Monthly Archives: January 2014

Judicial Q&A: Allecia Pottinger

(Note: As I have done in past elections, I am running a series of Q&As for judicial candidates in contested Democratic primaries. This is intended to help introduce the candidates and their experiences to those who plan to vote in … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Judicial Q&A: Allecia Pottinger

TRO against Wilson lifted

He gets to take his seat. After that, I don’t know what happens. A judge Wednesday declined to prohibit small businessman and anti-gay activist Dave Wilson from taking his seat at the first meeting of the board of the Houston … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2013 | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

ACA enrollments in Texas

As was the case with the rest of the country, there was a big surge in December. Texas enrollments in the online insurance marketplace created under the Affordable Care Act rose nearly eightfold in December, according to 2013 figures that … Continue reading

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Texas blog roundup for the week of January 13

The Texas Progressive Alliance has no knowledge of any bridge lane closures as it brings you this week’s roundup.

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged , | Comments Off on Texas blog roundup for the week of January 13

Interview with Steve Brown

There are three contested Democratic primaries for statewide office. One of them involves Wendy Davis, which no one expects to be competitive, and one involves Kinky Friedman, which likely will be about how people feel about Kinky Friedman more than … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Where are the women’s health providers?

The Republican jihad against Planned Parenthood continues to have real consequences. In 2011, under pressure from Republican leaders, state health officials began enforcing a provision lawmakers wrote to exclude Planned Parenthood and any clinics with organizational ties to abortion providers … Continue reading

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Where are the women’s health providers?

Davis outraises Abbott

Nice. Democrat Wendy Davis pulled $8.7 million into her gubernatorial campaign coffers in the last half of 2013, and another group committed to her election as governor raised $3.5 million over the same period, the Davis campaign announced Tuesday. Minutes … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Oklahoma!

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

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Oklahoma!

Wilson gets to take his seat

The legal battles continue, but HCC will swear in Dave Wilson today regardless. Houston Community College has cleared Dave Wilson to take his seat at this week’s board meeting despite legal uncertainty raised by Harris County officials about the trustee-elect’s … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2013 | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Judicial Q&A: Bruce Steffler

(Note: As I have done in past elections, I am running a series of Q&As for judicial candidates in contested Democratic primaries. This is intended to help introduce the candidates and their experiences to those who plan to vote in … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Judicial Q&A: Bruce Steffler

Wilson’s status is still up in the air

The suspense is killing me. The restraining order prohibiting newly elected Houston Community College trustee Dave Wilson from taking the oath of office until questions about his residency can be resolved will remain in effect for another two weeks, a … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2013 | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Endorsement watch: Davis for Alameel

This was unexpected, at least by me. Texas Democrats may be working on drafting a 2014 dream team. State Sen. Wendy Davis announced today that she’s backing David Alameel in his bid for the U.S. Senate nomination. The wealthy Dallas … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

More from the Pratt files

This is just bizarre. Since being cleared last month by a grand jury for backdating records, a family court judge has quietly dismissed hundreds of cases, effectively nullifying a bevy of child support obligations and custody arrangements she previously made … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on More from the Pratt files

Interview with Kim Ogg

Let’s talk about the Harris County District Attorney’s race for a minute, shall we? We all remember what happened in 2012, when perennial candidate/yahoo Lloyd Oliver won the Democratic primary for DA because he had some name ID for having … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

New accountability standards, more schools on the failing list

Not a good headline. The number of officially faltering public schools in Texas almost doubled last year, in part because of higher accountability standards imposed by state education policy. The Texas Education Agency released Thursday a list of 892 schools … Continue reading

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on New accountability standards, more schools on the failing list

Sexual assault in the Harris County jail

This sounds very bad, but there are some questions about how the numbers were determined. Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia, defending his staff against a federal study that found startling levels of sexual abuse at one of his jails, testified … Continue reading

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Sexual assault in the Harris County jail

Utah will not recognize same sex marriages

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

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Utah will not recognize same sex marriages

Weekend link dump for January 12

First world problems are still problems worth solving. When Captain America wears a turban, it’s pretty cool. As The Slacktivist often says, they are coming for your birth control. Don’t be surprised by it. “As a result, Netflix can’t, any … Continue reading

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged | Comments Off on Weekend link dump for January 12

You can’t stop Dave Wilson

You can only hope to restrain him. The battle over whether Dave Wilson is actually a Houston Community College trustee could come to a head on Thursday when the 67-year-old tries to take the seat behind the District II placard … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2013 | Tagged , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Chron overviews of the other candidates for Governor

On the Republican side, everybody wants to be the next coming of Ted Cruz. As Attorney General Greg Abbott sweeps toward the GOP nomination for governor, other Republicans are reminding voters that he’s not alone in the party primary. Waging … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Is this the end for the dollar coin?

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

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Saturday video break: All the world’s problems explained

The Austin Lounge Lizards sum up our political discourse in one song: I mean seriously, is there anything they missed in that recitation?

Posted in Music | Tagged , | Comments Off on Saturday video break: All the world’s problems explained

Davis beats Abbott in court again

That’s probably the simplest way to understand this story. A San Antonio federal court has ordered Texas to pay more than $260,000 in attorney fees to the legal team that helped state Sen. Wendy Davis beat back Republican attempts to … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Davis beats Abbott in court again

Federal studies for the Houston-Dallas high speed rail line

It’s a step forward. The federal government, Texas and a private company are collectively working on two studies to assess the impact of a high-speed rail line between Houston and Dallas, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx confirmed Tuesday. … Continue reading

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Who shot Bigfoot?

The correct answer is “no one”, since Bigfoot doesn’t exist and all that, but this guy claims to have done it. Nearly a year ago a self-described professional Bigfoot hunter claimed to have shot and killed one of the creatures … Continue reading

Posted in Skepticism | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Friday random ten: I’ve got this bridge to sell you

In honor of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, ten songs about bridges. 1. The Bridge – Eddie From Ohio 2. Bridge of Sighs – Robin Trower 3. Bridge Over Troubled Water – Aretha Franklin 4. Bridge Over Troubled Water – … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Runoff precinct analysis: At Large races

I finally got a draft canvass report from the Harris County Clerk for the December runoff elections. Let’s take a look at the two At Large runoffs and see what we can learn about them. Here’s At Large #2: Dist … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2013 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Council OKs ordinance to help bring grocery stores to food deserts

Good. Supermarkets now can sell beer and wine next to schools and churches, an exemption to city regulations Houston City Council granted unanimously Wednesday, hoping to encourage grocers to locate in neighborhoods that lack access to fresh, healthy food. These … Continue reading

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

I got those “can’t get my rail cars built on time” blues

Actually, I don’t, but Metro does. The company building 39 new Metro railcars has yet to deliver an acceptable vehicle almost six months after the original due date, potentially delaying full service for rail lines scheduled to open later this … Continue reading

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on I got those “can’t get my rail cars built on time” blues

Craft beer: Still good for your economy

Yet another study says so. Texas ranks second only to California in the economic impact derived from craft brewing, a report from the Brewers Association says. This burgeoning class of smaller, independently owned craft breweries, along with their distributors, retailers … Continue reading

Posted in Bidness, Food, glorious food | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Craft beer: Still good for your economy

Judicial Q&A: Jim Evans

(Note: As I have done in past elections, I am running a series of Q&As for judicial candidates in contested Democratic primaries. This is intended to help introduce the candidates and their experiences to those who plan to vote in … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Judicial Q&A: Jim Evans

Falkenberg on Dave Wilson’s residency

Lisa Falkenberg has another chat with Dave Wilson to try and solve the mystery of where he really lives. No bathtub. No refrigerator. No TV. If 67-year-old small businessman Dave Wilson really lives in a warehouse apartment on West 34th … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2013 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

No BGO for HOF

Missed it by one vote. One of the most majestic induction classes in the history of the National Baseball Hall of Fame was set on Wednesday with the announcement that Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and Frank Thomas were elected by … Continue reading

Posted in Baseball | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Texas blog roundup for the week of January 6

The Texas Progressive Alliance is off to a roaring start to 2014 as it brings you this week’s roundup.

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged , | Comments Off on Texas blog roundup for the week of January 6