Monthly Archives: April 2023

Weekend link dump for April 30

Posted on April 30, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

“How Gamers Eclipsed Spies as an Intelligence Threat”. Hey, person named Kyle, what are you doing on May 21? “While I’m not much of a believer in the idea that the young voters will save us — my own demographic, … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged | 2 Comments

What would that ban on drag actually look like?

Posted on April 30, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

It would be a mess, to put it charitably. Controversy surrounding Senate Bill 12, which aims to restrict “sexually oriented performances” and drag shows to protect minors, has stirred up concerns that it could have far-reaching implications beyond its intended … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on What would that ban on drag actually look like?

Two “Trump Train” defendants settle

Posted on April 30, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting. Two of the eight Trump supporters accused of participating in a “politically-motivated conspiracy” by closely following, honking at and slowing down a campaign bus for President Joe Biden on a Texas highway in the weeks leading up to the … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Two “Trump Train” defendants settle

Spending even more on court-appointed attorneys

Posted on April 30, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

But maybe there’s an end in sight. Harris County is on track to pay $95 million by the end of October to private attorneys for representing low-income people accused of crimes — about $35 million more than the county budgeted … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

April 2023 campaign finance reports – Congress

Posted on April 29, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

And so we begin another Congressional campaign fundraising cycle. For obvious reasons, the opening list of who’s raising what for which office is a lot smaller than it’s been recently, though I do expect this list to grow a bit … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on April 2023 campaign finance reports – Congress

Harris Health seeks bond issue

Posted on April 29, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Probably on your ballot this November. Harris Health board members on Thursday unanimously agreed to move forward with a $2.5 billion bond proposal to build a new Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital and make what they say are sorely needed upgrades … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Harris Health seeks bond issue

Konnech withdraws its lawsuit against True the Vote

Posted on April 29, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Something strange is going on. An election management software company withdrew a lawsuit last week that accused a Houston-based conservative nonprofit of making slanderous statements about the software company’s work during the 2020 election. The company reserved the right to refile the … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Konnech withdraws its lawsuit against True the Vote

Sen. Gutierrez talks about 2024

Posted on April 28, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

He’s officially still thinking about it and will announce after the session. I’d say it’s a strong bet he’s already decided to run. State Senator Roland Gutierrez said Wednesday he’s going to wait before deciding on running for U.S. Senate. … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

DOJ sues Tennessee over its ban on gender affirming care for minors

Posted on April 28, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

There will be more of these to come, including and especially in Texas. The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit Wednesday challenging Tennessee’s recently passed law that bans gender-affirming care for minors, emphasizing it “denies necessary medical care to youth … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on DOJ sues Tennessee over its ban on gender affirming care for minors

House passes bill to stop Fairfield State Park closure

Posted on April 28, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

A rare bill that might do some good. The Texas House of Representatives has passed a bill in an attempt to save a popular state park from permanent closure and development into a private community. The measure now moves to … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on House passes bill to stop Fairfield State Park closure

Dispatches from Dallas, April 28 edition

Posted on April 28, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

This is a weekly feature produced by my friend Ginger. Let us know what you think. This week in news from the DFW area, book bans (local and statewide), election administration, some scary climate predictions for Galveston, more Six Degrees … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Dispatches from Dallas, April 28 edition

On the (likely) future Biden/Trump matchup

Posted on April 27, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

It’s way too early to pay any attention to state polling, but there are a few general principles to discuss here. President Joe Biden announced his reelection bid on Tuesday, setting up a potential rematch with former President Donald Trump … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024, The making of the President | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

House re-passes its redistricting map

Posted on April 27, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Done and done. The Texas House on Wednesday reapproved the map of districts for its 150 seats, which was redrawn in 2021 and fortified the Republican majority while diluting the voting strength of Hispanic and Black voters. The House made … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on House re-passes its redistricting map

How much downtown parking do we need?

Posted on April 27, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t know the answer to that, but this is how much we have. Downtown Houston dedicates more than a quarter of its land to parking spaces, surpassing the percentages in most major U.S. cities, a new report shows. A photo from … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Texas blog roundup for the week of April 24

Posted on April 27, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance is rooting for the Daisetta Sinkhole to migrate to the Capitol as it brings you this week’s roundup.

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Endorsement watch: TDP candidates in May elections

Posted on April 26, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: AUSTIN, Texas — As early voting begins today for the May 6 municipal elections across Texas, the Texas Democratic Party is releasing its list of endorsed candidates: Dr. Staci Barker, Lewisville ISD, Board of Trustees Place 7 … Continue reading →

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

Senate votes to outlaw transgender people

Posted on April 26, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Another dismal day at the Capitol. Transgender Texans of all ages could have their access to transition-related medical treatments severely limited — or effectively ended — under a bill the Texas Senate preliminary approved Tuesday. Senate Bill 1029 would make physicians … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Meanwhile, in other mifepristone news

Posted on April 26, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Keep an eye on this. A federal judge said during a Monday hearing that he’s leaning towards ruling in favor of a company that makes generic mifepristone in its quest to prove it has standing to sue over West Virginia’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Meanwhile, in other mifepristone news

Precinct analysis: State Senate and SBOE 2022

Posted on April 25, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

PREVIOUSLY: State House 2022 A comparison with 2012 Congress 2022 As with Congress there won’t be much to see here. The fewer the districts, the more precise the redistricting can be. Here’s the State Senate: Dist Abbott Abb% Beto Beto% … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Precinct analysis: State Senate and SBOE 2022

You can always count on Sid Miller to be a bigot

Posted on April 25, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

There are other words I could have used as well. Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller is ordering his employees to dress “in a manner consistent with their biological gender,” the latest move by the state’s Republican leaders against transgender people. … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on You can always count on Sid Miller to be a bigot

Sexual harassment lawsuit against Collin County DA settled

Posted on April 25, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

From last week. Collin County Commissioners unanimously agreed Monday to settle an amended lawsuit against the Collin County District Attorney’s Office by three current and three former employees of that office. The suit accused District Attorney Greg Willis and First … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Sexual harassment lawsuit against Collin County DA settled

The case of the no-evidence lawsuit

Posted on April 24, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

The lack of evidence in the Harris County election lawsuits is so glaring, I don’t know how we’re talking about anything else. In the weeks following Harris County’s November election, 22 Republican candidates who lost their races filed lawsuits challenging the … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Even more Board of Managers applicants

Posted on April 24, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe now they have enough. When the Texas Education Agency in June appoints a new superintendent and nine managers to govern the Houston Independent School District, longtime educator and mother Anita Wadhwa hopes there will be someone like her sitting … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

So yeah, climate change is bad for Houston

Posted on April 24, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Some science for you. As Houston continues to grapple with extreme weather conditions, scientists find record-breaking sea level rises in the U.S. Gulf Coast, which could leave cities such as Houston more vulnerable to severe storms and flooding in the coming decades than previously … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston, Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on So yeah, climate change is bad for Houston

Weekend link dump for April 23

Posted on April 23, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

The actual role COVID relief funding played in inflation. The video for “We Didn’t Start The Fire” with AI-generated images is weird and fun. “If you want to find ongoing, comprehensive coverage of the effects of abortion bans on care … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged | 1 Comment

There are a lot of people running for office in Houston already

Posted on April 23, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

If you regularly check the houstonchronicle.com page, you may have noticed this article continuing to appear, even though it was originally published last November. The reason for this is that they are tracking who has officially filed for office, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on There are a lot of people running for office in Houston already

Ashby 2.0 cleared for groundbreaking

Posted on April 23, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

It’s actually happening. Along-embattled residential high-rise project in Boulevard Oaks is set to move forward, with one Houston City Council member calling the news “terrible.” The Langley , a new luxury rental community jointly developed by El Paso-based Hunt Companies, … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The future Las Vegas A’s

Posted on April 23, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I mentioned this story in passing in that post about MLB in Utah, but it deserves a closer look. The Oakland Athletics have signed a binding agreement to purchase 49 acres (with an option for additional land) near the Las … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

SCOTUS halts the anti-mifepristone ruling

Posted on April 22, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Good. The Supreme Court ruled Friday to pause lower court rulings that would have imposed restrictions on mifepristone, keeping the drug accessible while the case proceeds. Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas would not have granted the stay. Despite the … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on SCOTUS halts the anti-mifepristone ruling

How was there still an active lawsuit over the 2004 revenue cap referendum?

Posted on April 22, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I am gobsmacked. The Texas Supreme Court on Friday struck down part of Houston’s revenue cap, creating the possibility that the city may have to comply with an even more stringent cap in the future. Elected officials in Houston long have blamed … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on How was there still an active lawsuit over the 2004 revenue cap referendum?

HCC approves its redistricting map

Posted on April 22, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

In the end, what was expected. The Houston Community College Board of Trustees approved on Wednesday a redrawn voter map that made small changes to all nine single-member districts but failed to reunify a previously split Third Ward. The trustees … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on HCC approves its redistricting map

MLB in Utah?

Posted on April 22, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

It’s on the table. A Salt Lake City consortium led by the former owner of the Utah Jazz plans to pursue a Major League Baseball franchise in the coming years, touting the area’s population growth, strong economy and baseball history … Continue reading →

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

There were fewer voting sites with paper issues than we thought

Posted on April 21, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

That’s my takeaway from this. On Election Day last year, an unusual problem occurred around 6 p.m. — the polling place at El Lago City Hall ran out of paper ballots. Republican presiding judge Chris Russo, the election worker running … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

On vying for the 2028 RNC

Posted on April 21, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I get competing for this, but that doesn’t make me enthusiastic about it. As part of Houston’s push to win the Republican National Convention in 2028, the George R. Brown Convention Center could be expanding. State Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, … Continue reading →

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