Monthly Archives: February 2026

Paxton turns his harassment to CAIR

Posted on February 9, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

At the urging of Greg Abbott. Attorney General Ken Paxton on Thursday sued the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights group, and the Muslim Brotherhood, an international Sunni Muslim group, alleging they are working in concert … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for February 8

Posted on February 8, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

From an old friend in Minnesota: “The two major immigrant-run organizations who are resisting ICE are Unidos MN and Monarca. They are the true front lines. If folks are looking for specific places to donate to, Stand With Minnesota is … Continue reading →

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January 2026 campaign finance reports: Senate and Congress

Posted on February 8, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

PREVIOUSLY: Harris County Houston We’re heading into the primary with some wind at our backs. We’ve still got a large field of candidates to follow, but that will get whittled down for April and again for July. The October 2025 … Continue reading →

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Lawsuit filed challenging “Kavanaugh stops”

Posted on February 8, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Good. A group of Hispanic Texans are asking a federal judge to rule that ICE agents can’t detain U.S. citizens or require those people to prove their citizenship in order to be freed from custody. In a complaint filed in … Continue reading →

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Anti-fossil fuel boycott law ruled unconstitutional

Posted on February 8, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Good. A federal district judge on Wednesday declared a 2021 law restricting state investments in companies boycotting the fossil fuel industry unconstitutional, calling it “facially overbroad” and citing First and Fourteenth Amendment concerns. Legislators passed Senate Bill 13 as a … Continue reading →

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Lawsuit against out of state mifepristone provider amended to include latest bounty hunter law

Posted on February 7, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Welp. A Galveston County man has filed a lawsuit against a California doctor he accuses of providing abortion-inducing pills to his partner, leveraging for the first time a new Texas law that allows private citizens to sue abortion providers for up … Continue reading →

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KP George fails to disqualify Fort Bend prosecutor

Posted on February 7, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Oh, this case is going to be something else. A Fort Bend County judge has denied County Judge KP George’s attempt to remove District Attorney Brian Middleton and his office from prosecuting George’s criminal case, rejecting the defense’s claim that … Continue reading →

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The Trib quizzes the Democratic candidates for AG

Posted on February 7, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Some good stuff here. For the first time in more than a decade, Texans will pick their next attorney general from a field of candidates that doesn’t include incumbent Republican Ken Paxton, who is giving up the office to run … Continue reading →

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Interview with Danny Norris

Posted on February 6, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

And here’s that bonus interview I mentioned yesterday. If you’ve been frustrated by the state takeover of HISD, you’ve probably hoped someone would run against the architect of the bill that allowed for the takeover, longtime Rep. Harold Dutton. Danny … Continue reading →

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From the “using a sledgehammer to swat a fly” department

Posted on February 6, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

LOL. The Texas Education Agency on Tuesday warned school districts that they could be taken over by the state if they help facilitate students walking out of class to attend protests. The agency released guidance after Gov. Greg Abbott directed Education Commissioner Mike Morath to … Continue reading →

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What are the threats to a free and fair 2026 election?

Posted on February 6, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t have an answer to that question, but I do have three recent articles that attempted to address it. So, for your perusal and contemplation, here they are. Trump Goes Public With Plan to “Take Over” Elections. Days after … Continue reading →

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Interview with Lawrence Allen

Posted on February 5, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

For our third and final candidate in HD131, we have once again a familiar name. Lawrence Allen is the previous member of the SBOE in District 4, serving multiple terms beginning in 2004 where he succeeded his mother, Rep. Alma … Continue reading →

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Judicial Q&A: Rustin Foroutan

Posted on February 5, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

(Note: As I have done in past elections, I am running a series of Q&As for judicial candidates in contested Democratic primaries. This is intended to help introduce the candidates and their experiences to those who plan to vote in … Continue reading →

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SCOTUS green-lights California redistricting map

Posted on February 5, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Checkmate. The Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed California to use a new congressional map that will undermine President Donald Trump’s effort to keep control of the House of Representatives, marking a defeat for Republicans who claimed one of the new districts was redesigned … Continue reading →

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We’re still spending a lot on overtime

Posted on February 5, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Good thing our Mayor is fixing our finances. Despite steps to improve staffing and management, the City of Houston is still on track to exceed its overtime budgets for Solid Waste and public safety operations by more than $54 million this fiscal … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of February 2

Posted on February 5, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance stands with the people of Minnesota as it brings you this week’s roundup. Off the Kuff looked at Ken Paxton’s latest lawsuit against an out-of-state mifepristone provider. SocraticGadfly said “GACK” about Suzanne Bellsnyder, and also about … Continue reading →

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Judicial Q&A: Gordon Goodman

Posted on February 4, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

(Note: As I have done in past elections, I am running a series of Q&As for judicial candidates in contested Democratic primaries. This is intended to help introduce the candidates and their experiences to those who plan to vote in … Continue reading →

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Get your mail ballot in early

Posted on February 4, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Voter registration, too. Texans seeking to register to vote or cast a ballot by mail may not want to wait until the last minute, thanks to new guidance from the U.S. Postal Service. The USPS last month advised that it … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Chron goes full stathead for Talarico

Posted on February 4, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Someone on the Chron editorial board is a big baseball fan, because they go right to stats analogies to endorse James Talarico in the Democratic primary for US Senate. If you want to understand why we recommend state Rep. James … Continue reading →

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Interview with Staci Childs

Posted on February 3, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

We continue on in HD131, and the theme will be one of familiar names. Staci Childs is currently serving as the State Board of Education member in district 4, where Rep. Alma Allen had served before becoming the incumbent State … Continue reading →

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Judicial Q&A: Judge Andrew Wright

Posted on February 3, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

(Note: As I have done in past elections, I am running a series of Q&As for judicial candidates in contested Democratic primaries. This is intended to help introduce the candidates and their experiences to those who plan to vote in … Continue reading →

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Everyone’s talking about SD09 now

Posted on February 3, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Time for a roundup, because there’s just so much. I’m going to start with a couple of social media posts that highlight some numbers, and then go on to the many articles I’ve come across. Buckle up. Dana, there was … Continue reading →

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The Rice ICE tracker

Posted on February 3, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Excellent work. Jack Vu and Abby Manuel had been part of a volunteer program teaching weekly computer and Spanish classes to kids in Houston’s East End for more than a year, when one day the kids stopped showing up. Masked … Continue reading →

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Interview with Erik Wilson

Posted on February 2, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

We move on to the Legislature this week, where Democrats will be picking a successor to long-term Rep. Alma Allen in HD131. I have three candidate interviews for you from this race, starting with attorney Erik Wilson. Wilson spent five … Continue reading →

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Right back to the campaign trail in CD18

Posted on February 2, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

“Quick turnaround” doesn’t do it justice. With Saturday’s runoff decided, Texas’ 18th Congressional District will regain representation in Washington — though only briefly before the next campaign begins. Former Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee, 37, defeated former Houston City Council … Continue reading →

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South Carolina is the new measles champ

Posted on February 2, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

They took the crown from Texas. Great job, everybody! The record-breaking measles outbreak in South Carolina continues to grow with 89 new cases reported since the last update on Friday. This brings the total number of cases in the outbreak … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for February 1

Posted on February 1, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Report Misconduct by Federal Agents to the California Attorney General. More like this, please. “Public domain contest challenges filmmakers to remix Betty Boop, Nancy Drew and more”. “A year into Trump’s second presidential term, Nature presents a series of graphics … Continue reading →

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Menefee wins CD18 runoff, Rehmet wins SD09

Posted on February 1, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

The early Chron headline hedged things, but Christian Menefee was leading Amanda Edwards by almost exactly a two to one margin after early voting – he had 66.64% to her 33.36% as of the first results drop. That total only … Continue reading →

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Paxton’s Jolt harassment shut down

Posted on February 1, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton failed to offer “any plausible proof” that Jolt Initiative, a nonprofit that aims to increase civic participation among Latinos, is violating the law, a federal judge ruled Thursday. Paxton had filed a lawsuit in … Continue reading →

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AUSL now at six teams in set locations

Posted on February 1, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Get your pro softball on this summer. After barnstorming its way into softball fans’ hearts in its inaugural season, the Athletes Unlimited Softball League has selected the six cities that will serve as the lasting homes of its newly expanded … Continue reading →

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