Tag Archives: Senate

Let’s get rid of Democratic appellate court justices

Posted on April 3, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

If that’s the Legislature’s goal, then this would be an effective way of accomplishing it. A Texas Senate committee [heard] public comment Thursday on a controversial proposal to consolidate the state’s 14 intermediate appellate courts into just seven, a move … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged 14th Court of Appeals, 4th Court of Appeals, 5th Court of Appeals, Election 2008, Election 2018, Election 2020, Election 2022, Election 2024, Elsa Alcala, First Court of Appeals, Joan Huffman, judicial races, Nathan Johnson, redistricting, Scott Brister, Senate, Texas, The Lege, Third Court of Appeals | 4 Comments

MLB pulls 2021 All Star Game out of Georgia

Posted on April 3, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Well, well, well. Major League Baseball on Friday pulled this year’s All-Star Game out of Atlanta in protest of Georgia’s new restrictive voting law. The “Midsummer Classic” was set for July 13 at Truist Park, home of the Atlanta Braves, in addition to other … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball, National news | Tagged All Star Game, American Airlines, AT&T, Baseball, Bryan Hughes, Dell, Georgia, MLB, NBA, North Carolina, Rob Manfred, Senate, Southwest Airlines, Stacey Abrams, Texas, The Lege, transgender rights, voter suppression, Waste Management | 1 Comment

The infrastructure bill and the power grid

Posted on April 3, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Of interest. President Joe Biden’s $2 trillion infrastructure plan could help rebuild Texas highways and ports and push broadband into rural parts of the state, where up to 31 percent of residents do not have access to high-speed internet. It … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged blackouts, Congress, electric cars, ERCOT, Freeze 2021, hurricanes, Infrastructure Plan, Joe Biden, Public Utility Commission, Senate, solar energy, stimulus, Texas, The Lege, wind energy | Comments Off

First major vote suppression bill passes

Posted on April 2, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Nothing’s going to stop them. Senate Republicans on Thursday cleared the way for new, sweeping restrictions to voting in Texas that take particular aim at forbidding local efforts meant to widen access. In an overnight vote after more than seven … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged absentee ballots, American Airlines, Borris Miles, Bryan Hughes, Business Roundtable, Carol Alvarado, curbside voting, Dan Patrick, Dell, drop off boxes, early voting, Election 2022, Judith Zaffirini, lawsuit, LULAC, NAACP, poll watchers, SCOTUS, Senate, Texas, The Lege, voter registration, voter suppression, Voting Rights Act | 5 Comments

A bit of business pushback against voter suppression

Posted on April 1, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a start, but much more is needed. A group of 72 Black business leaders are calling on companies to publicly oppose a series of bills being advanced by Republicans in at least 43 states that could dramatically curb access … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged absentee ballots, ACLU, CenterPoint, Chris Hollins, Coca Cola, curbside voting, Delta Airlines, drop off boxes, early voting, Election 2020, Georgia, Harris County, Harris County Clerk, HEB, Home Depot, Kenneth Chenault, NAACP, Senate, Texas, The Lege, voter suppression | 5 Comments

Assault on abortion advances in Senate

Posted on March 31, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I have four things to say about this. The Texas Senate gave initial approval Monday to a half-dozen bills that would restrict access to abortion, including a priority measure that could ban abortions before many women know they are pregnant. … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged abortion, Angela Paxton, Bryan Hughes, Carol Alvarado, Dan Patrick, Greg Abbott, lawsuit, Nathan Johnson, SCOTUS, Senate, Texas, The Lege | 3 Comments

Precinct analysis: State Senate comparisons

Posted on March 29, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Introduction Congressional districts State Rep districts Commissioners Court/JP precincts Comparing 2012 and 2016 Statewide judicial Other jurisdictions Appellate courts, Part 1 Appellate courts, Part 2 Judicial averages Other cities District Attorney County Attorney Sheriff Tax Assessor County Clerk HCDE Fort … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged Barack Obama, demography, Donald Trump, Election 2012, Election 2016, Election 2020, Fort Bend County, Harris County, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, John Cornyn, Mitt Romney, MJ Hegar, Paul Sadler, precinct analysis, President, SD04, SD06, SD07, SD11, SD13, SD15, SD17, SD18, Senate, Ted Cruz, Texas, turnout | 1 Comment

Winter storm death count now at 111

Posted on March 28, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

A revision of the numbers. Expect this to happen at least once more. At least 111 Texans died as a result of last month’s winter storm, according to updated numbers released Thursday by the state Department of State Health Services. … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege, The great state of Texas | Tagged blackouts, Charles Schwertner, electricity, ERCOT, Freeze 2021, Hurricane Harvey, Nathan Johnson, natural gas, Public Utility Commission, Senate, solar energy, Texas, Texas Department of State Health Services, The Lege, wind energy | 1 Comment

The Briscoe Cain follies

Posted on March 27, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes. The Texas House Elections Committee abruptly ended its meeting [Thursday] before about 200 people who traveled to the Capitol could testify on a controversial anti-voter fraud bill. Rep. Briscoe Cain, R-Deer Park, who chairs … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged absentee ballots, Briscoe Cain, Bryan Hughes, curbside voting, early voting, Harris County, Jessica Gonzalez, Judith Zaffirini, Nicole Collier, poll tax, Secretary of State, Senate, Texas, The Lege, voter suppression | 18 Comments

Republicans will never hold Ken Paxton accountable for anything

Posted on March 27, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Don’t be a chump and expect them to. Texas lawmakers are preparing to arm Attorney General Ken Paxton with $43 million to fight Google in court. A key committee in the State Senate on Wednesday amended its proposed budget for … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged Attorney General, budget, Google, Jane Nelson, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, Senate, Texas, The Lege | 1 Comment

Booze to go set to go

Posted on March 26, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Good. The Texas House has passed legislation that would allow restaurants to sell alcohol to go beyond the coronavirus pandemic. The chamber signed off on House Bill 1024 to permanently allow beer, wine and mixed drinks to be included in … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged alcohol, bars, Charlie Geren, coronavirus, Kelly Hancock, restaurants, Senate, TABC, Texas, Texas Restaurant Association, The Lege | 1 Comment

Have you been pining for another Hotze/Woodfill lawsuit?

Posted on March 24, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Well, then today is your lucky day. Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller and conservative activist Dr. Steven Hotze, a prolific litigant, are suing Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick for requiring COVID-19 tests for entry into the Texas Senate gallery and committee … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters, That's our Lege | Tagged coronavirus, Dan Patrick, face masks, Jared Woodfill, lawsuit, Senate, Sid Miller, Steven Hotze, Texas, Texas Open Meetings Act, Travis County | 2 Comments

It’s Voter Suppression Week in the Senate

Posted on March 23, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Delayed by a day, but that won’t stop anything. Republican lawmakers in Texas are attempting to cement more bricks into the wall they hope will shield their hold on power from the state’s changing electorate. After more than 20 years … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged absentee ballots, Brennan Center, Bryan Hughes, curbside voting, early voting, Election 2020, Greg Abbott, Harris County, Secretary of State, Senate, Texas, The Lege, voter registration, voter suppression | 14 Comments

Mayor Whitmire 2.0?

Posted on March 22, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Buried in this story about the recent departure of HPD Chief Art Acevedo for Miami is the following tidbit: Houston insiders knew that the 56-year-old Acevedo had been considering a mayoral run once Sylvester Turner reached his term limit in … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged Abbie Kamin, Amanda Edwards, Art Acevedo, Carol Alvarado, Chris Brown, Dan Patrick, Election 2022, Election 2023, Election 2026, Election 2030, Election 2034, Governor, Houston, John Whitmire, Kathy Whitmire, Mayor, Mike Skelly, Senate, Sylvester Turner, Texas | 4 Comments

Republicans take aim at bail reform

Posted on March 22, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Lots of bad ideas in here. Members of the Texas Senate Committee on Jurisprudence held their first hearing this week over Senate Bill 21, a controversial bail reform bill backed by Republicans. The purpose of the bill according to its … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged bail, Election 2018, Harris County, jail overcrowding, jails, Joan Huffman, judicial races, Kim Ogg, lawsuit, Mike Fields, Senate, Texas, Texas Fair Defense Project, The Lege | 48 Comments

The next frontiers in anti-abortion law

Posted on March 21, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Why not attack the legal system while you’re at it? Texas lawmakers — pushing to drastically restrict abortion access — have included language in a priority bill meant to make it harder to block the law from taking effect and … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged abortion, Bryan Hughes, Center for Reproductive Rights, Dan Patrick, lawsuit, SCOTUS, Senate, Texas, The Lege | 1 Comment

We have a poll that says people oppose more voting restrictions

Posted on March 20, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

A good sign, just remember our mantra about polls. As state Republicans push to restrict voting, a new poll shows a majority of Texans want more time to vote early and do not approve of threatening voters or those who … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged absentee ballots, Briscoe Cain, curbside voting, Dan Patrick, early voting, Election 2020, Greg Abbott, Joe Biden, Paul Bettencourt, polls, Secure Democracy, Senate, Texas, The Lege, voter ID, voter suppression | 2 Comments

Do not give Ken Paxton any more power

Posted on March 19, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Seriously, WTF? A new bill would give Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton greater prosecutorial authority over abuse-of-office charges — the very crime for which the FBI is reportedly investigating the state’s top attorney. The bill, proposed by state Sen. Paul … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged Angela Paxton, Attorney General, District Attorney, Election 2018, Election 2022, Harris County, Justin Nelson, Ken Paxton, Kim Ogg, Paul Bettencourt, Robert Nichols, Rodney Ellis, Sarah Eckhardt, Senate, Texas, Travis County | Comments Off

Republicans roll out their big voter suppression bill

Posted on March 17, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

They can’t do anything about blackouts or floods or COVID vaccinations, but they sure can do this. Joining a nationwide movement by Republicans to enact new restrictions on voting, Gov. Greg Abbott indicated Monday he will back legislation to outlaw … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged absentee ballots, Briscoe Cain, curbside voting, early voting, Election 2020, Georgia, Greg Abbott, Ken Paxton, Paul Bettencourt, Secretary of State, Senate, Texas, The Lege, voter ID, voter registration, voter suppression | 15 Comments

Abbott vs Patrick on power outage blame game

Posted on March 16, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

This ought to be interesting. The blame game over the state’s faulty electrical grid is creating a rare public rift between the two top Republicans in state government that could have a major financial impact on some utility companies and … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged Bryan Hughes, Dan Patrick, Election 2018, Election 2022, ERCOT, Freeze 2021, Governor, Greg Abbott, Lite Gov, primaries, Public Utility Commission, Senate, Texas | 21 Comments

The Republican attack on Harris County voting

Posted on March 15, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

It’s straight up retaliation for Harris County getting positive national attention for going out of its way to make it easier to vote in 2020. Harris County made a big push to expand mail-in and early voting during the 2020 … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged absentee ballots, Bryan Hughes, Chris Hollins, curbside voting, early voting, Election 2020, Election 2022, Harris County, Harris County Clerk, Lina Hidalgo, Senate, Texas, The Lege, voter suppression | 14 Comments

January 2021 campaign finance reports: Congress

Posted on March 11, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Should have done this a long time ago, just to close the books on the 2020 election cycle, but for a variety of reasons I didn’t. With the forthcoming special election in CD06, I now have a reason to care … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged Adrienne Bell, campaign finance reports, Candace Valenzuela, Carol Ianuzzi, CD01, CD02, CD03, CD06, CD07, CD08, CD10, CD14, CD17, CD21, CD22, CD23, CD24, CD25, CD26, CD31, CD32, Colin Allred, Congress, DCCC, Donna Imam, Election 2018, Election 2020, Election 2022, Elizabeth Hernandez, fundraising, Gina Ortiz Jones, Hank Gilbert, Julie Oliver, Lizzie FLetcher, Lulu Seikaly, Mike Siegel, MJ Hegar, redistricting, Rick Kennedy, Senate, Sima Ladjevardian, Sri Kulkarni, Stephen Daniel, Ted Cruz, Texas, Wendy Davis | Comments Off

Bills to allow casinos filed

Posted on March 11, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Don’t bet on them, that’s my advice. Two Texas lawmakers on Tuesday filed legislation backed by the gaming empire Las Vegas Sands that would legalize casino gambling in Texas. The legislation was filed by Rep. John Kuempel, R-Seguin, in the … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged Andy Abboud, Austin, Carol Alvarado, casinos, Constitution, constitutional amendments, Corpus Christi, Dallas, Dan Patrick, Fort Worth, gambling, Greg Abbott, Harlingen, horse racing, Houston, John Kuempel, San Antonio, Senate, Sheldon Adelson, Sports Betting Alliance, Texas, Texas Gaming Commission, The Lege | 4 Comments

Twitter sues Paxton

Posted on March 10, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

How the tables have turned. Twitter filed a lawsuit against Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in a California federal court Monday and asked a judge to halt the state’s top lawyer from investigating the company. The social media giant’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged California, Donald Trump, Election 2020, Greg Abbott, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, Senate, Texas, The Lege, Twitter | 12 Comments

Precinct analysis: Brazoria County

Posted on March 8, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged Adrienne Bell, Brazoria County, CD14, CD22, Cody Vasut, Commissioners Court, Congress, Ed Thompson, Election 2012, Election 2016, Election 2018, Election 2020, Election 2022, HD25, HD29, Patrick Henry, precinct analysis, President, Railroad Commission, Randy Weber, redistricting, Senate, Sri Kulkarni, Texas, The Lege, Travis Boldt, Troy Nehls | Comments Off

Please don’t pay any attention to Ted Cruz’s approval ratings

Posted on March 8, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I know, I know, I’m part of the problem. But seriously, this is utterly meaningless. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz’s approval rating took a hit after his family trip to Cancún during the Texas freeze, according to polling by Morning Consult, … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged Election 2024, Freeze 2021, polls, President, Senate, Ted Cruz, Texas | 2 Comments

Again with defining the Governor’s powers in an emergency

Posted on March 7, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

The legislative process has begun, and I feel like we’ve already lost the plot. For roughly the past year, Republicans and Democrats have picked apart the state’s response to the coronavirus pandemic — and particularly how Gov. Greg Abbott has … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged Carol Alvarado, Chris Turner, Constitution, coronavirus, Dade Phelan, Dan Patrick, Dustin Burrows, emergency powers, Greg Abbott, local control, Senate, special session, Steve Toth, Texas, The Lege | Comments Off

PUC Chair resigns

Posted on March 2, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

The body count increases. The chairwoman of the Public Utility Commission of Texas, the agency that regulates the state’s electric, telecommunication, and water and sewer utilities, resigned Monday, according to a resignation letter provided to the Texas Tribune. The Gov. … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged Bill Magness, blackouts, Dan Patrick, DeAnn Walker, Election 2022, ERCOT, Freeze 2021, Greg Abbott, Jared Patterson, John Whitmire, Public Utility Commission, Railroad Commission, Senate, Texas, The Lege | 53 Comments

Dan Patrick’s priorities

Posted on February 26, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

They haven’t changed. He might have had to shoehorn in a thing or two because he’s not stupid and he knows he had a close call in 2018, but the essence of Dan Patrick is eternal. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged abortion, blackouts, Dan Patrick, ERCOT, Freeze 2021, Greg Abbott, lobbyists, Senate, Texas, The Lege, transgender rights | 2 Comments

The traveling Paxtons

Posted on February 23, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Seriously? While millions of Texans languished in their homes last week without heat, many of them racking up astronomical electricity bills, the state official in charge of consumer protection left to take an out-of-state trip. According to a campaign spokesman, … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged Angela Paxton, Attorney General, blackouts, Chris Turner, coronavirus, ERCOT, Freeze 2021, Google, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, Senate, Texas, Utah | 17 Comments

Have Texas Republicans finally damaged themselves?

Posted on February 22, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Some of them have. How much remains to be seen. The brutal winter storm that turned Texas roads to ice, burst pipes across the state and left millions of residents shivering and without power has also damaged the reputations of three of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged Beto O'Rourke, blackouts, Dade Phelan, Election 2018, Election 2022, Election 2024, ERCOT, Freeze 2021, Gary Gates, Governor, Greg Abbott, Joe Biden, Julian Castro, President, Rick Perry, Senate, Ted Cruz, Texas, The Lege | 8 Comments

Republicans are determined to learn the wrong lessons from the blackouts

Posted on February 20, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

It’s kind of amazing, and yet completely on brand. With millions of Texans having lost power during the winter storms, key players in the Legislature say one of the most immediate reforms they will push for is recalibrating the state’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged blackouts, coal, deregulation, ERCOT, Freeze 2021, Greg Abbott, Jared Patterson, Joan Huffman, Jon Rosenthal, Kelly Hancock, natural gas, nuclear energy, Paul Bettencourt, Public Utility Commission, rainy day fund, renewable energy, Senate, Sid Miller, solar energy, Texas, The Lege, wind energy | 8 Comments

Getting rid of racist deed restrictions

Posted on February 15, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s get this done. A bill was proposed in the Texas Legislature two years ago that sought to make it easier for homeowners to remove unconstitutional, unenforceable and discriminatory provisions from real property records. State Sen. John Whitmire said he … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged Garden Oaks, Gene Wu, Jarvis Johnson, John Whitmire, racism. deed restrictions, Senate, Texas, The Lege | 12 Comments

We’re not going to be able to have our primaries in March

Posted on February 14, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

That’s the obvious conclusion from this. Texas lawmakers will almost certainly be back for a rare special legislative session in the fall now that the U.S. Census Bureau has set a September deadline for releasing the 2020 census results. Facing … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2022, National news, That's our Lege | Tagged Census, Congress, coronavirus, Donald Trump, Election 2012, Election 2022, lawsuit, primaries, redistricting, Senate, special session, Texas, The Lege | 5 Comments

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