who was among at least 100 people … Continue reading →

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When we say “fix the grid”…

Posted on August 8, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

This is one of the obvious ways we could attempt to do that. The state’s High Plains region, which covers 41 counties in the Texas Panhandle and West Texas, is home to more than 11,000 wind turbines — the most … Continue reading →

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Texas Two-Step (TM)

Posted on August 8, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

What a tale. After two years experimenting with an old Persian family technique using grains and raisins, Ali Ansari finally nailed his new vodka recipe. He poured $4 million into building a distillery outside of Houston and branded his drink … Continue reading →

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Buzbee blames the NFL for Watson’s short suspension

Posted on August 8, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Surely you expected that Tony Buzbee would have something to say about all this. For the first woman to sue former Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson —and nearly all those who followed suit — the legal process is over. They settled … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for August 7

Posted on August 7, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

“Misinformation is eroding the public’s confidence in democracy”. The anti-abortion fanatics just don’t care at all about the life and health of the mother. “Do Vending Machines Really Kill More Americans Than Sharks Every Year?” “A collective of more than … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged | 1 Comment

Multiple cities sue streaming services over franchise fees

Posted on August 7, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

This has been coming for awhile, it seems. A lawsuit filed Thursday by 25 Texas cities claims that Disney, Hulu and Netflix have for years stiffed the cities out of dollars the streaming giants are required to pay under state … Continue reading →

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How would HISD’s police respond to an active shooter incident?

Posted on August 7, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a question we would all rather not have to think about, but this is the world we live in. And at this time, the answer that Superintendent Millard House gave to that question was not reassuring. Houston ISD’s police … Continue reading →

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Houston will monitor for monkeypox in the wastewater

Posted on August 7, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Seems like a good idea. Houston will begin monitoring its wastewater for monkeypox in late August as cases of the blister-causing contagion continue to climb, health officials said. Scientists will begin testing for the monkeypox virus in city sewage samples “starting in about three … Continue reading →

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Most of the lawsuit against the voter suppression law survives a motion to dismiss

Posted on August 6, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Some good news. In a limited order this week, a federal judge threw out some civil rights and discrimination claims brought as part of a complex and ongoing legal dispute over strict new voting rules in Texas. The lawsuit filed last year alleges that the … Continue reading →

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William-Paul Thomas

Posted on August 6, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

This is bad. The question is how much worse might it be. William-Paul Thomas, the mayor’s council liaison, was offered more than $13,000 by a local bar owner to help him pass a building inspection and fast-track a new permit … Continue reading →

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Further thoughts on the Deshaun Watson suspension

Posted on August 6, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Just a few things I’ve read, to try to understand what happened here. Make of them what you will. Note that I drafted this before the news of the NFL’s appeal. Pro Football Talk: How does Watson, who faced 24 … Continue reading →

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State ordered to turn over voter purge data

Posted on August 5, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Very good. A federal judge ruled this week that the state is violating U.S. law by refusing to release its list of more than 11,000 registered voters that it identified as potential noncitizens, and ordered the release of the data … Continue reading →

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Commissioners Court plans to put a bond issue on the ballot

Posted on August 5, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

First one in seven years. Harris County voters will have more on their November ballot, after a divided commissioners court Tuesday took the first step toward a $1.2 billion bond package for police, parks, drainage and roads. Common with many … Continue reading →

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The latest COVID wave may be peaking in Houston

Posted on August 5, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Hopefully… Texas Medical Center data released Tuesday suggests the latest wave of COVID-19 might have reached its peak in the Houston area, though several key metrics used to track the virus remain high. The medical center’s weekly data report shows that … Continue reading →

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Yes, it’s been an especially hot summer

Posted on August 5, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Record-breaking, in fact. Average high temperatures in Houston so far this summer have outpaced previous historically hot summers on record, according to the National Weather Service. In the months of May, June and July, temperatures in the city averaged 95.1 … Continue reading →

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Law against some new voter registration restrictions is struck down

Posted on August 4, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Good, though one must always remember the threat of the Fifth Circuit. A federal judge on Tuesday night blocked a Texas law passed in 2021 that put new restrictions on people trying to register to vote in the state. The … Continue reading →

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San Antonio passes its abortion access ordinance

Posted on August 4, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Good. With a 9-2 vote, San Antonio City Council approved a resolution on Tuesday that condemns Texas’ abortion ban and recommends that no local funds be used to investigate criminal charges related to abortions. “By passing this resolution, the City of San … Continue reading →

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Who audits the auditors?

Posted on August 4, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

A novel idea. Not sure it will get anywhere, but it does send a message. Harris County Commissioners Court, by a 3-2 partisan vote, agreed to explore legal options, including a possible lawsuit, to challenge the results of a random … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of August 1

Posted on August 4, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance would prefer there to be fewer right-wing billionaires with hegemonic fantasies as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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NFL to appeal Watson suspension

Posted on August 4, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Wow. I did not expect that. The NFL on Wednesday appealed the six-game suspension for Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson, seeking a tougher penalty for violating the league’s personal conduct policy in the wake of disciplinary officer Sue L. Robinson’s … Continue reading →

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

July 2022 campaign finance reports: State races

Posted on August 3, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t often follow the campaign finance reports in state races, mostly because they’re usually not that interesting and there’s too many races to look at if I was interested. I didn’t review these in January for the contested primaries, … Continue reading →

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News orgs sue DPS over Uvalde info

Posted on August 3, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Same annoying story, part whatever. Getting public records about this tragedy shouldn’t be this hard to do. More than a dozen news organizations filed a lawsuit against the Texas Department of Public Safety on Monday, accusing the agency of unlawfully … Continue reading →

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Maybe don’t vote against a popular bill that you’d previously supported out of spite next time?

Posted on August 3, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Sowing, meet reaping. Veterans groups are irate with Texas Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn after they joined Senate Republicans in blocking a bill expanding health care to veterans exposed to toxic chemicals from burn pits while they were deployed overseas. The … Continue reading →

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Elevating I-10

Posted on August 3, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

My antennae are up about this. A state proposal to elevate Interstate 10 near White Oak Bayou is raising concerns among neighbors, who worry about the effects a higher freeway would have on noise and drainage. The $347 million project, … Continue reading →

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The independents

Posted on August 2, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Recently I got an email from a gentleman named Ted Wood, who wrote to inform me that he had successfully completed the requirements to be an independent candidate for Chief Justice of the First Court of Appeals on the November … Continue reading →

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Redistricting plaintiffs get a win on discovery

Posted on August 2, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Every little bit helps. A federal judge on Monday issued a wide-ranging discovery order requiring Texas state lawmakers to turn over documents related to the state’s congressional redistricting plans. The underlying lawsuit, filed by the League of United Latin American … Continue reading →

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Dallas joins the abortion decriminalization queue

Posted on August 2, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Good for them. The Dallas City Council could consider a resolution in August aimed at blunting the impact of the Texas Legislature’s trigger law that will go into effect following the Supreme Court’s decision that overturned Roe vs. Wade. Dallas’ … Continue reading →

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Deshaun Watson suspended for six games

Posted on August 2, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Feels light to me. And not just to me. Months after trading six draft picks and committing a fully guaranteed $230 million to land Deshaun Watson from the Texans, the Browns have lost their star quarterback for the first six … Continue reading →

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Texas is sooooooooo gerrymandered…

Posted on August 1, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

How gerrymandered are we? By this measure, we’re literally as gerrymandered as we could possibly be. But just how biased have modern-day maps become in the state of Texas? The map that was approved last October is so highly biased, … Continue reading →

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San Antonio will make its statement for abortion rights

Posted on August 1, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

More symbolic than anything, but it still has meaning. Five San Antonio City Council members and the mayor stood in support of a largely symbolic measure Wednesday that would attempt to “decriminalize” abortion locally. Council is expected to approve a resolution during a … Continue reading →

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More on the planning for the University BRT line

Posted on August 1, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Yes, Metro has to make some predictions about where transit will be needed. Building a line that goes through some of the densest parts of town probably helps with that. Metropolitan Transit Authority officials told voters in 2019 “we have … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for July 31

Posted on July 31, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

The oldest teenagers on TV. “Agrivoltaics pairs agriculture (including grazing) and solar power production on the same plot of land.” “The [Respect For Marriage Act] would repeal DOMA, directing the federal government to recognize same-sex couples’ lawful marriages. But it … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged | 4 Comments

House passes assault weapon ban

Posted on July 31, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Another bill that won’t pass the Senate, but nonetheless shows the gap in values and priorities between the two parties. As the House passed legislation to ban assault weapons for the first time in nearly two decades Friday, Democrats pointed … Continue reading →

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