Tag Archives: Wendy Davis

Statewide smoking ban still on tap

Posted on September 19, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Now that every major city in Texas has an ordinance that bans smoking in most public places, attention turns to the Lege where another attempt will be made next year to pass a similar ban. Similar legislation died in the … Continue reading →

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Fort Worth gets streetcar funds

Posted on July 13, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Good for them, though they’re not quite ready to jump on it yet. A downtown streetcar loop could be in Fort Worth’s near future, but the City Council has some serious issues to consider first. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced … Continue reading →

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The TCEQ has no one to blame but itself

Posted on June 3, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

What the DMN says: For more than a year, the Obama administration has been beating the same drum, telling the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality that its permitting system falls short of federal standards. Yet some Texas leaders and regulators … Continue reading →

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Why should anyone trust the TCEQ?

Posted on May 30, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Rick Perry wants the EPA to back off. I know, I’m as shocked as you are. Gov. Rick Perry, citing improvements in Texas air quality, asked President Barack Obama on Friday to get regional Environmental Protection Agency administrators to back … Continue reading →

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TxDOT’s shell game

Posted on May 9, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

State Sens. Jeff Wentworth and Wendy Davis, and State Rep. Ruth Jones McClendon show in this op-ed how TxDOT is trying to move money that the Lege specifically designated for rail to roads. Transportation advocates won a hard-fought victory during … Continue reading →

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Stiffed by State Farm

Posted on April 15, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Those good hands we’re supposed to be in? They’re squeezing the heck out of us. To leading lawmakers and even some insurance industry experts, State Farm hasn’t exactly been like a good neighbor in recent dealings with state regulators. The … Continue reading →

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EPA public hearing on hazardous ozone standards in Houston

Posted on January 30, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The following was sent to me from the Sierra Club: Right now the EPA is accepting public comments on proposed new ozone standards that will make the air we breathe cleaner and our communities healthier, but they are facing fierce … Continue reading →

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The Ten Best and Ten Worst of 2009

Posted on June 5, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

It’s time for that other biennial tradition known as the Texas Monthly Best and Worst Legislators list. And so another session is on the books. This legislative wrap-up marks the nineteenth time, beginning with the Sixty-Third Legislature, in 1973, that … Continue reading →

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Patrick forced to moderate his ultrasound bill

Posted on May 2, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Somewhat surprisingly, there haven’t been too many egregious attempts to assault reproductive choice this session; that may be partly because there’s only so much farther the Lege can go short of an outright ban, and it may be partly because … Continue reading →

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Wendy Davis

Posted on May 2, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve been a fan of freshman State Sen. Wendy Davis since I interviewed her last year at the state Democratic convention. You could tell she was smart and ambitious, and if given the chance could really go places. I’ve been … Continue reading →

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Specter switches

Posted on April 28, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

As Greg says, wow. Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter will switch his party affiliation from Republican to Democrat and announced today that he will run in 2010 as a Democrat, according to a statement he released this morning. Specter’s decision would … Continue reading →

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Senators versus TCEQ

Posted on April 28, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

If there were a competition for the most toothless (least toothful?) state regulatory agency, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) would surely be a contender for the title, most likely along with the Texas Ethics Commission. It’s gotten bad … Continue reading →

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Microbrewers likely to come up short again

Posted on April 28, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Texas Watchdog has the sad news. Three bills that would allow microbreweries to sell beer where they brew it appear under the influence of special interests as one of the most powerful and well-funded lobbies in the state, the Texas … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Senate passes budget

Posted on April 2, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The good news is that the budget presented by the Senate isn’t a big step backwards, which was a real concern given the bleak financial picture and the huge obligation of the property tax cuts, which we continue to be … Continue reading →

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Time again to support your local microbrewer

Posted on March 7, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve mentioned before that the microbrewers are going to try again as they did in 2007 to get a law passed that would allow them to sell their wares at their bottling plants. Here’s an update in the Chron on … Continue reading →

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Microbrewers to try again

Posted on February 16, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

May they have better luck this time around. A bill has been introduced in the 81st Texas Legislature to allow microbrewers to sell their product on the premises of the brewery. Such sales are currently allowed for winemakers, but not … Continue reading →

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