Tag Archives: Ken Paxton

The Lege will get worse before it gets better

Posted on December 18, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. More than two dozen members of the Texas Legislature are retiring or running for a different seat next year, creating a slew of vacancies that could push both chambers to become redder … Continue reading →

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CCA tells Ken Paxton he’s not the supreme prosecutor

Posted on December 16, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Cry me a river, Kenny. Texas’ highest court for criminal cases on Wednesday struck down a law that allows the attorney general to unilaterally prosecute election cases. The state’s Court of Criminal Appeals issued an 8-1 opinion saying a provision … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Crystal Mason using SB1 to try to overturn her illegal voting conviction

Posted on December 13, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Hope this works. It would be one small good thing to come out of that otherwise harmful law. Crystal Mason, the Tarrant County woman whose illegal voting conviction has garnered national attention, is asking for a Texas appeals court to … Continue reading →

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HISD will keep its mask mandate

Posted on December 4, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

This is in response to that recent Fifth Circuit ruling about mask mandates in schools and whether Greg Abbott’s ban on them violated the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Houston Independent School District will keep its mask mandate in place, … Continue reading →

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Vaccine mandate for health care workers blocked

Posted on December 2, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I’d say this is getting ridiculous, but we’re well past that point. A federal judge on Monday blocked President Joe Biden’s administration from enforcing a coronavirus vaccine mandate on thousands of health care workers in 10 states that had brought … Continue reading →

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Appeals court upholds Dallas mask mandate

Posted on November 27, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

There’s still mask mandate litigation going on, and Greg Abbott keeps getting his ass handed to him. Mask mandates will be allowed in the State of Texas. The Fifth Court of Appeals in Dallas issued the ruling during the late … Continue reading →

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Biden tries again on the employer vaccine mandate

Posted on November 24, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Different appeals court this time. The Biden administration is asking the 6th US Circuit Court of Appeals to wipe away an order from another appeals court blocking its Occupational Safety and Health Administration vaccine mandate. Several lawsuits were brought challenging the … Continue reading →

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Louie Gohmert will run for AG

Posted on November 23, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I got nothing. U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Tyler, announced Monday he is running for attorney general, challenging fellow Republican Ken Paxton, in the already crowded primary. “Texas I am officially running to be your next Attorney General and will enforce … Continue reading →

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Texas sues over the health care workers vaccine mandate

Posted on November 18, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a trifecta. In Texas’ latest legal challenge targeting federal vaccination mandates, Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing the Biden administration over its recent order requiring health workers to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. The Biden administration issued an emergency order, … Continue reading →

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Fifth Circuit extends hold on Biden employer vaccine mandate

Posted on November 14, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

The worst court in America keeps on keeping on. A federal appeals court kept its block on the implementation on the Biden administration rule that requires large companies to mandate COVID-19 vaccines for employees or carry out weekly testing starting in January. … Continue reading →

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Bexar mask mandate back on

Posted on November 14, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Abbott and Paxton take another L. A temporary order that allows the City of San Antonio and Bexar County to require masks in their buildings will stay in place until a lawsuit challenging an executive order goes to trial in … Continue reading →

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It’s mostly about the gay books

Posted on November 13, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Color me not surprised. While a Texas House committee chairman’s inquiry into schoolbooks has often been linked to new state laws limiting how teachers address slavery and racism, most of the literature he’s called into question deals with a wholly … Continue reading →

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We wait on the Fifth Circuit

Posted on November 11, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

They have received briefs and held a hearing about whether to keep or lift their hold on the Biden COVID vaccine mandate for employers. A coalition of businesses argued in federal court Tuesday that they would suffer “irreparable harm” if … Continue reading →

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Let’s have us a book burning!

Posted on November 11, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

That’s where we’re headed. Gov. Greg Abbott told the Texas Education Agency on Wednesday to investigate criminal activity related to “the availability of pornography” in public schools, saying that the agency should refer such instances “for prosecution to the fullest … Continue reading →

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People still support mask mandates

Posted on November 10, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

One more tidbit from the UT/Trib poll for October. A majority of Texas voters support requiring masks at schools and indoor public places and allowing businesses to require their employees to be vaccinated, according to a new University of Texas/Texas … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Sometimes, you really do have to hand it to Louie Gohmert

Posted on November 10, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Of all the Louie Gohmerts in the world, he’s the Louie Gohmertiest. U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Tyler, appears to be exploring a run for Texas attorney general, weighing a late entry into the already crowded primary to unseat GOP incumbent … Continue reading →

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SCOTx hears Chick-Fil-A case

Posted on November 9, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Missed this last week. The Supreme Court of Texas heard oral arguments Thursday in the now two-year-old case involving the exclusion of Chick-fil-A city contract in the San Antonio International Airport. […] San Antonio has always maintained that the law … Continue reading →

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The employer vaccine mandate is here (and on hold)

Posted on November 7, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Here are the details. Deadline is Jan. 4: The first rule, issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, covers companies with 100 or more employees, applying to an estimated 84 million workers. Companies must ensure that their workers are … Continue reading →

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UT/Trib: Abbott 46, Beto 37

Posted on November 6, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Data point #2, arriving on schedule. Gov. Greg Abbott has a comfortable lead over potential Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke, according to a new poll from the University of Texas at Austin and The Texas Tribune. The survey of registered voters … Continue reading →

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We have a third Dem candidate for AG

Posted on November 3, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Welcome to the race, Rochelle Garza. Democrat Rochelle Garza, a former lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union from the Rio Grande Valley, is running for attorney general after redistricting complicated her campaign to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela, … Continue reading →

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Hispanic Policy Foundation poll: Abbott 44, Beto 43

Posted on November 2, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

At long last, some new polling data, and this one is eye-catching. A year before they could meet in a showdown for the state’s top office, Gov. Greg Abbott and expected Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke are virtually tied, according to … Continue reading →

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Of course Texas sues over federal vaccination mandates

Posted on November 1, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

On brand. Always on brand. Attorney General Ken Paxton, on behalf of the state, sued the Biden administration on Friday over its coronavirus vaccine mandate for federal contractors. The federal requirement, which is set to take effect Dec. 8, calls … Continue reading →

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Caught between a mandate and a madman

Posted on October 27, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I have sympathy for the schools. Many Texas universities — which collectively hold billions of dollars in federal contracts — are wrestling with how to navigate the Biden administration’s mandate that all federal contractors be vaccinated by Dec. 8 in … Continue reading →

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SCOTUS will hear SB8 appeals

Posted on October 23, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Both of them, on November 1. The law remains annoyingly in effect until then. The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to fast-track two Texas cases involving the state’s near-total ban on abortion, but refused to halt the law from being … Continue reading →

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Third Court rejects Paxton attempt to kill whistleblower lawsuit

Posted on October 23, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Good. A state appeals court found Thursday that former deputies of Attorney General Ken Paxton who were fired after accusing the Republican official of abusing his office are protected under the state’s whistleblower law, allowing their lawsuit against Paxton to … Continue reading →

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Texas takes its shot at Roe v Wade

Posted on October 22, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

We were always headed in this direction. It was just a matter of when we were going to get there. Texas on Thursday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to keep in place a law that imposes a near-total ban on … Continue reading →

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Chick-Fil-A and the “heartbeat” lawsuits

Posted on October 21, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I’d forgotten all about this. A case that’s before the Texas Supreme Court this fall could have strong implications for the future of the state’s newly adopted abortion ban, the most prohibitive in the nation. The suit relates to a … Continue reading →

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SCOTx puts San Antonio ISD’s vaccine mandate on pause

Posted on October 17, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Ken Paxton finally gets what he wants. The Texas Supreme Court temporarily halted San Antonio Independent School District’s staff vaccine mandate on Thursday, a day before the deadline for all employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19. The ruling comes two … Continue reading →

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The fate of the Paxton trial location is once again with the CCA

Posted on October 12, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

As you recall, the very long-awaited securities fraud trail of Ken Paxton is ticketed to go back to Collin County after the First Court of Appeals denied a request for an en banc hearing to reconsider the court’s previous ruling … Continue reading →

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One more lawsuit against Texas’ voter suppression law

Posted on October 4, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

From Mi Familia Vota: Non-profit civic engagement organization Mi Familia Vota, along with individual voters, filed suit today in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas in San Antonio seeking to block a new voter suppression … Continue reading →

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More on the San Antonio ISD vaccination mandate litigation

Posted on October 3, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I’m a little confused at this point, but I’ll cope. Judge Mary Lou Alvarez of the 45th District Court denied the state of Texas’ request for a temporary injunction Friday, allowing the San Antonio Independent School District to continue requiring … Continue reading →

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Abbott and Patrick whine about State Bar complaint against Paxton

Posted on September 27, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Poor, poor babies. The state’s top officials came to the defense of embattled Attorney General Ken Paxton, saying a state bar investigation into his professional conduct is “politically motivated” and raises questions about the state’s separation of powers. On Friday, … Continue reading →

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SAISD vaccine mandate update

Posted on September 27, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Still in place for now, but clearly on shaky ground. San Antonio Independent School District can continue requiring its staff to get vaccinated against COVID-19, despite a judge ruling against the district Thursday in a case filed by the Texas … Continue reading →

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Trying again to get SCOTUS to stop SB8

Posted on September 24, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Good luck. A coalition of Texas abortion providers went back to the Supreme Court Thursday, asking the justices to expedite a review of the state law that bars abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. The law has been in effect … Continue reading →

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