Author Archives: Charles Kuffner

In support of Crystal Mason

Hoping for the best. The same month Tarrant County officials announced the creation of an election integrity task force, a group of 14 bipartisan prosecutors threw their weight behind an effort to acquit the woman at the center of a high-profile … Continue reading

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Tell me you have no evidence of voter suppression without telling me you have no evidence of voter suppression

Hilarious. Houston furniture magnate Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale has launched a website in hopes of gathering evidence of voter disenfranchisement in Harris County’s November 2022 election. The initiative follows the Gallery Furniture owner’s lawsuit filed last week accusing the Harris County Elections Administrator’s Office of refusing … Continue reading

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

Texas blog roundup for the week of February 20

The Texas Progressive Alliance is recovering from the Presidents Day sales madness as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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It’s definitely Colin Allred Speculation Season

Keep the articles coming. In 2018, Colin Allred beat Republican Pete Sessions to flip a Dallas congressional district from red to blue. Now the former NFL player and Hillcrest High School standout is considering challenging incumbent Ted Cruz for Senate … Continue reading

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

Paxton makes his plea to the Lege

It’s more accurate to say that one of his assistants pleaded for him while he mostly sat silent, but whatever. Days after the Texas house speaker openly opposed using taxpayer dollars to settle a whistleblower suit against Attorney General Ken … Continue reading

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The fentanyl vaccine

This is not actually new, but this story just came out and I hadn’t noticed the coverage before, so I’m catching up. To combat the fentanyl epidemic in the United States, researchers at the University of Houston have created a … Continue reading

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What will it take to keep those ten appellate court benches we won in 2018?

As you may recall, Democrats won a ton of Appellate Court races in 2018. Ten of them, in fact, five each on the First and Fourteenth Courts of Appeals, the first such victories since winning a lone bench in 2008. … Continue reading

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

Why should Ken Paxton’s whistleblowers suffer for his sins?

That’s the question their lawyers ask in a DMN op-ed. The whistleblower suit is currently pending at the Texas Supreme Court on appeal of an esoteric argument made by the attorney general. Recently, the Office of the Attorney General and … Continue reading

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

Some rocky times for Texas’ cryptocurrency miners

Their boundless optimism never wavers, however. Cryptocurrency miners began flocking to Texas in the past five years, drawn by the state’s low energy costs and relaxed regulations. As they began setting up shop, lawmakers and local officials were touting the boom as an economic lifeline … Continue reading

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Fifth Circuit again takes Paxton off the hook for testifying in abortion funds’ lawsuit

It’s like deja vu all over again. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton will not have to testify in court as part of a lawsuit over whether abortion funds can help people access the procedure in states where it’s still legal. … Continue reading

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HISD facing budget cuts

Gonna be a rough couple of years. Amid declining enrollment and a looming $215 million deficit, the Houston ISD is eyeing budget cuts that would slash funding to the central administration and cut campus budgets, especially at high schools. The … Continue reading

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City donates to Winter Street relief

Good to see. Nearly two months after dozens of artists saw their work and gallery spaces burnt away, the city of Houston offered a step toward recovery. Mayor Sylvester Turner on Thursday announced that the city would donate $250,000 toward … Continue reading

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Weekend link dump for February 19

“A new study examines the huge amount of misinformation being disseminated by a small but popular group of political podcasts. In particular, researchers found that claims of election fraud rose by over 600% in the days leading up to the … Continue reading

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So will the Lege pay off Paxton’s whistleblowers or not?

It’s maybe a bit more complicated than I thought at first. Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan says he is against using taxpayer money to pay Attorney General Ken Paxton’s $3.3 million settlement agreement in a whistleblower lawsuit filed by four … Continue reading

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

Three stories on Uvalde and gun control

First, a story about locks and why an obsession with locking school doors is not really going to improve safety. In the aftermath of school shootings like the one in Uvalde, what can get overlooked is basic: Schools need doors … Continue reading

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The Evergreen Negro Cemetery

Wow. City and METRO officials have discovered 33 burial sites, including three that appear fully intact, near a historic Black cemetery on Lockwood Drive, which the city apparently missed when it tore through the site to expand the street in … Continue reading

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Paxton federal corruption probe moved to DOJ

This is a little confusing at first, but it has some good news in there. Justice Department officials in Washington have taken over the corruption investigation into Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, removing the case from the hands of the … Continue reading

Posted in Scandalized! | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Wendy Davis’ lawsuit against SB8 dismissed

Alas. A federal judge has dismissed a narrow challenge to Texas’ ban on abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy. The lawsuit was brought by former State Sen. Wendy Davis, best known for her 13-hour filibuster of a 2013 abortion … Continue reading

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Tesla autopilot crash mystery solved

It wasn’t on autopilot after all. Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board apparently have solved the mystery of why no one was found behind the steering wheel of a Tesla that crashed near The Woodlands two years ago, killing … Continue reading

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Last chance to file Winter Storm Uri lawsuits

The two year anniversary of the big freeze of 2021 is upon us, and the statute of limitations for civil actions in this sort of thing is two years, so you know what that means. When Cherrilyn Nedd left her … Continue reading

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Harris County votes to sue Hegar again

Phony Defunding Claims II: Electric Boogaloo. Harris County Commissioners Court on Thursday voted to sue Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar‘s office in response to his comments accusing the county of defunding law enforcement. Hegar’s claim is a repeat of a fight that already played out between the … Continue reading

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AG argues for separating that San Antonio criminal justice reform proposition into multiple questions

Not a surprise, but an aggressive position to take. Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office is urging the Texas Supreme Court to side with opponents of a proposed charter amendment that seeks to decriminalize marijuana and abortion, as well as enact … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2023, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Dispatches from Dallas, February 17 edition

Note: this is the second edition of the Dallas-area news roundup conducted by my friend Ginger. Issue 1 was last Friday. We got a lot of positive response to that and I definitely like it, so on we go. The … Continue reading

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Where we are on the agenda

Greg Abbott targets transgender college sports ban. Gov. Greg Abbott wants to ban transgender college students from competing on sports teams that align with their gender identity, adding momentum to a Republican proposal that’s condemned by LGBTQ advocates and progressive … Continue reading

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Fairfield Lake State Park is officially closing

At the end of the month. A popular state park southeast of Dallas is poised to become an exclusive community with multimillion-dollar homes and a private golf course. Fairfield Lake State Park will close Feb. 28 after months of negotiations … Continue reading

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Judge in True the Vote lawsuit recuses himself

This is a surprise. A Reagan-appointed federal judge on Monday recused himself from a case involving a Houston-based conservative group that promotes election conspiracy theories after the group’s lawyers accused him of failing to be impartial. Election management software company … Continue reading

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Texas blog roundup for the week of February 13

The Texas Progressive Alliance extends their sympathy to everyone who made ill-advised prop bets during the Super Bowl as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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The furniture guy files a lawsuit

Spare me. Houston furniture magnate Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale has filed a lawsuit against the Harris County Elections Administrator’s office accusing it of refusing to turn over public records related to the November 2022 election, adding to an array of GOP litigation aimed … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2022, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

More on the state of B-Cycle

I think they will come out of this in better shape, but change is always hard. In a sense, Maya Ford is just trying to get Houston Bike Share back in gear in the hope that it has a long … Continue reading

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HCC public hearing on redistricting today

From the inbox, sorry for the short notice. HCC Final Redistricting Public Hearing Your voice is still needed regarding HCC proposed redistricting maps for District IV which includes Third Ward and other surrounding communities. Join us, February 15th, in person (3100 Main … Continue reading

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The last thing we need is more people in the jail

This is a rare place where Democrats have leverage. Make good use of it. With an eye on Harris County, Texas lawmakers are considering new measures aimed at keeping more defendants accused of violent and sexual crimes behind bars as … Continue reading

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San Antonio marijuana decriminalization referendum already facing a legal challenge

Don’t think this one will work, but after that who knows. Opponents of the so-called Justice Charter have filed an emergency petition asking the Texas Supreme Court to require separate votes for each of its provisions, including decriminalizing marijuana and … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Big XII now looking to expand

Probably a good idea to try, as a defensive measure if nothing else. The Big 12’s next step is clear after the early exit of Texas and Oklahoma was agreed upon Thursday night. The conference now plans to aggressively pursue expansion in some … Continue reading

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You can help Democrats being sued by election losers

From the inbox, sent to me by former HD133 candidate Sandra Moore: Below is a list of the judges and electeds being sued by the Republicans. These are nuisance suits but the Judges and Lina have had to hire attorneys … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments