Category Archives: Local politics

Another review of Judge Hidalgo’s first year

Posted on March 22, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Though, oddly enough in a story about Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo’s first year in office, most of the text is about outgoing Commissioner Steve Radack and the two-year-long temper tantrum he’s been throwing. For many years, the Harris County … Continue reading →

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Emergency orders extended

Posted on March 18, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

In Houston. City council on Tuesday extended Houston’s emergency health declaration, reflecting a warning by Mayor Sylvester Turner that the public health crisis fueled by the spread of COVID-19 will not go away anytime soon. “This is a crisis. I … Continue reading →

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County to review countywide voting centers

Posted on March 15, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s make this work better. Commissioners Court has formed a working group to review Harris County’s shift to voting centers and examine what effect it had on hours-long lines at the polls on Primary Day, which Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney … Continue reading →

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Please don’t freak out about coronavirus

Posted on February 23, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

If you are freaking out or think you may be on the verge of freaking out, or you know someone who is, Harris County is here to help. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo on Tuesday announced the creation of a … Continue reading →

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Resilient Houston

Posted on February 20, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

It’s good to have a plan. No traffic deaths on Houston streets, 4.6 million new trees, and no more homes in the floodway. All by 2030. Those are some of the lofty goals set in the master resiliency plan, “Resilient … Continue reading →

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What can Houston do about hazardous buildings?

Posted on February 9, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a good question, but there’s another question that has to be considered alongside it. For the first time, Houston City Council members publicly floated proposals Wednesday for how the city can better protect its residents from explosions like the … Continue reading →

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The jury duty problem

Posted on February 8, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Some good ideas here, they just need to be implemented. One morning in January, about 270 people crammed into the basement of the Harris County administration building for jury duty. Another 1,130 people who were summoned didn’t show. That day’s … Continue reading →

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RIP, Anna Russell

Posted on February 4, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Truly, the end of an era. Anna Russell, the petite powerhouse who oiled the engine of government as Houston’s city secretary for nine mayors during a nearly 70-year career defined by her sharp eye and quick wit, died Monday. She … Continue reading →

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County files lawsuit over Watson Grinding explosion

Posted on February 1, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

As well they should. Harris County and state officials entered the fray Thursday, bringing civil charges against Watson Grinding and Manufacturing in the explosion that left two dead and damaged 450 structures last week in west Houston. The county has … Continue reading →

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The busking lawsuit

Posted on January 27, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting. A Houston accordionist is feeling squeezed by an obscure city law aimed at restricting where musicians can play for tips. Anthony Barilla, also a composer whose work can be heard on the radio program “This American Life,” lodged the … Continue reading →

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Judge Hidalgo’s first year

Posted on January 13, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Been pretty good so far, I’d say. During her longshot campaign in 2018, Lina Hidalgo at times sounded like a candidate for mayor or Congress. With talking points on immigration, criminal justice reform and education, her critics contended she surely … Continue reading →

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Mayor Turner’s second term begins

Posted on January 4, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

He’s on the clock now. Freshly sworn in Thursday morning, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner promised to make significant strides in street repairs and flood control while boosting services for the city’s homeless in his second term. He also called on … Continue reading →

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Next up for Mayor Turner

Posted on December 17, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

A preview of his second term agenda. Mayor Sylvester Turner said he would seek to enact “transformational” changes in his second term, previewing an agenda that will require city leaders to confront politically difficult issues and vastly expand the use … Continue reading →

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County to seek new voting machines

Posted on December 6, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

About time. Harris County Commissioners Court on Tuesday unanimously approved County Clerk Diane Trautman’s plan to seek vendor proposals for new voting machines. The clerk’s office plans to issue a request for proposal for a new voting system this month. … Continue reading →

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People liked the voting centers

Posted on November 27, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

They’re great, so of course they do. Half of Harris County voters who turned out Nov. 5 cast ballots outside of their home polling places, taking advantage of a new program that lets citizens vote at any Election Day polling … Continue reading →

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HERO 2.0

Posted on November 22, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve been waiting for this, though in reading this story I’d argue we should wait just a little bit more. Houston’s two mayoral candidates say they support expanded anti-discrimination protections for the LGBTQ community, but would leave it to voters … Continue reading →

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The state of the county 2019

Posted on November 18, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo has a lot of accomplishments to tout. Harris County in the past year has made significant progress on flood control, criminal justice and improving public health, County Judge Lina Hidalgo said in her first State … Continue reading →

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The need for voter registration never ends

Posted on October 14, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

A small step back, but I expect a big step forward next year. Democrats in Texas see registering new voters as crucial to winning statewide elections in 2020, but the number of registered voters in Harris County, the state’s largest, … Continue reading →

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The visiting judge and the public defender

Posted on October 14, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I want to understand more about this. Commissioner Rodney Ellis is calling for a review of the process used to select substitute judges after fielding a scathing letter from the county’s public defender outlining two decades of allegations against ex-Judge … Continue reading →

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Cagle and Radack break quorum

Posted on October 9, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

They did it. Two Harris County Commissioners Court members skipped Tuesday’s meeting to prevent the Democratic majority from voting on a property tax rate hike that would increase revenue by 8 percent. Republican commissioners Steve Radack and Jack Cagle were … Continue reading →

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Will Radack and Cagle break quorum to stop a tax rate hike?

Posted on October 8, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll find out today. Harris County Commissioners Court has scheduled a vote Tuesday to hike property taxes by 8 percent, though the two Republican members can thwart the plan by simply skipping the vote. A quirk in the Texas Government … Continue reading →

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The clown show is coming for Drag Queen Story Time

Posted on October 6, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

The words, they fail me. The group that opposed and defeated Houston’s equal rights ordinance in 2015 announced Tuesday it is launching a petition drive aimed at prohibiting Drag Queen Storytime, the program shuttered earlier this year by city officials … Continue reading →

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Curfew changes

Posted on September 22, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

A good step, but I agree with the argument that it doesn’t go far enough. City council on Wednesday eliminated Houston’s daytime juvenile curfew, but stopped short of ditching the ordinance altogether despite pleas from advocacy groups who say the … Continue reading →

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Quorum question

Posted on September 20, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Who knew? A quirk in Texas law could allow the two Republicans on Harris County Commissioners Court, despite being in the minority, to prevent the three Democrats from enacting a proposed property tax increase. Typically, three court members constitute a quorum, … Continue reading →

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Commissioners Court gets more aggressive on environmental enforcement

Posted on September 16, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Commissioners Court on Tuesday voted to hire 61 employees across three departments in a bid to significantly boost Harris County’s ability to respond to environmental emergencies after finding numerous shortcomings in its efforts to manage three chemical fires near … Continue reading →

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“No confidence”

Posted on September 6, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

The latest from the firefighters. Houston Fire Chief Sam Peña will face a “no confidence” vote by members of the city’s fire union over what nearly 100 district chiefs say has been a lack of leadership and a failure to … Continue reading →

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More ways to improve access to voting

Posted on September 3, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

In Harris County: Inmates of the Harris County Jail may soon be able to vote. Harris County leaders have approved a study on setting up a polling location at the jail as early as this November. The County Clerk’s and … Continue reading →

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Is there anything Houston can do about gun violence?

Posted on August 24, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Not much, unfortunately. Mayor Sylvester Turner on Wednesday said he wants state lawmakers to give cities and counties more flexibility to address gun violence in response to mass shootings this month that killed 31 people, including 22 in El Paso. … Continue reading →

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Early voting locations coming to UH and TSU

Posted on August 23, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Nice. Students at the University of Houston and Texas Southern University will be able to cast ballots on campus in this November’s general election, the Harris County Clerk’s office announced Monday. For the first time, the two schools will host … Continue reading →

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On to the next big financial issue for the city

Posted on August 18, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

It’s always something. Four years ago, the main source of Houston’s deteriorating financial health — billions of dollars in unfunded pension obligations — loomed over the race for mayor, promising a massive test for the winner. Now, Mayor Sylvester Turner, … Continue reading →

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Revisiting City Council redistricting

Posted on August 13, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

This would be interesting. At Wednesday’s council meeting, District E Councilmember Dave Martin said the city should consider redrawing city council district boundaries, particularly in his own district. District E includes two far-flung suburbs, Kingwood and Clear Lake. Martin said … Continue reading →

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Harris County gets official approval for voting centers

Posted on August 6, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Full steam ahead. Harris County on Monday received permission to use voting centers, which enable voters to cast ballots at any location they choose, in high-turnout elections, County Clerk Diane Trautman announced. Under this system, voters are not required to … Continue reading →

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Study shows a lot of gaps in Harris County’s ability to respond to chemical fires

Posted on August 5, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

This quantifies what was painfully apparent in recent months. More monitoring and manpower is needed for Harris County to better respond to chemical fires like the three that struck the region earlier this year, worrying residents and shutting the Houston … Continue reading →

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Consent decree to fix sewers approved

Posted on July 25, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

As we have discussed before, there are concerns about how the extra cost of this decree will affect low-income residents. Houston is facing a federal mandate to upgrade its embattled sanitary sewer system, stirring concerns among advocates and civic leaders … Continue reading →

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