Tag Archives: redistricting

When might marijuana be legalized in Texas?

Posted on June 10, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Very interesting debate going on in the Baker Institute Blog about when marijuana might be legalized in Texas. Here are the posts they’ve published, in decreasing order of optimism: Texas will legalize medical marijuana in 2015 and regulate marijuana similarly … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on When might marijuana be legalized in Texas?

The small number of competitive legislative races in November

Posted on May 6, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

The Trib discusses the lack of legislative action in November. In the House, nine Republican and two Democratic races are still undecided. An early list of competitive November races — this is in a House with 150 seats — comes … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Lawsuit filed over Senate map

Posted on April 24, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

From Texas Redistricting: [Monday] morning, two Texas voters filed a suit in federal court challenging the state senate map drawn by the Texas Legislature on the grounds that it violated the equal protection guarantees of the Fourteenth Amendment by using … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Lawsuit filed over Senate map

Pasadena lurches towards redistricting

Posted on April 6, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

It’s getting ugly. A Pasadena councilwoman was forcibly ejected by armed officers and the mayor was accused of packing a gun during recent meetings on a controversial redistricting plan. Councilwoman Pat Van Houte was removed from a meeting Tuesday on … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Pasadena lurches towards redistricting

Pity the poor Hispanic Republicans

Posted on February 9, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

I’d say I feel sorry for them, but I don’t. Every few years, I like to check in with Massey Villarreal to see if he’s still a Republican. He still was on Thursday. But it’s getting harder all the time. … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Davis beats Abbott in court again

Posted on January 11, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

That’s probably the simplest way to understand this story. A San Antonio federal court has ordered Texas to pay more than $260,000 in attorney fees to the legal team that helped state Sen. Wendy Davis beat back Republican attempts to … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Davis beats Abbott in court again

What is the sound of one politician switching?

Posted on December 31, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

It depends. When Lawrence Meyers won a seat on the statewide Court of Criminal Appeals in 1992, he was the first Republican elected to the state’s highest criminal court. This month he made history again. After switching parties, Meyers, who … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on What is the sound of one politician switching?

What next in Pasadena?

Posted on November 11, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Just waiting on the lawsuit at this point. There have been other elections in Pasadena with closer results, but not many. After all of the votes were counted in Tuesday’s (November 5) Charter Amendment election, Proposition One: “Shall the City … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2013 | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Election results: Harris County

Posted on November 6, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The big story: RIP, Astrodome. A $217 million bond measure to fund a massive Astrodome renovation failed by several percentage points, a decision expected to doom it to the wrecking ball. Proposition 2 would have allowed Harris County to issue … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2013 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Endorsement watch: Sometimes the answer is No

Posted on November 3, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron recommend a No vote on the Pasadena redistricting referendum. There is no need for mid-decade redistricting in Pasadena, least of all with a plan that has been dug out of the trash. The once lily-white town of Pasadena … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2013 | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Endorsement watch: Sometimes the answer is No

Chron overview of the Pasadena redistricting referendum

Posted on November 2, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron covers the most important ballot item in Harris County that isn’t the two countywide propositions, the charter amendment in Pasadena. The charter change would replace two of Pasadena’s eight single-member City Council districts with seats elected citywide. But … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2013 | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Redistricting trial set for July

Posted on October 23, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The San Antonio federal court has set a date in July of 2014 to resolve the litigation relating to the 2011 and 2013 redistrictings. A federal three-judge panel in San Antonio on Friday issued a schedule for the case, mostly granting state … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Redistricting trial set for July

Where things stand going into early voting

Posted on October 18, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

A few impressions of the state of the races as we head into early voting. Mayor – The thing that I will be looking for as initial results get posted at 7 PM on November 5 is how the gaggle … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2013 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Court rules DOJ can intervene in 2011 redistricting case

Posted on October 1, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Texas Redistricting: The San Antonio court entered an order [Tuesday] allowing the Justice Department into the Texas redistricting case as an intervenor. In somewhat of a surprise, however, the decision was 2-1, with Circuit Judge Jerry Smith dissenting. The court … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Court rules DOJ can intervene in 2011 redistricting case

The tab for the redistricting fight

Posted on September 24, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The bill is coming due. Civil rights groups are now contending that since the 2011 maps were never used and ultimately were altered by a court that they are entitled to be reimbursed for money spent fighting [Attorney General Greg] … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The tab for the redistricting fight

Sen. Garcia joins the fight in Pasadena

Posted on September 23, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Good. State Sen. Sylvia Garcia on Tuesday joined forces with four Pasadena council members and a community organizing group to mount a campaign against a new redistricting plan they say is designed to dilute the voting strength of Pasadena’s growing … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2013 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The state’s head in the sand legal strategy

Posted on September 15, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Slate and its invaluable legal writer Dahlia Lithwick take a look at the state of Texas’ determination to ensure that gay married couples stay gay married in Texas. On Nov. 5 the Supreme Court of Texas will hear arguments regarding … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

All about Pasadena

Posted on September 11, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Meet Pasadena Mayor Johnny Isbell, the man behind the redistricting scheme there that we’ve been talking about lately. For more than four decades, Pasadena Mayor Johnny Isbell has had his feet sunk deep into the city’s political landscape of smokestacks … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

2011 maps not moot, 2014 primaries to be held on time

Posted on September 8, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Texas Redistricting: [Friday] afternoon, the San Antonio court entered an order denying a request by the State of Texas to dismiss claims about the 2011 maps on grounds on mootness. The court’s order also granted requests by African-American and Hispanic … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Appeal filed in country redistricting lawsuit

Posted on September 1, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

From the Chron: Activists who believe a now-adopted Harris County redistricting plan illegally dilutes Latino votes in the only Latino-opportunity commissioner precinct are set to appeal a ruling made at the beginning of the month. In her long-anticipated decision, issued … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Redistricting and voter ID lawsuit updates

Posted on August 31, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

From Texas Redistricting, a typically thorough look at where things stand with redistricting and voter ID litigation in the three courts – San Antonio, where the redistricting litigation has been ongoing and is likely due for some action; Corpus Christi, … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Lawsuit filed against Galveston County redistricting

Posted on August 30, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Expect more of this going forward. A Galveston County plan slashing the number of justice-of-the-peace districts from eight to four intentionally discriminates against minority voters and should be blocked, according to a federal lawsuit filed Monday. The lawsuit comes exactly … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Lawsuit filed against Galveston County redistricting

More redistricting shenanigans on the way

Posted on August 26, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The city of Galveston prepares to make like Pasadena. [Gulf Coast Interfaith], which includes representatives of the NAACP and others, sent a letter Thursday to the city of Galveston’s attorney also questioning the wisdom of the city seeking to make … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on More redistricting shenanigans on the way

DOJ files suit against Texas’ voter ID law and redistricting maps

Posted on August 23, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Excellent. The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Thursday that it will again seek to dismantle Texas’ voter ID law, this time with a lawsuit alleging the measure violates Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. The department also said on Thursday that … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Pasadena proceeds with its needless redistricting

Posted on August 22, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead. Except for one agenda item which drew a large crowd, many public speakers, an unusually long time of councilmember’s explanations and a 5-4 vote, Tuesday’s (August 20) Pasadena City Council meeting was “Regular.” Their … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters, Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

From Shelby to Pasadena

Posted on August 20, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

You might have noticed this Chron editorial from last week. After former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay’s fall from grace, we thought that Texas politicians would know better than pursue mid-decade redistricting. Not so in Pasadena, where Mayor Johnny Isbell … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

More views of Abbott’s Section 3 brief

Posted on August 18, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Texas Redistricting: Claim: It’s Just Partisan Politics Attorney General Abbott’s second claim is in many ways even more fundamental because it gets to the heart of what the Voting Rights Act is supposed to do. That claim asserts that: [R]edistricting … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on More views of Abbott’s Section 3 brief

Texas says “No preclearance now, no preclearance forever!”

Posted on August 12, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

As we know, the plaintiffs in the redistricting lawsuit against the state of Texas have filed briefs arguing that the state should still be subject to preclearance under Section 3 of the Voting Rights Act. They have been joined in … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Whitmire draws a primary opponent

Posted on August 8, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Texpatriate notes that 2010 judicial candidate Damian LaCroix is mounting a challenge to Sen. John Whitmire in SD15. This directly concerns me, as I was redistricted into SD15 in 2011 after having been in SD06 since moving to the Heights. … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

County prevails in redistricting lawsuit

Posted on August 4, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

This came out on Friday. Activists failed to prove that a Harris County redistricting plan illegally diluted Latino votes in the only Latino-opportunity commissioner precinct, a federal judge has ruled. In a long-anticipated decision filed late Thursday, U.S. District Judge … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Obama pledges to keep fighting for the Voting Rights Act

Posted on August 1, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s hold him to that. President Barack Obama assured civil rights leaders Monday that he will aggressively protect minority voters in Texas and other states, a month after the Supreme Court ended decades of federal election scrutiny. “The Supreme Court … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

From the “She told you so” department

Posted on July 30, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

No one could have seen this coming. Well, no, pretty much anyone could have. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg says she’s not surprised that Southern states have pushed ahead with tough voter identification laws and other measures since the Supreme Court … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on From the “She told you so” department

Justice Department to push for Section 3 in Texas

Posted on July 26, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Bring it. Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. announced on Thursday that the Justice Department would ask a court to require Texas to get permission from the federal government before making voting changes in that state for the next decade. … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Redistricting plaintiffs go for Section 3

Posted on July 15, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a brand new world out there. Minority-rights groups are charting “new territory” in the fight against Texas’ redistricting plan, using a provision of the Voting Rights Act that cites discriminatory intent as part of an effort to maintain federal … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments