Category Archives: That’s our Lege

What should the Governor’s powers be in a future emergency?

Posted on February 5, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

He admits there could maybe be some limits, but as is often the case has no great idea what they might be. Gov. Greg Abbott said Tuesday he is open to reconsidering his executive powers during state emergencies, a point … Continue reading →

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It’s not a legislative session without an attack on transgender rights

Posted on February 3, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

They’re targeting kids, because of course they are. Texas Republicans are again trying to limit the ways transgender youth can participate in athletics. Lawmakers have filed legislation that would ban transgender girls and women who attend public K-12 schools, colleges … Continue reading →

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The Republicans are not going to expand Medicaid

Posted on February 1, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe there was a brief moment, when the budget situation looked dire, when the forbidden topic could have been quietly whispered about. But come on, we know the score. Texas Republicans have long resisted expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care … Continue reading →

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It’ll be awhile before redistricting happens

Posted on January 31, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

They’re waiting on Census data. The U.S. Census Bureau has again pushed back the release of the 2020 census results — a delay that will almost certainly force Texas lawmakers into legislative overtime this summer to redraw the state’s political … Continue reading →

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Please don’t ask us about Ken Paxton

Posted on January 31, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

A real profile in courage here. As President Joe Biden’s agenda is dealt an early blow in Texas, the embattled Republican attorney general promising more fights ahead with the new administration is getting little public support from members of his … Continue reading →

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Census apportionment shenanigans to be officially curtailed

Posted on January 21, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

As it should be. The Trump administration’s protracted efforts to keep some immigrants from being counted when congressional seats are divvied up after the 2020 census ended with the former president’s departure from the White House, but President Joe Biden’s … Continue reading →

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On capping restaurant delivery app fees

Posted on January 21, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Fine by me, but I’ll bet more than fifteen percent of my most recent delivery tab that this does not go anywhere. High delivery fees by third-party apps, such as DoorDash and Uber Eats, are often cited by restaurant operators … Continue reading →

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Maybe this is the year we get rid of Confederate Heroes Day

Posted on January 19, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I know it shouldn’t boggle my mind that we even still have such a thing as “Confederate Heroes Day” in Texas in the year of our Lord 2021, but we do and it does. And so, some lawmakers will try, … Continue reading →

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Drinks to go on the legislative menu

Posted on January 18, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Looks likely to succeed. As the 87th legislature kicks into high gear in Austin tomorrow, a new bill introduced in both the Texas House and Senate is aiming to make to-go alcohol from restaurants and bars permanent. Venues in Texas … Continue reading →

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Legislative diversity report 2021

Posted on January 17, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a tiny bit more diverse, but not by much. In a perennial takeaway of The Texas Tribune’s demographic analysis, the Texas Legislature remains mostly white and male. When the 2021 legislative session begins Tuesday, 3 of every 5 lawmakers … Continue reading →

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And we already have our first COVID cases from the Lege

Posted on January 16, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Surely not the last. A Texas House member tested positive for the coronavirus after being on the chamber floor for three straight days, giving lawmakers an early indication of the dangers of governing during the pandemic. State Rep. Joe Deshotel, … Continue reading →

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Here comes the casino push

Posted on January 16, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Expect this to get louder and louder, though whether it’s successful or not remains to be seen. When a big political player comes waltzing into Texas spending big money from out of state, it’s usually a good sign that he … Continue reading →

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House adopts its rules

Posted on January 15, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Here you go. The Texas House unanimously adopted rules Thursday that will require members to wear masks in the chamber and during committee hearings and allow them to cast votes on legislation from outside the House floor. But the chamber … Continue reading →

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The five-ninths rule

Posted on January 15, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

All hail the new “smaller than three-fifths” rule. The Texas Senate on Wednesday approved a fundamental alteration of its rules, ending the minority party’s ability to block legislation it unanimously opposes in the Republican-controlled upper chamber. In a 18-13 vote, … Continue reading →

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How bad will the attack on voting be this session?

Posted on January 14, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Hard to say, but there’s no reason to be particularly optimistic. As the country’s political polarization reaches a boiling point — illustrated vividly Wednesday by the violent takeover of the U.S. Capitol by supporters of the president who believed his … Continue reading →

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We have our Speaker

Posted on January 13, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Congratulations. The Texas House on Tuesday elected state Rep. Dade Phelan as the next House speaker, ushering into office a new leader who will oversee a chamber facing its toughest set of legislative challenges in years against the backdrop of … Continue reading →

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Time for our biennial hope for better pot laws

Posted on January 12, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Don’t get your hopes too high. (Sorry, not sorry.) Five years after Texas legalized medical marijuana for people with debilitating illnesses, advocates and industry experts say the state’s strict rules, red tape and burdensome barriers to entry have left the … Continue reading →

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The Republican war against Harris County

Posted on January 9, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

To be fair, it’s not just Harris County that’s in the crosshairs, it’s the big urban counties, and cities in general. But it’s real and it’s dangerous and it’s anti-democratic. Republicans in the Texas Legislature are gearing up to bar … Continue reading →

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Another way Ken Paxton is costing you money

Posted on January 6, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

He’s something else, this guy. Texas may pay tens of millions of dollars to outside attorneys hired to handle a major lawsuit against Google — money the state did not plan to spend before a scandal enveloped Texas Attorney General … Continue reading →

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The Senate outlines its opening plans

Posted on January 5, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Seems inadequate to me, but what do I know? All Texas senators attending the opening day of the 2021 legislative session will be tested for the coronavirus and media and public access to the chamber will be limited, Lt. Gov. … Continue reading →

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State Capitol reopens to the public today

Posted on January 4, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

From Twitter: . The State Preservation Board releases protocols for the reopening of the Texas Capitol set for Monday #txlege — Scott Braddock (@scottbraddock) 07:08 PM – 02 January 2021 The Capitol grounds had reopened three weeks ago, but the … Continue reading →

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The Lege will start out with masks

Posted on December 17, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll see how it goes from there. People attending the opening day of the 2021 legislative session will be required to wear a mask and asked to take a coronavirus test ahead of the event, the chair of the House … Continue reading →

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One possible path for police reform in the Lege

Posted on December 14, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Keep an eye on this. The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, which oversees licensing of the state’s 102,000 police officers and jailers, could be in for a major overhaul, state officials hinted Monday morning. “This is the time to get … Continue reading →

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Patrick will push to lower the Senate threshold for voting on bills

Posted on December 11, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Completely unsurprising, except that I’d have thought he’d go all the way. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced Wednesday that he wants to lower the threshold of support legislation needs to make it on to the Senate floor to match the … Continue reading →

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More about how the Lege will operate

Posted on December 8, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Still a lot of questions to be answered. As the latest discussions over how the Texas Legislature should operate during a pandemic continue to surface, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick told members of the Texas Senate this week that people wishing … Continue reading →

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Will we get redistricting hearings?

Posted on December 7, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Please? Voting groups in Texas want lawmakers to open up the state’s redistricting process to the public before they redraw political boundaries next year. Public hearings are aimed at giving communities input in the process. But since the pandemic, those … Continue reading →

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How is the Lege going to operate?

Posted on December 4, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

It’s going to be an interesting session. In the most detailed public glimpse yet at how the 2021 legislative session might play out during a pandemic, the chair of the committee that handles administrative operations in the Texas House told … Continue reading →

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So now we start to prep for redistricting

Posted on November 29, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

It’s gonna make for a long session, or more likely sessions. Wielding the map-drawing power will not be entirely painless for Republicans, who have seen their grip on dozens of state and federal districts erode since the last round of … Continue reading →

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I remain pessimistic about the chances of good voting bills passing

Posted on November 28, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

This Trib story suggests that with Republicans doing well in the high turnout 2020 election, and with the emergency measures that were implemented to expand voting access, the odds of getting a bill passed to make some forms of voting … Continue reading →

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Our nanny state and vote by mail applications

Posted on November 23, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Sen. Paul Bettencourt purses his lips and wags his finger and is very disappointed in your county government. Republican state lawmakers have filed bills to codify the Texas Supreme Court decision that blocked Harris County from sending mail ballot applications … Continue reading →

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Texas Central once more gets to deal with the Lege

Posted on November 20, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

They’re both farther along, and not as far along, as they might like heading into this session. Less than two months before the Texas Legislature begins its next session, the yearslong battle over a controversial high-speed rail project is expected … Continue reading →

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A bill to ban no-knock warrants

Posted on November 16, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Probably won’t go anywhere, but well worth the effort. A bill pre-filed this week by state Rep. Gene Wu would ban no-knock warrants across Texas, marking the first major legislative response to last year’s botched drug raid that led to the deaths of … Continue reading →

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There’s a raft of pro-pot bills that have been filed so far

Posted on November 14, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

And one formidable obstacle to them all, in the form of Lt. Gov. Dan “One Million Dollars!” Patrick. Texas lawmakers set a record with over 60 marijuana-related bills in 2019 — and this year, they’ve already introduced 11 measures that … Continue reading →

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What might the Lege do to make voting easier, or harder?

Posted on November 10, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I confess, I didn’t read most of this story about the various problems some people had in voting, and the various theories as to what was happening during voting, mostly because it contained way too many quotes from Jared Woodfill. … Continue reading →

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