Author Archives: Charles Kuffner

Here we go again with the “defunding” baloney

Posted on February 13, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I was all set to have a peaceful weekend when I came across a press release from Commissioner Ellis’ office on Friday afternoon about this. Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar on Friday accused Harris County of defunding law enforcement, rekindling a feud from … Continue reading →

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Families of Santa Fe shooting victims reach settlement with online ammo sellers

Posted on February 13, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Very interesting. Two companies that sold and shipped ammunition to the accused Santa Fe High School shooter have reached a settlement with the families of victims of the May 2018 massacre. Online ammunition seller Luckygunner LLC and a related company, Red Stag Fulfillment LLC, in … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for February 12

Posted on February 12, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

“I’d argue that a number of important fissures define the current House congressional GOP — and the embrace of Trump and Trumpism is just one of them. Voting records, ties to the establishment and caucus membership, for instance, all played … Continue reading →

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The big voter suppression law is even worse than you thought

Posted on February 12, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Such a lovely little surprise tucked in there. When state lawmakers passed a sweeping and controversial new election law in 2021, they quietly included a provision that drew little notice or debate. But election administration experts say the measure is … Continue reading →

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Marijuana decriminalization and other police reform proposals get closer to the ballot in San Antonio

Posted on February 12, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

This will be the most interesting election on the May ballot. A proposed City Charter amendment that seeks to ban police from using no-knock warrants and chokeholds, as well as expand the city’s cite-and-release policy for low-level, nonviolent crimes, has … Continue reading →

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Mammoths and dodos

Posted on February 12, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

How you feel about this will likely depend on how strongly you identify with that Ian Malcolm quote from Jurassic Park. The Texas entrepreneur working to bring back the woolly mammoth has added a new species to his revival list: … Continue reading →

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Paxton settles with whistleblowers

Posted on February 11, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Meh. Attorney General Ken Paxton and four of his former top deputies who said he improperly fired them after they accused him of crimes have reached a tentative agreement to end a whistleblower lawsuit that would pay those employees $3.3 … Continue reading →

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DCAD’s ransomware experience

Posted on February 11, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

A story of great interest to me. On Election Day 2022, Dallas County Chief Appraiser Ken Nolan and his staff showed up for work, but there was an unexpected problem. Nothing worked. The Dallas Central Appraisal District’s desktop computers, all … Continue reading →

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Actually, UT and OU will join the SEC in 2024

Posted on February 11, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Reports of their not-early departure were greatly exaggerated. Texas and Oklahoma have reached an agreement in principle to leave the Big 12 after the 2023-24 athletic year, the league announced Thursday, allowing the schools to join the Southeastern Conference one … Continue reading →

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CM Gallegos enters the Mayor’s race

Posted on February 10, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I wish him well. Councilmember Robert Gallegos, the lone Hispanic member of Houston’s City Council, has entered the mayoral race. Gallegos filed a form Thursday with the secretary’s office to start raising money for a mayoral bid, and he told the Chronicle … Continue reading →

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Still more Uvalde bills from Sen. Gutierrez

Posted on February 10, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

At least one of these might have a chance to pass. State Sen. Roland Gutierrez wants the Texas Department of Public Safety to create robust mass shooting response training for all public safety entities after the chaotic response to the … Continue reading →

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The 988 hotline has been very busy lately

Posted on February 10, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t suppose this is a surprise. Calls to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline have surged in Texas and the U.S. since its launch last summer, highlighting the demand for mental health services in the wake of the pandemic … Continue reading →

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Dallas-area news roundup, inaugural edition

Posted on February 10, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Hello, Off the Kuff readers! I’m Ginger and I’ve been friends with our host for nigh onto thirty years. Back in the early 2000s, when they called it “warblogging”, I had a blog, but I’ve long since retired it. I’ve … Continue reading →

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January 2023 campaign finance reports: HCC

Posted on February 9, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Previously: City of Houston, Harris County, HISD As with HISD, I last checked in on HCC Trustee campaign finance reports was last January. Three of these people will be on the ballot if they all run again, but we’ll see … Continue reading →

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Abbott tells state agencies and universities to hire more white people

Posted on February 9, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I mean, let’s be honest, that’s what this is about. Gov. Greg Abbott’s office is warning state agency and public university leaders this week that the use of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives — policies that support groups who have … Continue reading →

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RIP, Jeff Blackburn

Posted on February 9, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s a guy who made a difference. In the summer of 1999, police in the tiny town of Tulia carried out one of the largest drug stings in West Texas history. Nearly 50 people were arrested, almost all of them … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of February 6

Posted on February 9, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance hopes everyone has their power back by now as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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January 2023 campaign finance reports: HISD

Posted on February 8, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Previously: City of Houston, Harris County. While I did July reports for Harris County and the city of Houston, I last rounded up HISD finance reports a year ago. As with the city it is now election season, so let’s … Continue reading →

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Even the Republicans know their election contests are losers

Posted on February 8, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

This Chron story is about Dan Patrick telling a group of local Republicans that the 2022 election should be re-done in Harris County, because he has nothing better to say or do with his time. His claims, which the story … Continue reading →

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Uvalde school district will not finish its internal review of police response to mass shooting

Posted on February 8, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

If nothing else, there are two clear arguments to be made in this debate. The Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District announced it will not continue with an independent review of the district police response to the Robb Elementary School shooting. … Continue reading →

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A very early thought about turnout in the 2023 Houston election

Posted on February 7, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Before I begin, please note that all of this involves a lot of back-of-the-envelope math and more than a few assumptions made along the way. The number of registered voters in Harris County, and thus in Houston, will certainly change … Continue reading →

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Now we have a gambling bill filed by a Republican Senator

Posted on February 7, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe this is the gambling expansion bill that those who want gambling expansion have been waiting for. Advocates for legalizing online sports betting in Texas debuted new bills Monday that take a narrower approach than they did in 2021 — … Continue reading →

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Looking like no early entry into the SEC for UT and OU

Posted on February 7, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

It’s always about the money. Which, to be fair, is pretty substantial in this case. The negotiations for Oklahoma and Texas to leave the Big 12 a year early and join the SEC in 2024 have stalled and a deal … Continue reading →

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What I want from the next HCDP Chair

Posted on February 6, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

As you know, the Harris County Democratic Party will soon have a new Chair. And as you know, I am a Democratic precinct chair, which means I’m one of the several hundred people that will vote on who that is. … Continue reading →

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Harris County restores some public safety funding

Posted on February 6, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

A bit of post-quorum-busting cleanup. Harris County Commissioners Court on Tuesday approved nearly $10 million in additional funding for the sheriff and district attorney, three months after the Democratic majority said the unplanned adoption of a lower tax rate would … Continue reading →

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Houston Landing

Posted on February 6, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Meet the new kid on the local media block. More than a year ago, researchers studying local news in the Houston metro area learned something critical to the launch of the Houston Landing. “The community often times feels left out … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for February 5

Posted on February 5, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

“AT FIRST GLANCE, electric vehicles seem like rolling disasters for the power grid. Surely the ancient, creaky network in the United States can’t handle the demand for charging those massive batteries. But a new analysis suggests that just a fraction … Continue reading →

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EPA asked to investigate TCEQ’s water permitting process

Posted on February 5, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Need to keep an eye on this. The Environmental Protection Agency says an informal investigation is underway after more than two dozen environmental advocacy groups submitted a petition against the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The petition alleges that state … Continue reading →

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Metro CEO Lambert to retire

Posted on February 5, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I wish him well. After 44 years, Tom Lambert is hopping off the Metro bus. Lambert, president and CEO of Metropolitan Transit Authority, is retiring at the end of the year after leading Texas’ largest transit system for 11 years. … Continue reading →

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Never underestimate the power of ducks

Posted on February 5, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t track “favorite stories” for a given year, but if I did, this would be a lock to make it for this year. Alicia Rowe, an Austin therapist, first came across news of her death in a British tabloid. … Continue reading →

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Is it finally the time for Julian Castro?

Posted on February 4, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

This story is mostly about Ted Cruz and whether he might run for President again in 2024; the tone of the story is that he probably won’t. No one cares about that, but because it is a story about 2024 … Continue reading →

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Somehow, Texas could lose a state park

Posted on February 4, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

You wouldn’t think that would be possible, but you would be wrong. Texas is at risk of losing a state park forever. Fairfield Lake State Park, an 1,800-acre gem overlooking a beautiful 2,400-acre lake, nestled within the convergence of three … Continue reading →

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Can you print a house?

Posted on February 4, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

We’re gonna find out. 3D printing is taking home construction to new heights. In Houston, a giant printer is building what designers say is the first 3D-printed two-story house in the U.S. The machine has been pouring a concrete mix … Continue reading →

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HCDP Chair Odus Evbagharu to step down

Posted on February 3, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

This was expected. The chairman of the Harris County Democratic Party on Wednesday announced that he would step down at the end of February. Odus Evbagharu has led the party since 2021. The 30-year-old native of Katy is the youngest … Continue reading →

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