Category Archives: National news

Pushing marriage equality into new frontiers

Posted on March 2, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

I love the idea behind this. Less than two weeks after a federal judge declared Virginia’s ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional, a new effort has been launched in the South seeking to build wider acceptance of gay and lesbian couples … Continue reading →

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Another way to squeeze the payday lenders

Posted on February 25, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

I wholeheartedly approve of this. The Postal Service (USPS) could spare the most economically vulnerable Americans from dealing with predatory financial companies under a proposal endorsed over the weekend by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). “USPS could partner with banks to … Continue reading →

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Cookiecott 2014

Posted on February 19, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Hissyfit 2014 might be a more accurate description. A coalition of anti-abortion groups is trying to crumble Girl Scout cookie sales because of a Twitter post of an online news article that recognized several accomplished women, including gubernatorial hopeful Wendy … Continue reading →

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Add Virginia to the list

Posted on February 15, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

The list of states whose law banning same sex marriage has been struck down. A federal judge ruled Thursday that Virginia’s ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, making it the first state in the South to have its voter-approved prohibition … Continue reading →

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What the ACA does, Texas has long done

Posted on February 9, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

By now you’ve surely heard about the CBO report on the Affordable Care Act and the workforce, which despite some terribly botched reporting does have a lot of political considerations. There’s something I’d like to point out about this before … Continue reading →

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On, Wisconsin

Posted on February 5, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

From the ACLU of Wisconsin: The American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Wisconsin and the law firm of Mayer Brown filed a federal lawsuit today on behalf of four same-sex couples who wish to marry in Wisconsin or are … Continue reading →

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Next stop, Virginia

Posted on January 25, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

More lawsuits coming on same sex marriage. Almost overnight, Virginia has emerged as a critical state in the nationwide fight to grant gay men and women the right to wed. This purple state was once perceived as unfriendly and even … Continue reading →

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Federal judge denies Abbott motion to consolidate same sex marriage lawsuits

Posted on January 24, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

From Lone Star Q: A key hearing in a federal lawsuit challenging Texas’ same-sex marriage bans will go forward next month in San Antonio. U.S. District Judge Orlando L. Garcia, of the Western District of Texas, on Wednesday rejected Texas … Continue reading →

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VRA 2.0

Posted on January 17, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Texas Redistricting: [Thursday] morning, Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI), Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and Congressman John Conyers (D-MI) introduced proposed amendments to the Voting Rights Act that would rework the section 5 coverage formula invalidated by the Supreme Court in Shelby … Continue reading →

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Oklahoma!

Posted on January 15, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Where the same sex marriages come whistling down the plains. U.S. Senior District Judge Terence Kern ruled Tuesday that Oklahoma’s ban on marriage equality is unconstitutional. The ruling is stayed pending appeal, meaning marriages will not occur immediately in Oklahoma. … Continue reading →

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Utah will not recognize same sex marriages

Posted on January 13, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Not until they are forced to. Utah Gov. Gary Herbertannounced Wednesday that the state will not recognize the 1,000-plus same-sex marriages performed in the state since Dec. 20, when a U.S. district judge ruled that the state’s ban on gay … Continue reading →

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Is this the end for the dollar coin?

Posted on January 12, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Fine by me if it is. The dollar wars have raged for years, with various sides battling over what a dollar should look like: Should it be a green piece of paper (cotton, actually) that you can slide in your … Continue reading →

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SCOTUS halts same sex marriages in Utah, for now

Posted on January 7, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Bummer. The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday put same-sex marriages in Utah on hold, granting the state’s request for a stay while it appeals a ruling that laws banning such marriages are unconstitutional. The court said the stay would be … Continue reading →

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Raising the minimum wage in Texas

Posted on January 3, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

It’s all the rage elsewhere, but so far I’ve not heard anything about a movement to raise the minimum wage in Texas. While most of the increases amount to less than 15 cents per hour, workers in places like New … Continue reading →

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Utah appeals to SCOTUS

Posted on January 2, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

This was inevitable. Utah took its fight against gay marriage to the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday, asking the high court to suspend same-sex unions that became legal when a judge struck down the state’s voter-approved ban. The heavily Mormon … Continue reading →

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A lot more court action on same sex marriage is coming

Posted on December 27, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

One way or another, 2014 is going to be a milestone year for marriage equality. Advocates on both sides of the gay marriage debate predicted that the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in June that overturned part of a federal ban … Continue reading →

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Another court says No to Utah

Posted on December 26, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

And Yes to the hundreds of couples getting married. A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that gay marriages can continue in Utah, denying a request from the state to halt same-sex weddings that have been occurring at a rapid rate … Continue reading →

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Keep getting married, Utah

Posted on December 24, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

You have at least a few more days till the next court ruling. A federal judge on Monday allowed gay marriage to continue in Utah, rejecting a request to put same-sex weddings on hold as the state appeals a decision … Continue reading →

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They’ll be getting married in Utah today

Posted on December 23, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

For at least an hour today, county clerks in Utah will be issuing marriage licenses to same sex couples. Utah Gov. Gary R. Herbert filed seeking an Emergency Motion for Temporary Stay following a federal judge’s ruling that struck down … Continue reading →

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If it can happen in Utah…

Posted on December 21, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Wow. Just, wow. A federal judge struck down Utah’s same-sex marriage ban Friday in a decision that marks a drastic shift toward gay marriage in a conservative state where the Mormon church has long been against it. The decision set … Continue reading →

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Once again, the cost of not expanding Medicaid

Posted on December 16, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

We are paying for Medicaid expansion, regardless of what our “leaders” want. The only question is whether we get a benefit from it, or if it all goes to other states. If Texas keeps refusing to enlarge Medicaid under the … Continue reading →

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Ted Cruz argues against his own election

Posted on December 9, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I just don’t get this. Sen. Ted Cruz, elected 13 months ago by actual voters, said Thursday he’d prefer to see state legislators pick U.S. senators – as they were until … Continue reading →

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Same sex couples win the right to register for benefits in the Texas National Guard

Posted on November 28, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Happy Thanksgiving, y’all. The Texas National Guard said late Tuesday it will immediately let same-sex couples register for benefits, ending a highly publicized standoff with the Pentagon. Five Texas Guard facilities, including one in Houston, that had been off limits … Continue reading →

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Wendy Davis needs to push back on Texas’ refusal to comply with the law on military same-sex benefits

Posted on November 18, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The sooner the better. This is a no-brainer, and a win all around. Texas Gov. Rick Perry stood his ground [last] Friday in a showdown with the Pentagon over processing benefits for same-sex couples at National Guard offices, possibly setting … Continue reading →

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The states that are making life harder for their National Guard members

Posted on November 15, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

It’s not just Texas. While a majority of states ban same-sex marriages, most are not fighting the new policy. But Pentagon officials say that in addition to Texas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and West Virginia have balked. Each has cited … Continue reading →

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Hagel tells Texas National Guard to obey the law

Posted on November 3, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel late Thursday rebuked Texas and eight other states whose National Guard organizations have refused to process federal benefits given to same-sex couples. In a speech before the Anti-Defamation League in New York, Hagel revealed that … Continue reading →

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Steve Stockman does something I support

Posted on October 25, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I know, I’m as shocked as you are. Texas Rep. Steve Stockman, R-Friendswood, has recently backed a bill to require federal officials to comply with state marijuana laws, which was introduced in April and has since garnered support from Congressmen … Continue reading →

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Arkansas will expand Medicaid

Posted on October 12, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

If they can do it… [Friday], the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services notified state officials in Arkansas that it has approved the states’ Medicaid expansion plan. And this is not any old expansion plan: Arkansas will be the only … Continue reading →

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Why the Affordable Care Act will make a real difference to many people

Posted on October 3, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

This is what it’s all about. The following was written by a good friend of mine, who has been eagerly awaiting October 1 and the opening of the insurance exchanges. I asked him to write about his experience with getting … Continue reading →

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An awful lot of people tried to sign up for insurance exchanges on Tuesday

Posted on October 3, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

That’s a very good thing, even if technical difficulties prevented many of them from completing the job. On the first day of sign-ups for President Barack Obama’s health care reform, a wave of consumers across the nation, including many Texans, … Continue reading →

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Premiums for insurance exchange plans released

Posted on September 27, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Guess what? They’re pretty darned affordable. “In just 99 days, millions of Americans will finally have the security and peace of mind that have eluded them for years,” U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said on a press … Continue reading →

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The remaining holdouts on marriage equality

Posted on April 11, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Last week, we talked about the Democratic members of the Legislature that had voted for the anti-gay marriage Constitutional amendment of 2005, and where they stood now. Along those lines, The Hill checks on the situation in Congress. Eleven House … Continue reading →

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The Arkansas way

Posted on March 1, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The state of Arkansas will move forward with a plan to expand Medicaid, except that it’s not really Medicaid even though it will cover all of the Medicaid-eligible population. Here’s the explanation. Gov. Mike Beebe met with about twenty lawmakers … Continue reading →

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We could do something to make voting easier if we wanted to

Posted on February 25, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

With all the negative news about voting rights in the news these days – voter ID, electoral college gerrymandering, challenges to the Voting Rights Act – it’s good to remember that positive change is still possible. On two major occasions—during … Continue reading →

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