Tag Archives: Dan Patrick

“Denied”

Posted on September 13, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

This is worth your time to read. During the first week of school at Shadow Forest Elementary, a frail kindergartner named Roanin Walker had a meltdown at recess. Overwhelmed by the shrieking and giggling, he hid by the swings and … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

NCAA removes all championship games for 2016 and 2017 from North Carolina

Posted on September 13, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Actions, they have consequences. Based on the NCAA’s commitment to fairness and inclusion, the Association will relocate all seven previously awarded championship events from North Carolina during the 2016-17 academic year. The NCAA Board of Governors made this decision because of the cumulative actions taken … Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Superintendent Carranza on bathroom access

Posted on August 26, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

This is what I like to see and hear. The new HISD superintendent, Richard Carranza, did not discuss specifics but certainly signaled an open-minded approach to the issue of which restrooms students should be allowed to use. “I think, you … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

“Just Like Every Other Kid”

Posted on August 15, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

From the Observer: Texas’ child welfare apparatus is in a shambles. Zika virus threatens to put some of our most vulnerable in danger. Low oil prices have fiscal leaders worried about the future of the state’s budget. State lawmakers are … Continue reading →

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Law enforcement versus open carry, round 2

Posted on August 9, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

This ought to be interesting. After two shootings targeting police officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge, there’s been an uptick in the national conversation about how best to support law enforcement. Politicians and lawmakers such as Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, who … Continue reading →

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

School finance can always get worse

Posted on August 8, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Now here’s a brilliant, why-didn’t-we-think-of-that-before idea: Give schools less money as incentive to do better. Depending on whose measure you’re using, Texas is somewhere between 38th and 49th in the nation when it comes to per-student funding. Instead of wallowing … Continue reading →

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NCAA lays down a marker on anti-LGBT legislation

Posted on August 1, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Hope the Lege is paying attention, because they can’t say they haven’t been warned. The NBA and NCAA may have just dealt a preemptive, one-two knockout punch to anti-LGBT bills in the upcoming Texas Legislature, which convenes in January. First, … Continue reading →

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What next for voter ID?

Posted on July 22, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Rick Hasen, writing in Slate: The trial court was ready to throw out the entire law, but the 5th Circuit said such a remedy went too far. The court held that when a trial court finds a law has a … Continue reading →

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Abbott pre-K plan falls short

Posted on July 9, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Well, duh. In Texas, where pre-K is scorned by some conservative activists as “godless,” Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s major education initiative is giving classrooms far less money than many once thought, causing even the district of the governor’s high school … Continue reading →

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Ken Paxton does not approve of transgender bathroom policies

Posted on June 30, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Big surprise, right? Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Tuesday issued an opinion saying the Fort Worth school superintendent who made headlines for formulating guidelines to accommodate transgender students exceeded his authority. Paxton also said that a portion of the … Continue reading →

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Republicans gear up for full blown gay panic in 2017

Posted on June 28, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

You have been warned. Still angry about the Supreme Court’s mandate, some conservative lawmakers hope that it is someday overturned. In the meantime, they expect to propose a series of what they call religious liberty bills to blunt its impact. … Continue reading →

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

Colleges and bathrooms

Posted on June 25, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Texas’ colleges and universities have not yet been affected by Dan Patrick’s potty obsession. At the University of Houston, transgender students can enroll in voice feminization or masculinization clinics. At the University of Texas at Austin, students can write a … Continue reading →

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Benjamin Elder

Posted on June 17, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Meet Benjamin Elder, a better and braver person than Dan Patrick will ever be. Spend a few hours in Benjamin Elder’s company and you’ll realize he’s an average, bubbly 10-year-old kid. All lanky limbs and wavy chestnut-colored hair, he’s easy … Continue reading →

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On Dan Patrick’s hostility to the LGBT community

Posted on June 15, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Ross Ramsey sums up the Dan Patrick tweetorrhea situation and tries to make sense of it. Lately, the lieutenant governor has been focused on transgender Texans and which bathrooms they should use — those of their identity or those of … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

You support Trump, you own Trump

Posted on June 14, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

This is what I’m talking about. A group of Democratic state lawmakers from along the Texas-Mexico border is applying pressure to a bank whose CEO is helping raise money for Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. In a letter … Continue reading →

Posted in The making of the President | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Trump University origin story

Posted on June 11, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

From Ars Technica a few weeks ago, before the whole Trump University thing really blew up: In 2005, both of us became fixated on a late-night infomercial that promised access to “hundreds of billions of dollars” in “free government money.” … Continue reading →

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Abbott, Patrick, and Trump

Posted on June 8, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

William Saletan: Republicans who have sworn allegiance to Donald Trump—the majority leaders of the United States House and Senate, the chairman of the Republican National Committee, and numerous governors and members of Congress—don’t think this country can return to the … Continue reading →

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Hillary Clinton on the Trump effect in Texas

Posted on June 6, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. Presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton posed a wild notion in a new interview: She could carry Texas in the fall. In a newly published New York magazine interview with reporter Rebecca Traister, … Continue reading →

Posted in The making of the President | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Straus wants to study school finance

Posted on June 4, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

I appreciate the effort, but I plan to keep my expectations low. Citing a recent Texas Supreme Court decision that upheld the state’s public school funding system while deeming it “undeniably imperfect,” state House Speaker Joe Straus on Thursday ordered … Continue reading →

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Patrick doubles down on potty politics

Posted on June 2, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

It’s potties all the way down. Declaring that “this fight is just beginning,” Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on Tuesday escalated his battle against guidelines in Texas and across the country that allow students to use the bathroom that corresponds with … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

TEA Commissioner has no opinion yet on federal transgender bathroom directive

Posted on May 18, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Noted for the record. Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath on Tuesday praised the state Supreme Court’s recent opinion upholding the state’s public school funding system and demurred on questions about bathroom use by transgender students. “Last time I checked, it … Continue reading →

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Federal action on schools accommodating transgender bathroom use

Posted on May 15, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Glad to see this. The Obama administration is planning to issue a sweeping directive telling every public school district in the country to allow transgender students to use the bathrooms that match their gender identity. A letter to school districts … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Dan Patrick is obsessed with children’s bathrooms

Posted on May 11, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

This guy, I swear. Transgender advocates derided Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on Wednesday for what they described as his “fake outrage” over the Fort Worth school district’s new transgender bathroom guidelines, calling the Republican a shameless bully. “A bully like … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Keep an eye on 2018, too

Posted on May 8, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

From Greg Abbott’s campaign Facebook page: And from the greasy lips of Dan Patrick: There are some who say that they could never vote for Donald Trump — in fact, I was one of those people early on in this … Continue reading →

Posted in The making of the President | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Dan Patrick supports potty package check legislation

Posted on April 28, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Of course he does. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, weighing into a national controversy over transgender restrooms, said Tuesday he supports keeping men out of women’s restrooms, even if it takes legislation to do so. Since the issue erupted into controversy … Continue reading →

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

The state is starting to feel the squeeze

Posted on April 25, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Things are tough all over. The state is facing big problems affecting vulnerable populations that will take significant money to fix at the same time that a slump in the energy industry is chipping into its revenues, House Speaker Joe … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

SEC files charges against Paxton

Posted on April 12, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Bam! Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has been charged in federal court with allegedly misleading investors in a technology company. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed the charges Monday in a Sherman-based court. They are similar to the allegations … Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized! | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Once again with “religious freedom” legislation

Posted on April 6, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. State Rep. Matt Krause, R-Fort Worth, says he plans to re-file legislation next session that would supplement the state’s existing law to allow business owners to refuse services to people whose lifestyles … Continue reading →

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

Steve Radack supports Medicaid expansion

Posted on February 29, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. When Harris County commissioners were asked this week by a member of the public to lower the property tax burden, Steve Radack had a response prepared: tell Austin to let millions of … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Every investigation on Planned Parenthood has cleared them

Posted on January 27, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

From Think Progress: After a months-long investigation, a Texas grand jury decided not to indict Planned Parenthood on Monday — providing more confirmation that there’s no solid evidence to support the accusations against the national women’s health organization. This trend … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

If the Republicans want to pretend that sanctuary cities exist, they can pretend to do something about it

Posted on January 25, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

That’s my takeaway from this. At a Senate committee meeting on “sanctuary cities” on Friday, Texas lawmakers strongly disagreed on the prospect of passing legislation that would penalize local law enforcement entities for not complying with federal immigration policies. At … Continue reading →

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AG’s office upholds Abbott’s line item vetos

Posted on December 23, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Of course it does. Gov. Greg Abbott was well within his powers when he vetoed more than $200 million in funds approved by the Texas Legislature this year, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office wrote in an opinion issued Monday. … Continue reading →

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The Dallas Equal Rights Ordinance

Posted on November 12, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Buckle up. Chapter 46 of the Dallas City Code, which was passed in May 2002, makes it illegal to discriminate against someone based on sexual orientation. The ordinance, which applies to everything from employment to housing, has defined sexual orientation … Continue reading →

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Back to the business angle

Posted on November 9, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I’m sure we’ll hear more of this in the next few weeks. Business and tourism leaders worried Wednesday that voters’ rejection of a citywide anti-discrimination ordinance has hurt what had been one of their best recruiting tools: Houston’s emerging reputation … Continue reading →

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