Author Archives: Charles Kuffner

New Sports Authority CEO

Posted on October 15, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Not sure what to make of this. The Harris County-Houston Sports Authority on Friday fired CEO Janis Burke after 18 years with the organization, a high-profile termination that came hours after Mayor John Whitmire and Houston’s sports executives gathered at … Continue reading →

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Interview with Laurel Swift

Posted on October 14, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

We know that in our post-redistricting world there aren’t many legislative districts that are truly competitive, but sometimes opportunities arise where you hadn’t expected them. HD121, the San Antonio district that was once represented by Speaker Joe Straus, is nominally … Continue reading →

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On longshot candidates

Posted on October 14, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron looks at candidates running in districts they are highly unlikely to win. I have a few thoughts. In the 2022 election, a Houston Chronicle analysis found only about 5% of Texans lived in districts with competitive races for … Continue reading →

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A further clipping of Paxton’s wings

Posted on October 14, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

This could be big. A federal magistrate judge has struck down a 100-plus year old Texas statute authorizing the state’s attorney general to investigate certain businesses and organizations for violating state laws. Judge Mark Lane of the Western District of … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for October 13

Posted on October 13, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

“DHS Warns Every Level Of Election Admin Could Be Targeted By Domestic Extremists Next Month”. “So, as with much of the Trump political experiment, they could be playing 4D chess—or are just grifting in every way they can.” “Not trying … Continue reading →

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DACA at the Fifth Circuit

Posted on October 13, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

A big week for that terrible court. On Thursday the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments in a case to determine the future of “Dreamers” who came to the country as children, including an estimated 27,000 Houstonians. The hearing is the latest … Continue reading →

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More of the omnibus voter suppression bill blocked

Posted on October 13, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Better (very) late than never. Certain provisions of Texas’ sweeping 2021 voting law that restrict voter assistance violate the federal Voting Rights Act and cannot be enforced, a federal judge in Texas ruled Friday. Among the rules struck down by … Continue reading →

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“Wrongful death” anti-abortion lawsuit dropped

Posted on October 13, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Good. A Texas man who sued three women for allegedly helping his ex-wife obtain a medication abortion, one of the first and most explosive lawsuits after Texas began banning the procedure, has dropped his claims, according to defendants. The wrongful … Continue reading →

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Fifth Circuit hears drag ban appeal

Posted on October 12, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Hope for the best as always. A Fifth Circuit panel grappled with questions of free speech and expression on Wednesday as it deliberated whether to uphold a lower court’s ruling that a Texas law dealing with sexually explicit performances and … Continue reading →

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HISD cornucopia

Posted on October 12, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Too much news, too little time, so a-rounding up we go… Houston coalitions hold dueling press conferences to support, oppose HISD’s $4.4B school bond HISD parents, Houston’s NAACP branch, the Houston Federation of Teachers, the Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor … Continue reading →

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Saint Arnold gives a boost to the Beer Can House

Posted on October 12, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Nice. The Houston Beer Can House, one of the city’s most famous and beloved artistic landmarks, will now have free admissions and expanded hours thanks to a partnership with Saint Arnold Brewing Company. Located in the Rice Military neighborhood, John … Continue reading →

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Some finance and fundraising bits

Posted on October 11, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Colin Allred keeps raking it in. U.S. Rep. Colin Allred raised $30.3 million for his Senate campaign in the third quarter of the year, outpacing U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz’s haul over the same three-month period, according to figures announced by … Continue reading →

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The 911 drones of Montgomery County

Posted on October 11, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I’m kind of fascinated by this. Drones could soon take on a new role in The Woodlands, responding to 911 calls ahead of first responders. Leaders of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office see the drone pilot program as a way … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: The obvious choice in the special election

Posted on October 11, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron endorses Erica Lee Carter in the special election for CD18. Erica Lee Carter isn’t her mother. “I can never be that iconic,” she told the editorial board. When her mother, the late U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee passed … Continue reading →

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Dispatches from Dallas, October 11 edition

Posted on October 11, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

This is a weekly feature produced by my friend Ginger. Let us know what you think. This week, in news from Dallas-Fort Worth: church scandals and a lot of them; election news; schools news; financial mismanagement details from Fair Park; … Continue reading →

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Of course Ted Cruz doesn’t want to talk about abortion

Posted on October 10, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

He has nothing good to say and he’s trying not to lose. Simple as that. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz has been a loud anti-abortion crusader throughout his political career. But as reproductive rights loom over the election season as a … Continue reading →

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The data centers of Medina County

Posted on October 10, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting story. When Suzanne and Anthony Stinson married in 1980, they moved to a pioneer-built house outside of Castroville and raised their children on land that had been in his family since the 1840s. Back then, “it was all country … Continue reading →

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Latest lawsuit against Deshaun Watson gets settled

Posted on October 10, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

That was quick. The latest sexual assault lawsuit against former Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson has been settled less than a month after being filed. Houston attorney Tony Buzbee on Monday night confirmed the settlement to Pro Football Talk and the … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of October 7

Posted on October 10, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I thought the rules were that this Texas Progressive Alliance roundup would not be fact-checked. Not that we had anything to worry about.

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Interview with Rhonda Hart

Posted on October 9, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

From the Railroad Commission to Congress today, where we meet a candidate that I specifically wanted to meet. I wrote about Rhonda Hart after she announced her candidacy in CD14, a red district with a truly awful incumbent (yes, even … Continue reading →

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The “Can Allred win?” question

Posted on October 9, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

At least we’re asking the question. Usually, we don’t even get that. Democrats are closing the gap in their uphill campaign to unseat U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, with polls showing improvement for Democratic U.S. Rep. Colin Allred and national Democrats’ … Continue reading →

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We’re not cutting our way out of this

Posted on October 9, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

A preview of today’s budget debate from the Houston Landing. Four city council members are proposing a 5 percent increase in Houston’s property tax rate they say would enable the city to avoid $86 million in spending cuts and bring … Continue reading →

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Judicial Q&A: Justice Julie Countiss

Posted on October 8, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

(Note: As I have done in past elections, I am continuing the series of Q&As for judicial candidates in contested November elections. I am running these responses in the order that I receive them from the candidates. Much more information … Continue reading →

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SCOTUS leaves Texas anti-EMTALA ruling in place

Posted on October 8, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Another reminder of what the stakes are this election, in case you needed it. The Supreme Court on Monday refused to require doctors in Texas to perform certain emergency abortions when the procedure would conflict with the state’s strict abortion … Continue reading →

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One out of three will have to do for now

Posted on October 8, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron endorses two Supreme Court incumbents and one Democratic challenger. I’m going to focus on that one. Campaign donations came in from all over the country, and at first Christine Vinh Weems didn’t know why. The Democrat running for … Continue reading →

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Interview with Katherine Culbert

Posted on October 7, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Every two years we have an election for Railroad Commissioner, which means that every two years we get a batch of articles explaining how the Railroad Commission has nothing to do with railroads or trains. It’s about energy and regulating … Continue reading →

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The cost of the HISD bond

Posted on October 7, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I feel like this would be getting less attention if it weren’t for Mike Miles. Houston ISD’s $4.4 billion school bond would add an estimated $8.9 billion in debt for the district over more than 30 years if approved by … Continue reading →

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Art Car Museum to get a new home

Posted on October 7, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

A very pleasant surprise. Six months ago, Houston’s Art Car Museum rolled out the news that it would shutter at the end of April. But now, plans are revving up to not only keep it open, but give it a … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for October 6

Posted on October 6, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

“Back in the Reagan era, Republicans made “neighborhood” a key component of their political vocabulary. But in Trump’s bizarrely dystopian rendering of cities, meaningful place-based ties either don’t exist or don’t matter. Democrats can take the term back, making it … Continue reading →

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Maybe those Appraisal District elections weren’t such a hot idea

Posted on October 6, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Thanks to Tarrant County for setting the bad example. The Tarrant Appraisal District’s recent changes to local tax policy might violate Texas law, according to a state lawmaker. “I don’t believe the actions they’ve taken are legal,” Sen. Paul Bettencourt, … Continue reading →

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The Ted Cruz Curse continues

Posted on October 6, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Sorry, Astros fans. Guess who was at the Astros game today? #Cruzcurse 😡 — Barbi (@Barbi__7) 10:00 PM – 02 October 2024 The Ted Cruz curse strikes (no pun intended) again. Allegedly. The Texas senator’s attendance at sporting events across … Continue reading →

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Guest post: Cornyn Houston Office Protest Week 400

Posted on October 6, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

The following is a guest post from my friend and blogging colleague Neil Aquino, who has led and maintained a civil protest in front of the office of Sen. John Cornyn for nearly eight years. Today he celebrates a milestone … Continue reading →

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Eighteen million registered voters

Posted on October 5, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Number go up. Texas has been one of the nation’s fastest-growing states since the 1970s, but its voter rolls have at times been stagnant. From 2000 to 2012, the number of registered voters grew by 1.2 million. In only the … Continue reading →

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ERCOT will connect to the US grid

Posted on October 5, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

How about that? The power grid better known as the Texas Interconnection, operated by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), is famous for being isolated from the other major U.S. grids. But that may soon finally change. The Department of Energy (DOE) announced … Continue reading →

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