Monthly Archives: November 2022

Another lawsuit filed by Uvalde parents

Another one to watch. The mother of a 10-year-old killed in the Uvalde school shooting has filed a federal lawsuit against the gun-maker and seller, the city of Uvalde, its school district and several law enforcement officers. Sandra Torres’ daughter … Continue reading

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

SCOTx hears firefighter pay parity arguments

Lots at stake here. More than four years after Houston voters approved a measure that would grant firefighters equal pay with police officers, the legal battle to decide the referendum’s fate landed Tuesday in the hands of the Supreme Court of Texas. The … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Time once again for the biennial paean to the gambling lobby

Such a weird tradition we observe. Even before Gov. Greg Abbott declared in October that he’s willing to consider expanded gaming options in Texas, that industry was trying to improve its odds in the state by doling out massive campaign … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Time once again for the biennial paean to the gambling lobby

The boil notice

Yeah, it’s a pain. And now schools are closed again, which my daughter appreciates but probably most grownups do not. Also a thing many grownups did not appreciate was how long it took for the boil notices to go out. … Continue reading

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Your periodic reminder that Ken Paxton’s vote fraud claims are bullshit

A long Chron story that documents the bullshit. The first of the big cases to fizzle was in Gregg County. Prosecutors and local politicians announced an investigation soon after county commissioner candidate Shannon Brown won the March 2018 Precinct 4 … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

It’s legislative bullying time

Here we go again. Republican lawmakers in Texas and Washington D.C. are threatening some of the nation’s largest corporate law firms if they provide what the lawmakers consider to be improper advice on issues such as climate change, diversity and … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Precinct analysis: How the 2022 Harris County State Rep candidates did versus the 2020 and 2018 results

I still don’t have a full canvass of Harris County, so I’m looking around to see what kind of analyses I can do in the meantime. For this post, I’m comparing how the candidates in the contested State Rep contests … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

DPS asks to be rewarded for its abject failure at Uvalde

I like to think that I don’t get easily shocked, but this did it to me. The Texas Department of Public Safety wants $1.2 billion to turn its training center north of Austin into a full-time statewide law enforcement academy … Continue reading

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on DPS asks to be rewarded for its abject failure at Uvalde

Weekend link dump for November 27

“Fox News significantly decreased its volume of violent crime coverage in the week of the midterms, down 63% from the week prior.” “You’re Not Ready for How Much These Jokers Want to Talk about Hunter Biden’s Laptop”. “This model prosecution … Continue reading

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged | Comments Off on Weekend link dump for November 27

We do need to find someone to run against Ted Cruz

I don’t know who that ought to be yet, but surely someone is out there. Ted Cruz said on Saturday that he would seek a third term in the U.S. Senate in 2024, though he also did not rule out … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Yeah, the crypto lovers here are still all in

I mean, at least they’re consistent. The crypto community in Austin was buzzing. Hundreds of investors, legislators, professionals and enthusiasts packed the halls of the AT&T Hotel and Conference Center at the University of Texas on Nov. 17-18 for the … Continue reading

Posted in Bidness | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A too-early look at who’s running for Houston city offices in 2023

Because it’s never not election season. With the midterm elections behind us, city election season is now heating up. Next November, Houston will elect a new mayor, a new controller and 16 City Council members. The campaigns actually got underway long before … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Our property tax system is soooooooo awesome!

How awesome is it? So awesome you don’t even have to live here to get a tax break. Herschel Walker, the former Dallas Cowboys running back and Republican candidate running for a U.S. Senate seat in Georgia, is slated to … Continue reading

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

What to expect when you’re expecting a (larger) Democratic majority

I have three things to say about this. Despite narrowly winning reelection against bruising campaigns by well-funded challengers, the Democratic majority on Commissioners Court has made clear it intends to continue its progressive remake of Harris County. Though neither County … Continue reading

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Who else can we think of who’s alleged to have violated Texas securities law?

Into every story about cryptocurrency, some amount of absurdity is sure to follow. Texas is investigating celebrities who had endorsed FTX, the now bankrupt cryptocurrency firm, for potentially violating state securities laws. The Texas State Securities Board started looking into FTX’s … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Who else can we think of who’s alleged to have violated Texas securities law?

Thanksgiving video break: A return to something resembling normalcy

Let’s spend a few minutes with an old friend: The day may come when I will get tired of that video, but that day is not today. I am as always thankful for my family and friends, my health, my … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged , | 2 Comments

SCOTx allows provisional votes to be counted

Good. The Texas Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that Harris County can include about 2,100 ballots cast during an extra hour of Election Day voting when officials certify the midterm results. But the state’s highest civil court also ordered Harris County … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2022, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Forced birther lawsuit targets abortion pills

Did you think you were going to have a nice, peaceful Thanksgiving week? Sorry, no can do. Abortion opponents who helped challenge Roe v. Wade filed a lawsuit Friday that takes aim at medication abortions, asking a federal judge in … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Forced birther lawsuit targets abortion pills

Texas blog roundup for the week of November 28

The Texas Progressive Alliance wishes everyone a happy Thanksgiving as it brings you this week’s roundup.

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Do we actually know how to fix the grid?

The evidence is unclear. Texas lawmakers and experts who study the state’s power grid aren’t thrilled with a proposal by state energy officials aimed at preventing future widespread outages such as the one during the 2021 winter storm. The Public … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Do we actually know how to fix the grid?

A few words from Judge Hidalgo

Plus a few words that she could have said but didn’t, which I will fill in. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, who narrowly won re-election last week over a strong push from GOP candidates and donors, outlined plans for her … Continue reading

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Paxton sues to prevent some provisional votes from being counted

On brand. Always, always on brand. The Texas Attorney General’s office is attempting a last-minute intervention to toss out 2,000 provisional ballots before a Harris County Commissioners Court meeting Tuesday to certify the November election. The ballots in question were … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2022, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The cryptomining surge in rural counties

Here’s one possible answer to that question I posed the other day. Jacob Rodriguez was driving a John Deere tractor in a West Texas cotton field when he received a phone call that would change his life. “I was pulling … Continue reading

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Your 2023 Hall of Fame ballot is out

Should be a quieter year, at least for the writers. The National Baseball Hall of Fame revealed the 2023 Baseball Writers’ Association of America Hall of Fame ballot on Monday, with several notable names appearing for the first time, as … Continue reading

Posted in Baseball | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Your 2023 Hall of Fame ballot is out

Precinct analysis: Early voting versus Election Day

In his pre-election analyses of the early vote, Republican consultant Derek Ryan (whose numbers I have used in the past) suggested that there was still a significant number of regular Republican voters who had not voted yet, which could make … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Precinct analysis: Early voting versus Election Day

Electric trucks and the power grid

Very interesting. Next month, Tesla Inc. plans to deliver the first of its electric Semi trucks—able to haul a full 40 ton-load some 500 miles on a single charge. These massive batteries-on-wheels may accelerate the transition to electrified transport, but … Continue reading

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Electric trucks and the power grid

Weekend link dump for November 20

“Meet the Pollster Who Convinced Republicans There Would Be a Red Wave”. “A Step Back from the Precipice on Election Denialism and a Slightly Rosier Forecast for a Free and Fair Election in 2024″. “It’s tough to make predictions, especially … Continue reading

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged | 3 Comments

DaSean Jones wins after provisional and cured mail ballots are counted

I’m sure someone is going to throw a fit over this. The Harris County felony judge race for the 180th criminal state district court flipped Friday night in favor of incumbent DaSean Jones after new mail and provisional ballots were … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Concept Neighborhood’s Second Ward project

Sounds really cool. I hope they can pull it off, and in a reasonable amount of time. Plans to turn a swath of the East End into a walkable district are getting larger and more ambitious – setting the groundwork … Continue reading

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Concept Neighborhood’s Second Ward project

Remnants of the Challenger found

Wow. Divers searching the Bermuda Triangle for World War II-era aircraft found a piece of NASA history: wreckage from the space shuttle Challenger, which exploded 73 seconds after liftoff Jan. 28, 1986. This wreckage, discovered well northwest of the Bermuda Triangle, will … Continue reading

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Remnants of the Challenger found

On comparing counties from 2018 to 2022

I started with this. Voters in counties across Texas chose GOP leaders over Democrats at a higher rate than they did four years ago, a Dallas Morning News analysis shows. The findings, based on data as of noon on Wednesday, … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Collin County DA denies sexual harassment allegations

Pretty damn forcefully, but also in a way that’s kind of telling. Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis repeatedly called accusations of sexual harassment and retaliation against him “false, defamatory and outrageous” at a news conference Wednesday, where he presented … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Collin County DA denies sexual harassment allegations

Labor complaints filed against Tesla gigafactory in Austin

Some non-Twitter Elon Musk news, in case you felt the need for that. On Tuesday, the Austin-based nonprofit Workers Defense Project announced it was filing complaints with the federal Department of Labor (DOL) alleging wage theft and falsified safety training … Continue reading

Posted in Bidness | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A brief look at the judicial races

From a few days ago: The advertisements rolled out with weeks to go until the November election. In one TV spot, the sister of Martha Medina urged Harris County voters in Spanish and another in English to honor her sister, … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments