Monthly Archives: August 2025

What the Lege has done since redistricting

Posted on August 30, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Just a couple of headlines to ponder, now that the redistricting bill has been signed. Texas House greenlights ‘bounty hunter’ abortion pill ban Texas House OKs transgender bathroom ban after years of GOP attempts Yep, definitely doing the hard work … Continue reading →

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Do we still want flood tunnels if Elon is building them?

Posted on August 30, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Fascinating stuff. The devastating flooding in Houston caused by Hurricane Harvey in 2017 killed dozens of people, inundated hundreds of thousands of homes and left the community desperate for a solution. Since then, local flood experts have extensively studied the … Continue reading →

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By the way, COVID is still out there

Posted on August 30, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Just FYI. Covid cases are climbing again this summer. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s forecasting model estimates that infections are growing, or likely growing, in most states. While the agency is reporting low levels of the virus in wastewater nationally, some … Continue reading →

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Hearing set on new Congressional map

Posted on August 29, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Here we go A federal judicial panel will hear arguments beginning Oct. 1 for an injunction against the implementation of new congressional boundaries approved by the Texas Legislature. According to three lawyers who were in the El Paso courtroom Wednesday … Continue reading →

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How Trump made the measles outbreak worse

Posted on August 29, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Everything Trump touches dies. As measles surged in Texas early this year, the Trump administration’s actions sowed fear and confusion among CDC scientists that kept them from performing the agency’s most critical function — emergency response — when it mattered … Continue reading →

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Dispatches from Dallas, August 29 edition

Posted on August 29, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

This is a weekly feature produced by my friend Ginger. Let us know what you think. This week, in news from Dallas-Fort Worth we have a lot of budget news in Dallas, the suburbs, and almost every taxing agency in … Continue reading →

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STAAR to be replaced with even more tests

Posted on August 28, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I’m so glad my kids have graduated. The Texas House on Tuesday greenlit plans to scrap the STAAR test, clearing a path to replace the state exams with three smaller ones given throughout the year. The plan passed, 78-58, over … Continue reading →

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Fighting healthcare cuts was a winner

Posted on August 28, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Good to know. The Trump administration’s cuts to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funding for state and local health departments had vastly uneven effects depending on the political leanings of a state, according to a KFF Health News analysis. … Continue reading →

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Feds investigating Tesla for slow reporting of self-driving crash data

Posted on August 28, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Not sure what to make of this. Federal auto safety regulators are investigating why Tesla has repeatedly broken rules requiring it to quickly tell them about crashes involving its self-driving technology, a potentially significant development given the company’s plans to … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of August 25

Posted on August 28, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance now looks to California to finish the job with its new map as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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The scramble begins

Posted on August 27, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Barring judicial action that I have said I don’t expect, the new Congressional map will be in place for the 2026 election. That means that a lot of people who are not now in Congress will be gearing up to … Continue reading →

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Hotze again asks for pause in his civil trial

Posted on August 27, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

“Screw this guy” will always be my response. Conservative activist Steven Hotze asked the Texas Supreme Court to pause a lawsuit against him until after the criminal trial of his former private eye, who in 2020 allegedly assaulted an air-conditioning repairman … Continue reading →

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The Houston Bike Guide

Posted on August 27, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Very useful. The typical streets that most people use in a car, and are often recommended to bicyclists who try to map their routes via navigation apps, are dangerous and difficult to maneuver on a bike. The city of Houston website’s ‘Bikeway … Continue reading →

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The HISD and HCC lineups

Posted on August 26, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

The filing deadlines have passed for HISD and HCC, so this seems like as good a time as any to look at who is running for what. Note that the deadline for CD18 and Houston City Council is September 3, … Continue reading →

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Paxton orders other school districts to follow Ten Commandments law

Posted on August 26, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Not a surprise. Attorney General Ken Paxton instructed schools across Texas to follow the requirements of the state’s Ten Commandments display law, despite a federal court ruling that temporarily blocked the law for nearly a dozen schools last week. Paxton’s … Continue reading →

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On expansion and realignment

Posted on August 26, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Some big changes could be coming to MLB in the next couple of years. In an interview during ESPN’s “Sunday Night Baseball” broadcast from the Little League Classic in Williamsport, Pa. on Sunday night, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred reiterated his … Continue reading →

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Motion to block implementation of new map filed

Posted on August 25, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Once again, from the inbox: Today, plaintiffs supported by the National Redistricting Foundation (NRF) filed a preliminary injunction to block the implementation of HB 4, which further gerrymanders the Texas congressional map.  After filing a supplemental complaint in the U.S. … Continue reading →

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What the HISD students are asking for

Posted on August 25, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

In case the district wants to listen. Chavez High School graduate Ximena Acosta is about to leave Houston to attend Vanderbilt University. That academic achievement happened in spite of, not because of, Houston ISD, Acosta said. She told media at … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for August 24

Posted on August 24, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

“Donald Trump’s Navy and Air Force are poised to cancel two nearly complete software projects that took 12 years and well over $800 million combined to develop, work initially aimed at overhauling antiquated human resources systems.” But don’t worry, some … Continue reading →

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New legal challenge filed against redistricting map

Posted on August 24, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Fron the inbox: Today, plaintiffs supported by the National Redistricting Foundation (NRF) initiated a legal challenge against the newly enacted congressional gerrymander in Texas in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, asking the court to strike … Continue reading →

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West Texas A&M drag ban blocked

Posted on August 24, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Good. A federal appeals court Monday blocked West Texas A&M University President Walter Wendler from enforcing a campus drag show ban, ruling that the performances are likely protected under the First Amendment. The 2-1 ruling from the 5th U.S. Circuit … Continue reading →

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The Alvarado filibuster

Posted on August 23, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Bring it on. State Sen. Carol Alvarado of Houston plans to filibuster the House-passed redistricting map during floor debate on Friday in a last-ditch effort to delay passage of the plan to create five new winnable seats for the GOP. … Continue reading →

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Doggett will not challenge Casar if new map passes

Posted on August 23, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

For the best. Congressman Lloyd Doggett on Thursday said he would end his 52-year political career and stand aside for fellow Austin Democrat Greg Casar in the 2026 primary if Republicans’ new redistricting plan is upheld in court, a bombshell … Continue reading →

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California passes its redistricting plan

Posted on August 22, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Game on. California’s Democratic-controlled Legislature passed bills Thursday setting up a high-profile special election this fall, when voters will decide whether to approve the party’s plan to gerrymander California’s congressional map. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, who signed the legislation shortly … Continue reading →

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Judge blocks Ten Commandments law

Posted on August 22, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Good. A federal judge in San Antonio temporarily halted a Texas law that would require public schools to post the Ten Commandments in every classroom by siding with a group of families who claimed the requirement harmed their children’s religious development. U.S. … Continue reading →

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Fewer crime reports being made

Posted on August 22, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting. Fewer people called Houston police each year since 2023, a trend that experts say could have multiple causes and is worth keeping an eye on. Slightly more than 1.1 million calls were made to HPD’s patrol divisions in 2023, … Continue reading →

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House passes redistricting bill

Posted on August 21, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I was going to put this as the last item in the earlier post, but I didn’t want to change that post’s title and I also didn’t want to gloss over that this happened. We knew it was going to … Continue reading →

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Beto scores a win against Paxton

Posted on August 21, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Nice. An El Paso judge this week temporarily stopped Attorney General Ken Paxton from prosecuting former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke’s political group, Powered by People, after Paxton moved to block the organization from financially supporting Texas Democrats who left the … Continue reading →

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CD18 forum and fundraiser

Posted on August 21, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Item one: I don’t have a link to share, but I think you can see all the details. There will be five candidates for the forum, we precinct chairs will vote on who will be invited. As someone who has … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of August 18

Posted on August 21, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance stands with the quorum breakers as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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Motion for expedited review of proposed Congressional map filed

Posted on August 20, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox, on Monday night. Today, the National Redistricting Foundation (NRF) filed a motion in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas to ask the court to quickly set a hearing for a preliminary injunction that will … Continue reading →

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West Texas measles outbreak declared to be over

Posted on August 20, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Good news. The West Texas measles outbreak, the nation’s largest in 30 years, is now over, state health officials announced on Monday. The Texas Department of State Health Services announced the outbreak was over after no new cases had been … Continue reading →

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Leave the “Be Someone” artists alone

Posted on August 20, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

How is this a good use of HPD’s time? Investigators are searching for the people who repainted Houston’s popular “Be Someone” graffiti mural in June after a video of the act was posted on Instagram. Three people participated in repainting the … Continue reading →

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And they’re back

Posted on August 19, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Quorum time again. Texas House Democrats announced they would return to Austin Monday, ending a two-week walkout over a GOP mid-decade redistricting plan and paving the way for the map’s passage. “We killed the corrupt special session, withstood unprecedented surveillance … Continue reading →

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