Monthly Archives: December 2015

Texas drops request for emergency order on Syrian refugees

Posted on December 5, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

It’s something. Texas officials have withdrawn their request for an emergency order blocking a group of Syrian refugees from entering the state and instead are seeking a broader hearing next week on how closely the federal government coordinates with the … Continue reading →

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Senate committee whines about ballot language

Posted on December 5, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Give me a break. State Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, cited the wording of recent Houston referendums to lengthen term limits and on a controversial equal-rights ordinance as two examples, both of which he said could have been more clear. The … Continue reading →

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La Marque ISD to fight closure

Posted on December 5, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Good luck. The La Marque school board Monday voted to wage a legal battle to keep the state from dissolving the school district, the Texas Education Agency said. La Marque officials could not be reached for comment, but a spokeswoman … Continue reading →

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Day 3 EV 2015 runoff totals

Posted on December 5, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Here we go: Date Early Mail Total Mailed ====================================== 11/15 27,596 18,196 45,792 41,994 12/15 35,756 22,116 57,872 39,649 The runoff numbers are here, and the final EV totals for November are here. Believe it or not, we’re almost halfway … Continue reading →

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Friday random ten: Olivia’s Spotify favorites

Posted on December 4, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

We’re going to do something a little different this week and next. I’ve got a couple of pinch hitters for me, Olivia this week and Audrey the next. They’re going to be sharing their favorite songs. Here are Olivia’s top … Continue reading →

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Dueling runoff polls: King 48, Turner 43 (HRBC) – Turner 47, King 40 (internal)

Posted on December 4, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox yesterday morning: The Houston Realty Business Coalition (HRBC) released a poll of 300 active voters today measuring support of Mayoral candidates in the December runoff election. “Bill King has built a broad base of support throughout the … Continue reading →

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Texas files its lawsuit against International Rescue Committee

Posted on December 4, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I am at a loss for words. Texas has gone to federal court in its efforts to keep Syrian refugees out of the state, filing suit against the federal government and a refugee resettlement nonprofit. In a lawsuit filed Wednesday … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Update on the cab companies’ lawsuit against Uber and Lyft

Posted on December 4, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Yesterday I noted the latest lawsuit against Uber, filed in San Antonio by a former Uber driver who alleged that their pay amounted to a sub-minimum wage total. Over the weekend we got an update on the lawsuit filed here … Continue reading →

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Precinct analysis: “Extreme” voters

Posted on December 4, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron’s Mike Morris looks at undervotes in a way that I hadn’t thought of before. On Monday we looked at the phenomenon of the November undervote, when Houstonians made the (relatively rare) commitment to vote, but skipped one or … Continue reading →

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SCOTUS denies 30-Day Extension in Immigration Case

Posted on December 3, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Good. The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted twenty-six states an extra eight days to file their response to the Obama administration’s appeal in defense of its broad new immigration policy. That extension — considerably less than the added thirty days … Continue reading →

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Overview of the Controller runoff

Posted on December 3, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

It’s another one of those partisan races. Sorry, non-partisans. Though the job lacks policy-making authority, the race to become Houston’s next chief financial officer has developed into a partisan proxy war over how to correct Houston’s fiscal course. In the … Continue reading →

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Runoff endorsement watch: Still for Turner

Posted on December 3, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

They clutch their pearls a bit over his (gasp!) negative advertising, but the Chron is still on board with Sylvester Turner. The long-time state representative – and three-time mayoral candidate – offers voters the best balance between policy expertise and … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of November 30

Posted on December 3, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance stands with Planned Parenthood as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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Day One EV 2015 runoff totals

Posted on December 3, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Here we go: Date Early Mail Total Mailed ====================================== 11/15 8,889 14,240 23,129 40,626 12/15 11,144 18,138 29,282 39,646 The runoff numbers are here, and the final EV totals for November are here. A couple of things to keep in … Continue reading →

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Runoff early voting starts today

Posted on December 2, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

From the Inbox: EARLY VOTING FOR DEC. 12, 2015 RUNOFF ELECTION – DEC. 2 THRU DEC. 8: Voters may vote at any of the Thirty-One Early Voting locations in Harris County Houston, TX – Early voting starts Wednesday, Dec. 2 … Continue reading →

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Paxton’s first day in court

Posted on December 2, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

And they’re off! Clashing at a pretrial hearing Tuesday, lawyers for Attorney General Ken Paxton dismissed the criminal case against him as the result of a “rogue prosecution,” while prosecutors accused Paxton of relying on “nonsense” arguments and a string … Continue reading →

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Refugee group defies Abbott

Posted on December 2, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

It’s on. A nonprofit organization that resettles refugees in the United States says it will move forward with the placement of Syrian refugees in Texas, despite warnings from officials in the Lone Star State not to do so. The New … Continue reading →

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Runoff endorsement watch: New business

Posted on December 2, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

As I mentioned before, there are a couple of runoffs in which the Chron did not endorse a candidate who is still in the running. Those races are At Large #1, #4, and #5; I had forgotten about #4 when … Continue reading →

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A roundup of interviews with runoff candidates

Posted on December 1, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

For your convenience, as you try to decide whom to support in the runoffs: Mayor Sylvester Turner Bill King Controller Chris Brown Bill Frazer At Large #1 Georgia Provost – 2013 election, District D Mike Knox – 2013 election, District … Continue reading →

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Texas threatens to sue religious groups over refugees

Posted on December 1, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Amazing. Texas officials are escalating their opposition to Syrian refugees with a new order aimed specifically at resettlement groups that have indicated they will accept people fleeing the war-torn country: change your mind or risk getting sued by the state. … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Ethics Commission backs off on letting others pay Paxton’s legal bills

Posted on December 1, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Sorry, Kenny. State regulators punted Monday on guidance that would clear the way for recently-indicted Attorney General Ken Paxton to accept money as a gift from out-of-state donors to finance his legal defense of felony securities fraud charges. After a … Continue reading →

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Runoff endorsement watch: Reiterating

Posted on December 1, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron repeats its endorsements for the district Council runoffs. District F: Richard Nguyen won his first election two years ago in an upset against incumbent Al Hoang. Since then, he’s proven himself a compassionate and capable representative for District … Continue reading →

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