Category Archives: Local politics

As predicted, the local strip clubs have a Plan B: Reinventing themselves as bikini bars. Topless and fully nude clubs could avoid regulation altogether if their dancers wear bikinis, or even skimpier opaque coverings, allowing them to get around the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The long-awaited crackdown on sexually oriented businesses is officially underway, and it’s aggressive. The city has ordered more than 100 adult cabarets, bookstores and other so-called sexually oriented businesses to close down their operations or face criminal and civil penalties, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Here’s the thing about the unusually high cost of defending the anti-SOB law that the city passed in 1997, which it can finally enforce today. If I thought the law were good public policy, I’d be less likely to complain … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Didn’t get to this yesterday – Mike McGuff has a nice interview with soon-to-be-former City Council member and new radio mogul Michael Berry. The interesting bit to me is right here: McGuff: I’m sure a lot of people wonder, “Why … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Seven months after their joint not guilty plea, the four former Mayor Pro Tem staffers who were accused of giving themselves improper bonuses have a trial date. State District Judge Michael McSpadden scheduled a Nov. 12 trial for Rosita Hernandez, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Robb Fickman of the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association has written an open letter to Mayor White asking that Houston Media Source continue to be funded by Council. Apparently, Mayor White has proposed defunding HMS and giving its money to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Matt Stiles notes that Michael Berry, City Council member and talk radio host, is now the boss of Clear Channel’s AM stations here in Houston. Congratulations on the new gig, Council Member Berry. To answer Stiles’ question, I’ve no particular … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Having finally won the lawsuit, the city of Houston is planning to crack down on the SOBs. Houston police vice officers are working with city attorneys to determine which topless clubs, modeling studios and adult bookstores to target first. They’ve … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Last week, Governor Perry ordered TSU be put into conservatorship. Gov. Rick Perry asked Texas Southern University’s regents to resign Friday in favor of a single conservator with extraordinary powers to make changes at the financially troubled school. The governor … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Back in March, an intrepid group of sixth-graders in Pearland decided to do something about the city’s lack of a smoking ordinance for public places. A group of sixth-grade science students got a standing ovation at a Pearland City Council … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The Chron editorializes about the trash task force report and its recommendations. Derided by Councilman Michael Berry as “less service, higher cost,” the proposal actually would be a bargain. It would create a dedicated fund of as much as $19 … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Want to know more about the WiFi contract or the task force report on solid waste management? The City Hall blog has you covered here and here, respectively, with a comparison to how other cities do the latter as a … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Is a $3.50 monthly “waste reduction fee” in your future in Houston? It might be, though it’s a little early to say for sure. The fee, which would be new for Houston, would generate as much as $19 million that … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Back in January, I wrote the following about any attempt by the Lege to eliminate the office of Harris County Treasurer now that it was being held by Orlando Sanchez: I have my doubts that any progress will be made … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Two notes from today’s story about the beginning of the Ed Era: Commissioners Court voted 4-1 to appoint Emmett. Commissioner Sylvia Garcia cast the only “no” vote, saying she preferred a caretaker who wouldn’t seek election to the office. She … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Congratulations to Ed Emmett on his selection as Harris County Judge. Commissioners Court, including outoing County Judge Robert Eckels, unanimously tapped Emmett for the job that includes presiding over the county’s governing body. Guess they finally got to Sylvia Garcia. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I find it interesting that of the three people the Chron cites as leaving elected office prior to the end of their term to become a lobbyist, none of them did so anywhere near the start of those terms as … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Looks like the winner of the “Who Wants To Be Harris County Judge?” competition at the Tuesday Commissioners’ Court meeting will be former State Rep. and complete unknown Ed Emmett. While some in the Republican grass roots have pushed for … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The on again, off again move to redraw Houston’s City Council districts while adding in two new ones is off again. Mayor Bill White has decided against adding two single-member districts to the City Council, delaying a move that some … Continue reading → Continue reading →

We are officially in the very last days of Robert Eckels’ tenure as Harris County Judge. County Judge Robert Eckels will formally resign Tuesday and Commissioners Court may select his replacement, according to an agenda released today. […] The agenda … Continue reading → Continue reading →

You folks in The Woodlands can rest easy. You will not be assimilated. Well, maybe. Senate Bill 1012 would amend the state’s Local Government Code to allow cities and special districts to enter into regional participation agreements in which the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Via Houstonist, I see that City Council has officially approved the contract with Earthlink to build the citywide WiFi network. The measure passed almost, but not quite, unanimously. The one holdout was Councilmember Addie Wiseman, who told the mayor she’s … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I don’t know who Houston Consigliere is, but he has an interesting take on the Woodfill/Eckels affair, if you can get past the white text on a bright red background. Thanks to PDiddie for finding that. I have an image … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I noted before that the local GOP is making demands about who Robert Eckels’ successor as County Judge should be. I see now that they are fully prepared to hold their breath till they turn purple if Eckels and company … Continue reading → Continue reading →

First mentioned in his State of the City address, Mayor White has unveiled the outline of his pay or play proposal for contractors that do business with the city. In an effort to reduce the estimated 1.2 million county residents … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I still don’t care what Robert Eckels will or will not be doing now that he’s cashed in and moved on. But there is an item of interest at the very end of this story, and it has to do … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I don’t really care who Robert Eckels is going to work for. It was a safe bet it was going to be something high-powered and high-paying, it was just a matter of which big-name firm would be signing his checks. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

As you may recall, the City of Houston will be required to redraw City Council boundaries, adding in two new single-member districts, when its population hits 2.1 million. It looked like that process was going to get started last August, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Shorter Robert Eckels: So I quit. What’s it to you? County Judge Robert Eckels, drawing some heat for his decision to leave office just months after voters gave him a fourth term, offered no apologies Friday, and he noted that … Continue reading → Continue reading →

As expected, Robert Eckels is now the former Harris County Judge. He did not say in his speech when he will resign from the county job he has held for 12 years, or what he will do afterward. He was … Continue reading → Continue reading →

As we know, today is the day that Harris County Judge Robert Eckels gives the state of the county address. Among other things, we may finally find out what his plans for the next four years are, and whether or … Continue reading → Continue reading →

We’ve had the State of the Union, the State of the State, and the State of the City, so all that’s left is the State of the County. The Greater Houston Partnership will host that event on Thursday. From the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

It was a long time in coming, but the city has finally won the lawsuit against it that will allow it to finally implement the 1997 sexually oriented businesses (SOB) laws. U.S. District Judge Nancy Atlas has ruled the city … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Today’s big local politics news is the announcement by Harris County Judge Robert Eckels that he may step down to take a higher-paying private sector job. “In the last 90 days I’ve had conversations with a New York firm and … Continue reading → Continue reading →