Tag Archives: Election 2016

Voter ID plaintiffs ask court to void the law

Posted on June 8, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

As well they should. Lawyers for minority voters and politicians asked a federal judge Wednesday to void the Texas voter ID law, saying it is the next logical step for a statute found to be discriminatory. The lawyers also said … Continue reading →

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David Bradley not running for re-election to SBOE

Posted on June 7, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Good-bye. Beaumont Republican David Bradley, one of the State Board of Education’s most conservative members, announced Monday that he will not seek reelection Monday. First elected in 1996, Bradley said he has gotten tired of rehashing old debates on the … Continue reading →

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Matt Rinaldi holds a swing seat

Posted on June 5, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Just something to keep in mind. State Rep. Matt Rinaldi’s scuffle Monday with Hispanic lawmakers is already putting a bright spotlight on his House district — and whether he can hold on to it in 2018. Rinaldi, an Irving Republican, … Continue reading →

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Voter ID 2.0 gets final passage

Posted on May 29, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Hopefully, this will turn out to have been a waste of time. The Texas House and Senate have approved a deal to relax the state’s voter identification requirements, meaning the closely watched legislation now only awaits Gov. Greg Abbott’s approval. … Continue reading →

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House passes Voter ID 2.0

Posted on May 25, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Some minor changes, but the same basic idea. The Texas House on Tuesday tentatively approved legislation to overhaul the state’s embattled voter identification law, moving it one step closer to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk. Senate Bill 5 would in several … Continue reading →

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Judge Jordan deserves to have his position in the bail lawsuit represented

Posted on May 22, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I have problems with this. The only Harris County judge to fight the county’s defense of its controversial bail system has been notified he will not get his own lawyer to appeal the high-profile federal lawsuit that has divided county … Continue reading →

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Sen. Carlos Uresti indicted on federal fraud charges

Posted on May 17, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Very bad. State Sen. Carlos Uresti, accused of misleading a former client who invested in a company in which Uresti has a financial stake, was indicted by a federal grand jury on 11 charges over his involvement in the alleged … Continue reading →

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The state’s voter ID failure is much bigger than you think

Posted on May 16, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

You really have to read this. The confusion started in the first hour of the first day of early voting in San Antonio last October. Signs in polling places about the state’s controversial voter ID law contained outdated rules. Poll … Continue reading →

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Paxton tries again – and fails – to get a new judge

Posted on May 12, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Never give up, never surrender, I guess. Attorney General Ken Paxton’s criminal defense lawyers filed a motion Wednesday arguing the judge assigned to oversee his securities fraud trial is ineligible to oversee the case because his appointment was temporary. Legal … Continue reading →

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Bill to allow discrimination in adoptions and foster care passes the House

Posted on May 11, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Shameful. Under House Bill 3859, which advanced on a 94-51 vote, providers would be protected from legal retaliation if they assert their “sincerely held religious beliefs” while caring for abused and neglected children. The measure would allow them to place … Continue reading →

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Mike Floyd gets his due

Posted on May 11, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The newest star of Texas politics gets a nice profile in the Chron. [Mike] Floyd’s stunning victory made national headlines. While school boards have had student representatives for decades, Floyd is the youngest person in recent memory elected to a … Continue reading →

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More on the HISD recapture re-referendum

Posted on May 9, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the full Chron story about Saturday’s re-vote on recapture. About 84 percent of constituents voted “for” HISD’s Proposition 1, giving the school district the green light to send $77.5 million to the Texas Education Agency rather than let the … Continue reading →

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Judicial Conduct commission seeks suspension of JP Hilary Green

Posted on May 6, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Holy moley. In an explosive and rare move, Texas judicial authorities on Wednesday asked the Texas Supreme Court to suspend a Harris County justice of the peace accused of paying prostitutes for sex, misusing illegal drugs and ruling unethically in … Continue reading →

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It’s already crowded in CD07

Posted on May 5, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Gonna need a scorecard to keep track of all the players. On Wednesday, two Texas Democrats are launching separate campaigns for Congress in a district that’s served as a Republican stronghold since the congressional days of former President George H.W. … Continue reading →

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Final EV report for the May 6 election

Posted on May 5, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Before I get to the numbers, here’s a Chron overview of the Pasadena Mayor’s race that mentions the numbers towards the end. “I believe it’s a pivotal time in this city’s history – that it can either draw together and … Continue reading →

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One last look at the recapture re-vote

Posted on May 5, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

There’s a lot at stake here, and not a whole lot of people voting on it. For the second time in seven months, voters within the Houston Independent School District will determine how – and if – it should pay … Continue reading →

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Precinct analysis: Congressional districts

Posted on May 1, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Legislative Council now has full data from the 2016 elections on its site, so this seemed like as good a time as any to take a look at the data from Congressional districts. I’m much more limited in … Continue reading →

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Nonprofit VOTE report on voter turnout

Posted on May 1, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

For your perusal. NATIONAL TURNOUT Voter turnout exceeded 2012 at a level consistent with the last three presidential elections. 60.2% of the nation’s 231 million eligible voters cast ballots, according to ballots counted and certified by state election boards, compared … Continue reading →

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Business groups endorse a Yes on recapture re-vote

Posted on April 26, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a very different campaign this time around. The Greater Houston Partnership and other local organizations whose members own some of the city’s priciest commercial real estate have come out in support of a ballot measure over whether the Houston … Continue reading →

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Very early speculation about Congressional campaigns

Posted on April 24, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The Trib rounded up all the scuttlebutt about who may be running for various Congressional districts next year. I’ve picked out a few to comment on. CD07: National Democrats are interested in Houston attorney Collin Cox and Alex Triantaphyllis, the … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Chron for Van Houte and recapture

Posted on April 24, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Here are your Chronicle endorsements for the May election. First, for Mayor of Pasadena: Of the five candidates who met with the Chronicle editorial board – two declined – only Van Houte was willing to bluntly and accurately diagnose the … Continue reading →

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The post-Uber Austin rideshare experience

Posted on April 23, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Texas Monthly notes the issues that some people faced during SxSW hailing a ride, and considers the rideshare landscape in Austin post-Uber and Lyft. But the thesis that Austin is experiencing a crisis around ride-hailing apps is an old one, … Continue reading →

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Legislative maps found to have discriminatory intent

Posted on April 21, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Wow. Texas lawmakers intentionally diluted the political clout of minority voters in drawing the state’s House districts, a panel of federal judges ruled Thursday. In a long-awaited ruling, the San Antonio-based judges found that lawmakers in 2011 either violated the … Continue reading →

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Re-interview with David Thompson

Posted on April 18, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Last year, I published an interview with attorney David Thompson, who has worked with HISD for a long time on legislative and financial matters, including on the endless litigation over school finance, to discuss the November referendum on recapture. He … Continue reading →

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Bill to fix voting interpreters considered

Posted on April 16, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

This needs to happen, and it really shouldn’t be a big deal. Almost three years after Mallika Das, a naturalized citizen who spoke Bengali, was unable to vote properly because she was not proficient in English, Texas lawmakers are considering … Continue reading →

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Voter ID education was a massive failure

Posted on April 12, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

This is outrageous. The University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs recently completed a report, “The Texas Voter ID Law and the 2016 Election,” based on surveys of registered voters who sat out the 2016 elections in the state’s … Continue reading →

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Voter ID law declared discriminatory

Posted on April 11, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Again. A federal judge has ruled — for the second time — that Texas lawmakers intentionally discriminated against Latino and black voters in passing a strict voter identification law in 2011. U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos ruled Monday that … Continue reading →

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Some Texas voting rights lawsuit updates

Posted on April 9, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

This has been a busy week for litigation related to voting rights issues in Texas. Here are updates to some cases, all of which happened this past week. From Texas Redistricting: The three-judge panel in the Texas redistricting case has … Continue reading →

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Steeleworkers unite

Posted on April 7, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

So there I was perusing the Campaign Events section of the weekly HCDP email blast, when I spotted this Facebook event and damn near fell out of my chair. Have coffee with the candidates for US House District 36! On … Continue reading →

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What HISD is saying about recapture

Posted on April 6, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s their official webpage. I think you’ll be able to discern their position. HISD voters will be asked on May 6 how the district should pay its Recapture obligation to the state of Texas: by Purchasing Attendance Credits or through … Continue reading →

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Reintroducing recapture

Posted on April 2, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The tune has changed, and it’s time we make sure everyone knows it. It felt like déjà vu to many of the 150 people who packed into Tinsley Elementary School’s auditorium Wednesday evening. Facing another controversial Houston ISD school finance … Continue reading →

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Here comes Beto

Posted on April 1, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

He says he’s going to run a different kind of campaign. We’ll see what that means. No Texas Democrat has won a U.S. Senate seat in nearly thirty years or any statewide office since 1994. It is hard to find … Continue reading →

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January 2017 campaign finance reports: Harris County officeholders

Posted on March 27, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

We may or may not have City of Houston elections this year, but we will definitely have Harris County elections next year. Here’s a brief tour of the finance reports for Harris County officeholders. First up, Commissioners Court: Rodney Ellis … Continue reading →

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Precinct analysis: The targets for 2018

Posted on March 20, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Ross Ramsey recently surveyed the 2018 electoral landscape. Election numbers recently released by the Texas Legislative Council point to some soft spots in this red state’s political underbelly — places where Republicans hold office now but where Democrats at the … Continue reading →

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