Monthly Archives: February 2015

Same sex marriage plaintiffs ask Fifth Circuit to lift the stay

Posted on February 13, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

They’ve got a strong case, based on recent SCOTUS action. Attorneys for two gay couples are asking a federal appeals court to allow same-sex marriages to begin in Texas immediately. In a motion filed Thursday, attorneys for the couples asked … Continue reading →

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Metro board approves reimagining

Posted on February 13, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

On to implementation. Metro’s board gave unanimous, final approval to the so-called reimagining plan, authorizing agency staff to plan public meetings to explain the changes. Between now and August, Metro must replace every sign at every bus stop, revise every … Continue reading →

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Improving infections disease response

Posted on February 13, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

This is an Ebola-inspired bill, but not an Ebola bill. So say the stakeholders, anyway. Months after three people in Texas were diagnosed with Ebola, several key state lawmakers on Wednesday proposed ways to prepare the state for the next … Continue reading →

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Use less, pay more

Posted on February 13, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Ain’t utility deregulation grand? More than 70 percent of electric plans offered in the Houston area contain terms that may penalize customers who don’t use a certain amount of power, according to a Houston Chronicle analysis of more than 300 … Continue reading →

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SCOTUS could really screw Texas on Obamacare

Posted on February 12, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

You know how all those Texans have been signing up for health insurance via the Healthcare.gov exchange? Every single one of them stands to lose if the Supreme Court decides to play politics. Nearly 1 million Texans have now signed … Continue reading →

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Michael Morton still has work to do

Posted on February 12, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

We should be glad he’s doing it. Michael Morton, who spent nearly 25 years in prison for a murder he didn’t commit, said Monday that under current DNA testing requirements, he wouldn’t have had access to the evidence that led … Continue reading →

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A slowdown in construction would be good for school districts

Posted on February 12, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

One potential upside to a weakening real estate market. Since the Houston Independent School District passed a historic $1.9 billion bond issue in 2012, the construction market has boomed, driving up costs and drying up labor. But now, with the … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of February 9

Posted on February 12, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance will be more than happy to never hear the word “sequestration” again as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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HPD to get a pay raise

Posted on February 11, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Mayor Parker and the police union agree to a new contract. The Houston Police Department hopes a new union contract that targets raises primarily to younger officers will ward off recruiting struggles that have forced it to offer bonuses to … Continue reading →

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State moves to close La Marque ISD

Posted on February 11, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I hadn’t realized this was in the works. Texas Education Commissioner Michael Williams has ordered the closure of Galveston County’s La Marque ISD in July unless the school district successfully appeals. Williams notified leaders of the 2,500-student district this week … Continue reading →

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System reimagining time

Posted on February 11, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Big day today, hopefully. A once-in-a-generation change to Houston bus service – shifting from a downtown-focused, hub-and-spoke design to a broader network reflecting new ways people move around – could receive final approval by Metro’s board Wednesday. Officials say the … Continue reading →

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KTRU will be back

Posted on February 11, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Awesome. And unexpected. Rice University’s popular student-run radio station, relegated to the Internet when the university sold it in 2010, is returning to the airwaves. The Federal Communications Commission on Monday approved the construction of a low-power FM broadcast station … Continue reading →

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Early voting for special election runoffs has begun

Posted on February 10, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

It began yesterday, but I forgot to queue up a post in time to mention it. Here’s some relevant information for those of you who need to get out and vote in one or more of these runoffs. For SD26 … Continue reading →

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Reforming the grand jury system

Posted on February 10, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Harris County DA Devon Anderson comes out in favor of changing how grand juries are selected. I have been the Harris County district attorney for 17 months now. In that time, one of the most frequently recurring issues I have … Continue reading →

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Here come those CFPB payday lending regulations

Posted on February 10, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

An update from the AP. Troubled by consumer complaints and loopholes in state laws, federal regulators are putting together the first rules on payday loans aimed at helping cash-strapped borrowers avoid falling into a cycle of high-rate debt. The Consumer … Continue reading →

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Tax cuts >>> public education

Posted on February 10, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Well, what did you expect? Senate budget writers have enjoyed praise from conservatives for their focus on tax cuts, but they’re about to get an earful from educators who think their promises could cost Texas public school students. The starting … Continue reading →

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Opposition to the high speed rail line gets organized

Posted on February 9, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

You had to figure something like this was coming. I was recently informed of NoTexasCentral.com, and I’ll let them introduce themselves: Texas Central Railway (TCR), a Japanese funded Texas-based private railroad company, is set to build and operate a high … Continue reading →

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No grand juror information for Perry

Posted on February 9, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Sorry, Rick. A state judge Friday denied former Gov. Rick Perry’s push for a list of people whose grand-jury testimony led to his indictment on abuse-of-power charges. Judge Bert Richardson said the prosecution is not required to produce those names, … Continue reading →

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The odds never favor ethics reforms

Posted on February 9, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Better to keep your hopes down and not suffer too much disappointment. Gov. Greg Abbott pledged on the campaign trail to lead the charge to improve the state’s ethics laws, and now lawmakers and advocates pushing for reform are looking … Continue reading →

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Gallego/Hurd 2.0 seems likely

Posted on February 9, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I won’t be surprised. A congressional rematch may be nigh in southwest Texas. National Democrats still reeling from their midterm clobbering are intent on picking up seats in 2016, and their eyes already are on Texas’ only competitive congressional district, … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for February 8

Posted on February 8, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Is it time to change the NBA playoff system to ensure the best teams qualify? The problem with (and promise of) word problems. “To put that another way: If you’re unvaccinated, you’re about 35,000 times more likely to die from … Continue reading →

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Where are the women?

Posted on February 8, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I have several things to say about this. The slate running to replace Mayor Annise Parker features a globetrotting sailor, a triathlete grandfather, a millionaire minister and no women. Despite the most-crowded pack of mayoral contenders in decades, no female … Continue reading →

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Approaching a million Obamacare signups in Texas

Posted on February 8, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

We are well ahead of last year’s pace. More than 256,000 Houston-area residents have selected plans or been re-enrolled in coverage through the health insurance marketplace mandated by the Affordable Care Act, and federal and local health officials and experts … Continue reading →

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We still have those outsourcing blues

Posted on February 8, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

We never learn from history. That’s just how we roll in this state. In 1991, the Texas attorney general’s office signed an $11 million contract to computerize its child-support payments system. By 1997, the deal with Andersen Consulting had ballooned … Continue reading →

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Oklahoma, where the same-sex weddings come sweeping down the plain

Posted on February 8, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

One of the most commonly made arguments for expanded gambling in Texas is that as long as we don’t have casinos, Texans will travel to neighboring states to spend their gambling dollars there. Well, that same argument can be made … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: Eye Of The Tiger

Posted on February 7, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

It’s Survivor. Feel the awesomeness. You can’t top that – you can’t even come close to equaling it. There’s a reason Dave Bickler, the lead singer, went on to do those Real Men of Genius ads. The best you can … Continue reading →

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Ending exemptions for vaccines

Posted on February 7, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Hear, hear. A Texas Republican is taking aim at a provision in state law that allows parents with personal or religious objections to vaccines to opt their children out of school immunization requirements. State Rep. Jason Villalba, R-Dallas, said Friday … Continue reading →

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Two city race updates

Posted on February 7, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Item one: We have another candidate for Comptroller. Jew Don Boney, who sat on City Council for three terms in the 1990′s, will run for City Controller, he told the Chronicle Wednesday. Boney joins Houston Community College trustee Carroll Robinson … Continue reading →

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Drug testing for being poor

Posted on February 7, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

It’s back, and it’s as bad an idea as it ever was. For years, GOP lawmakers have tried to make drug testing mandatory for some Texans who receive state welfare benefits, with little success. But after making some headway in … Continue reading →

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Uber to leave San Antonio

Posted on February 7, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Not unexpected. Uber management sent a letter to Mayor Ivy Taylor and City Council Wednesday, warning that the rideshare service will leave San Antonio on March 1 unless the recently-passed existing is modified or repealed. Uber representatives say the new … Continue reading →

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Friday random ten: Parenthetically speaking, part 1

Posted on February 6, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Time for another set of theme lists. You know how some songs have an optional title, or extra words to the title, set apart in parentheses? Let’s go through the library and see what songs like that I have. 1. … Continue reading →

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2015 Mayoral manifesto: Quality of life and other issues

Posted on February 6, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Preliminaries Transportation Public safety A few quick hits on topics that didn’t fit elsewhere. Making Houston affordable again Remember when Houston was an inexpensive place to live? If you haven’t been here at least a decade – more like two … Continue reading →

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HERO repeal petition trial wraps up

Posted on February 6, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

There actually wasn’t all that much testimony in the HERO repeal petition trial. On Tuesday, former City Attorney David Feldman took his turn on the stand. City Secretary Anna Russell originally found enough valid signatures but did not verify the … Continue reading →

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Redistricting update

Posted on February 6, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

From Russ Tidwell, writing at Letters from Texas: There is well-established case law around redistricting that calls for creating a new minority opportunity district anytime a compact majority of a single minority group can be established (i.e., majority Black or … Continue reading →

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