Monthly Archives: November 2021

FERC report on the freeze

Posted on November 20, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

It was lack of weatherization all along. A shortage of natural gas during the winter storm that swept Texas and other states in the south central United States in February was primarily caused by the oil and gas industry’s failure … Continue reading →

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Gina Calanni joins the Commissioners Court Precinct 4 race

Posted on November 20, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

We’re up to three Democratic candidates for Harris County Commissioners Court in Precinct 4 as former State Rep. Gina Calanni throws her hat in. The announcement can be seen here, but it’s an embedded image so I’m not going to … Continue reading →

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Rep. Alex Dominguez to run for SD27

Posted on November 20, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Another contender for Eddie Lucio’s soon-to-be-former seat. State Rep. Alex Dominguez is running for Texas Senate, hoping to succeed retiring Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr., a fellow Brownsville Democrat, in a race filled with implications for Texas Democrats and the Rio … Continue reading →

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Sen. Whitmire will run for Mayor in 2023

Posted on November 19, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Big announcement. State Sen. John Whitmire, the longest serving member of the Texas Senate, told supporters at a campaign rally Wednesday that he intends to run for mayor of Houston in 2023. “I’m no longer considering it, we’re not asking … Continue reading →

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ACLU and others sue over new redistricting maps

Posted on November 19, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

The count is now seven. Civil rights groups filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday challenging new Texas state legislative and congressional district plans as unconstitutional racial gerrymanders violating both the Voting Rights Act and the U.S. Constitution. The suit details an … Continue reading →

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Rep. Garnet Coleman to retire

Posted on November 19, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Very sad to see him go, he was one of the best. State Rep. Garnet Coleman, a Houston Democrat who has served 30 years in the Texas House, said Thursday he will not seek another term to the lower chamber. … Continue reading →

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Time for some bigger AstroWorld lawsuits

Posted on November 19, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Here is a large number. As the lawsuits continue to pile up following the aftermath of the Astroworld Festival tragedy, attorney Tony Buzbee has filed one of the largest yet. The prominent Houston lawyer filed a suit Monday on behalf … Continue reading →

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Beto raises $2 million on his first official day as a candidate

Posted on November 18, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I did say this would be the next story, didn’t I? Beto O’Rourke raised $2 million in the first 24 hours of his run for governor, his campaign tells The Texas Tribune. His campaign called it a record “for any … Continue reading →

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Ben Chou files for Commissioners Court Precinct 4

Posted on November 18, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Second to announce, first to officially file. I’m running for Harris County Commissioner, Precinct 4! I’m a progressive Democrat, lawyer, and community organizer. I’m running for County Commissioner because I think we need to build a Harris County for all … Continue reading →

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Texas sues over the health care workers vaccine mandate

Posted on November 18, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a trifecta. In Texas’ latest legal challenge targeting federal vaccination mandates, Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing the Biden administration over its recent order requiring health workers to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. The Biden administration issued an emergency order, … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of November 15

Posted on November 18, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance mourns the people we lost at Astroworld as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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No independent investigation of the AstroWorld tragedy

Posted on November 18, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Not sure how I feel about this yet. Harris County will not launch an independent investigation into the Astroworld festival disaster after commissioners declined to support a plan by County Judge Lina Hidalgo to do so. Instead, the group on … Continue reading →

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Republicans sue over new Commissioners Court map

Posted on November 17, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Hilarious. Republican Commissioners Jack Cagle and Tom Ramsey have filed a voting rights lawsuit in state court in hopes of halting a Harris County redistricting plan they claim strips more than 1.1 million people of their right to vote in … Continue reading →

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Michelle Beckley files for Lt. Governor

Posted on November 17, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

And now there are three. Democratic state Rep. Michelle Beckley of Carrollton, who gained national attention for joining lawmakers who fled to Washington, D.C., to block a Republican election bill this summer, is running for lieutenant governor, expanding her party’s … Continue reading →

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HISD will consider lifting its mask mandate

Posted on November 17, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

After the holidays, depending on how things go. Houston ISD will consider changing its mask mandate policy after the winter break in the wake of expanded vaccine eligibility for youngsters and improving pandemic conditions in the city, Superintendent Millard House II said Monday. … Continue reading →

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Here’s a look at that long-awaited Ismaili Center

Posted on November 17, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Looks really nice. Designs for Houston’s the Ismaili Center Houston were unveiled Monday afternoon, revealing architecture and gardens likely to set a new bar in a city increasingly devoted to modern design and lush green spaces. With a structure designed … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Beto makes it official

Posted on November 16, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

You heard it here in Texas Monthly first. Or maybe you got the campaign announcement in your email, which I got at basically the same time as when I saw this. But either way, you’ve now heard it. For months, … Continue reading →

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Those pesky high utility rates

Posted on November 16, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Still a problem. Those of us who lived through Winter Storm Uri have hardly forgotten the experience, of course. But we’ll have a little reminder of it on our gas bills. Every month. For the next decade. At least. And … Continue reading →

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Harris County to pause the I-45 lawsuit

Posted on November 16, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Gonna give talking a try. You never know. Harris County will pause its lawsuit against the Texas Department of Transportation over the proposed Interstate 45 widening in hopes that it leads to a consensus that has eluded them for more … Continue reading →

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Fort Bend County Commissioners Court finishes its redistricting

Posted on November 15, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Things were unsurprisingly partisan, as is the nature of redistricting as we do it. After much confusion, heated discussion, and repeated delays, the Fort Bend County Commissioners Court voted 3-2 on Friday to adopt new precinct boundaries. The redistricting map … Continue reading →

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Some more AstroWorld stuff

Posted on November 15, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Firefighter logs from the event tell the story of early chaos and continued problems. Houston firefighters arrived at a small command post parked on the far-flung Orange Lot, about a mile from the festival grounds. They spent the day listening … Continue reading →

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Republicans want to get the I-45 project going again

Posted on November 15, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

We all want things. Seven Republican members of Congress from the Houston area are urging federal transportation officials to quickly wrap up a review of Texas’ planned Interstate 45 rebuild, arguing that much of the opposition to the project is … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for November 14

Posted on November 14, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Tis the season for misdirected package phishing scams, often sent as text messages. Don’t fall for them! “The Man Who Called Bullshit on Uber”. Have you been longing to have movie theater popcorn to eat while watching movies at home? … Continue reading →

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Fifth Circuit extends hold on Biden employer vaccine mandate

Posted on November 14, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

The worst court in America keeps on keeping on. A federal appeals court kept its block on the implementation on the Biden administration rule that requires large companies to mandate COVID-19 vaccines for employees or carry out weekly testing starting in January. … Continue reading →

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Bexar mask mandate back on

Posted on November 14, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Abbott and Paxton take another L. A temporary order that allows the City of San Antonio and Bexar County to require masks in their buildings will stay in place until a lawsuit challenging an executive order goes to trial in … Continue reading →

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Ten years after the Bastrop fire

Posted on November 14, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

The headline on this story asks whether Texas is ready for the next big fire. I think we know the answer to that. Ten years ago, Texas experienced it’s worst wildfire disaster in the state’s history. Over 31 thousand fires … Continue reading →

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Filing season is officially open

Posted on November 14, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

We wait all year for this. This Saturday marks the start of the battle for control in Texas politics, a key landmark for the upcoming 2022 elections. Democratic and Republican candidates will start filing for their candidacies for the March … Continue reading →

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State lawsuits against SB8 finally get a hearing

Posted on November 13, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

A long strange trip it has been. A state district judge on Wednesday morning heard arguments from abortion rights groups challenging Texas’ restrictive abortion law in what seems to be the first court hearing to specifically tackle the statute’s constitutionality. … Continue reading →

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It’s mostly about the gay books

Posted on November 13, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Color me not surprised. While a Texas House committee chairman’s inquiry into schoolbooks has often been linked to new state laws limiting how teachers address slavery and racism, most of the literature he’s called into question deals with a wholly … Continue reading →

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What the BIF means for Texas

Posted on November 13, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

That’s the bipartisan infrastructure bill that was passed last week. The White House estimates that Texas will receive about $35.44 billion over five years for roads, bridges, pipes, ports, broadband access and other projects after federal lawmakers passed a long-anticipated … Continue reading →

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The safety protocols

Posted on November 13, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

We won’t know for some time what exactly went wrong at AstroWorld, but we do know what should have been in place to keep the concertgoers safe. When tens of thousands of people are packed into a confined area like … Continue reading →

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Federal judge blocks Abbott’s ban on school mask mandates

Posted on November 12, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Excellent news. A federal judge ruled Wednesday that Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order prohibiting mask mandates in schools violates the Americans with Disabilities Act — freeing local officials to again create their own rules. The order comes after a monthslong … Continue reading →

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Luke Warford announces for Railroad Commissioner

Posted on November 12, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

He’s got the right idea about what to run on. A 32-year-old former top staffer for the Texas Democratic Party is running for a spot on the three-person commission regulating the state’s oil and gas industry, hoping to unseat Republican … Continue reading →

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County Court At Law Judge Lesley Briones announces for Commissioner Precinct 4

Posted on November 12, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox (and on Facebook): Today, I announce my candidacy for Harris County Commissioner, Precinct 4. I have devoted my career to helping people – and serving as a county commissioner will allow me to help improve people’s lives … Continue reading →

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