Author Archives: Charles Kuffner

Texas blog roundup for the week of June 3

Posted on June 6, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

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A look at recent trends in early, mail, and Election Day voting

Posted on June 5, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve noted before how I completely overestimated Election Day voting totals in the November/December 2023 and March 2024 races, based on recent past data from similar elections. I’ve tentatively concluded that even for races where a lot of Election Day … Continue reading →

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Harris County seeks a new direction for HART

Posted on June 5, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Hopefully a solid reset and restart. Possibly even with the same vendor, if they can make the best offer and no other questions come up. Harris County officials on Tuesday began making new plans to extend a program that sends … Continue reading →

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Shepherd-Durham project back on track

Posted on June 5, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

First, I got this in my inbox, from the Mayor’s office. Mayor John Whitmire and the Memorial Heights TIRZ have reached a compromise on the design of the Shepherd Durham Phase II project that maintains the terms of the Federal … Continue reading →

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June HCAD special election runoff early voting Day One: Yeah, we’re doing this again

Posted on June 4, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Current mood: here to tell you that more voting starts today in houston — jen rice (@jen_rice_) 1:39 PM – 3 June 2024 Here’s your Day One report for the runoff. It’s fair to say that the voters, fresh off … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee says she has pancreatic cancer

Posted on June 4, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I wish her all the best for a full and speedy recovery. U.S. Rep Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston, is undergoing treatment for pancreatic cancer, the congresswoman shared in a Sunday statement on social media platform X. “My doctors have confirmed … Continue reading →

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Runoff endorsement watch: One for two

Posted on June 4, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron revisited their HCAD endorsements for the runoff, with one needing a change since their first choice finished third last month. For the Place 2 runoff, voters have a choice between two qualified candidates, Kyle Scott and Melissa Noriega. … Continue reading →

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One year of the HISD takeover

Posted on June 3, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

It’s been a year since HISD was officially taken over. Where do we stand on the things that matter, the schools’ and students’ performances? Early data is mostly positive, with a lot of caveats. According to early data, HISD appears … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Another Speaker contender

Posted on June 3, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I suspect this list will get longer. Whether they all make it to the actual vote for Speaker is another story. State Rep. Shelby Slawson announced Thursday she is running for Texas House speaker, becoming the second member to challenge … Continue reading →

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Houston janitors win new contract

Posted on June 3, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Good for them. Houston janitors agreed Saturday to ratify a new union contract with building contractors that will see wages for full-time workers reach $15. Full-time janitors will see their wages increase to at least $15 during the course of … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for June 2

Posted on June 2, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

For no particular reason, you should watch this video. You’re welcome. Sure has been a rough couple of years for ol’ Rudy Giuliani. That sound you hear is my heart breaking for him. “But regardless of how swiftly Trump and … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged | 5 Comments

County Clerk announcement on HCAD runoff early voting

Posted on June 2, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth announces that early voting for the June 15 Uniform Runoff Election begins on Monday, June 3, and runs through Tuesday, June 11. During early voting, 26 vote centers will open from 7 … Continue reading →

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HISD asks for $4.4 billion in bonds

Posted on June 2, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

That sure is a lot. Houston ISD unveiled a $4.4 billion bond proposal, the largest in HISD history and likely the largest package any Texas school district has taken to voters. Much of the bond, $2.05 billion, would go to … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024, School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Here’s your state flood plan

Posted on June 2, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

We have a lot of people living in flood-prone areas. That’s not going away. More than 5 million Texans, or one in six people in the state, live or work in an area susceptible to flooding, according to a draft … Continue reading →

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SCOTx upholds abortion ban in Zurawski lawsuit

Posted on June 1, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t know if the Supreme Court intended to bury the news of this stinker of a ruling on a Friday, but boy howdy if that was their intent did they ever pick the right Friday to do it on. … Continue reading →

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Metro Chair seeks to nullify 2019 election

Posted on June 1, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I’m so mad about this I’m having a hard time seeing straight. Metro is beginning to steer in a different direction under Mayor John Whitmire and his appointed chair of the transit agency, pulling away from a planned expansion of … Continue reading →

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“Venice of the South” sounds like an optimistic outlook to me

Posted on June 1, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Just a reminder, Galveston is going to be mostly under water in the not too distant future. In a city that once built a 17-foot seawall to keep Mother Nature in check, Galveston is slowly but steadily bracing itself against … Continue reading →

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Early voting for the HCAD runoffs starts Monday

Posted on May 31, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I mentioned this yesterday, and I will say it again before Monday. Early Vote Centers will be open from Monday, June 3, 2024 – Tuesday, June 11, 2024 (Mon-Sat: 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. Sun: 12 p.m. – 7 p.m.) … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Judge Hidalgo will run again in 2026

Posted on May 31, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

In case you were wondering. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said Thursday she plans to seek a third term in office in 2026. Hidalgo told the Chronicle during a live virtual event that she is “really excited” to run for … Continue reading →

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A brief overview of flying taxis

Posted on May 31, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

This was written by the executive director of the Oklahoma Aerospace Institute for Research and Education, and it answers at least one of my questions about our flying taxi future. In the near term, once eVTOLs are certified to fly … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

A couple of followups on the runoffs

Posted on May 30, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Sen. Molly Cook gets some deserved attention. State Sen. Molly Cook appears to have narrowly defeated state Rep. Jarvis Johnson in the Senate District 15 primary runoff for the second time this month, setting the stage for her to hold … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Whiny loser election redo set for next May

Posted on May 30, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Pending appeal, of course. One of Harris County’s 2022 judicial races could be back on the ballot in May 2025 after a visiting judge from Bexar County ordered a redo earlier this month. Voters are set to go back to … Continue reading →

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True The Vote continues to be trash

Posted on May 30, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Item one. True the Vote, the right-wing conspiracy theorist group that spread lies of ballot stuffing in the 2020 election is focused on perpetuating a new lie ahead of 2024: the myth of non-citizens voting in elections. The group, which … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Texas blog roundup for the week of May 27

Posted on May 30, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance wishes everyone a happy unofficial start to summer as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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Primary runoff results: Harris County

Posted on May 29, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

So this happened: That was quite the storm, though after what we’ve already experienced just this month it’s not as impressive as it might have been. It was even worse in North Texas, where some polls stayed open until 9 … Continue reading →

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Primary runoff results: Statewide

Posted on May 29, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Unlike Harris County, most of the races of interest here were on the Republican side. We’ll start with the race against House Speaker Dade Phelan, which the Speaker has won by a narrow margin. Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan, the … Continue reading →

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Houston will get some World Baseball Classic games

Posted on May 29, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Very cool. Houston will be one of four host cities for the World Baseball Classic when the international tournament is next played in 2026, Major League Baseball announced on Thursday. Minute Maid Park will host group stage games and a … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

We’re just not allowed to have close elections anymore

Posted on May 28, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

That’s my takeaway from this. A judge’s decision to order a new election in a close Harris County race from 2022 is putting election officials statewide on notice: Any type of error — large or small — has the potential … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Firefighter settlement officially approved

Posted on May 28, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

The legalities are mostly over, but there are still a bunch of items to handle. A state district court judge has signed off on a settlement between the city of Houston and the firefighter union, clearing one obstacle for a … Continue reading →

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

Lone Star Rail revival

Posted on May 28, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe now is finally the time. Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai and Travis County Judge Andy Brown have jointly launched a committee of political heavyweights to explore the decades-old idea of connecting Austin and San Antonio via passenger rail. The … Continue reading →

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Primary runoff day is tomorrow

Posted on May 27, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth reminds voters that Tuesday, May 28, is Election Day for the Primary Runoff Elections. Voters can cast their ballots in person at one of the more than 300 vote centers in Harris … Continue reading →

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More on the senior living situation

Posted on May 27, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I look forward to seeing what the city does about this. Reyes and his neighbors at Independence Hall are among thousands of low-income and disabled seniors in Houston left to rely on their landlords for an organized response to last … Continue reading →

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Another “extremely active hurricane season” forecast

Posted on May 27, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Buckle up. With the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season starting in less than 10 days, the nation’s top weather agency on Thursday released its most pessimistic forecast to date, giving this year an 85% chance of having an unusually high number … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for May 26

Posted on May 26, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

“It’s hard to believe today, when the vast majority of Americans support it, but just 20 years ago the issue of same-sex marriage divided the country and drove voter turnout.” “We were robbed of a Daisy Jones & The Six … Continue reading →

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