Tag Archives: Greg Abbott

Where the outbreaks are the worst

Posted on July 16, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

We talk a lot about the vaccination rate in Texas, but that number by itself is misleading. Some parts of the state are very well vaccinated. Others, very much not so. That matters, because the Delta variant is just ripping … Continue reading →

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

Day 3 not as long omnibus quorum busting post

Posted on July 15, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s jump right in… Who’s paying for Texas Democrats’ trip to DC? Beto O’Rourke has already raised $400K. Beto O’Rourke’s political action committee has raised nearly half a million dollars to support Texas Democrats’ escape to Washington, D.C., he said … Continue reading →

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Day 2 quorum busting omnibus post

Posted on July 14, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Gonna round up a few stories here. Don’t know how often I’ll be this energetic, or how often there will be this many stories that I see that are worth commenting on, but it is Day Two. We’re just getting … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Quorum broken again

Posted on July 13, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

And they’re off. Democrats in the Texas House of Representatives left the state Monday afternoon en route to Washington, D.C., in a bid to again deny Republicans the quorum needed to pass new voting restrictions with 26 days left in … Continue reading →

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Yeah, Greg Abbott has a ton of money

Posted on July 12, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

It’s the one thing he’s really good at. Gov. Greg Abbott is starting his 2022 reelection campaign with $55 million in the bank, a staggering figure even by the already high standards for which his fundraising is known. His campaign … Continue reading →

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Bad bail bill 2.0

Posted on July 12, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

This was also happening over the weekend. Days into a short legislative session, Texas lawmakers are moving quickly to pass a GOP priority bill that would make it harder for some people who have been arrested but not convicted to … Continue reading →

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The unholy mess that is Allen West

Posted on July 10, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

The Republicans elected him to be their State Chair, and they deserve all of the chaos and discord he has sown in his self-promoting regime. But now that he’s running for Governor, the rest of us have to pay attention … Continue reading →

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State House takes a step toward reinstating legislative funding

Posted on July 10, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Good, but it’s just a first step. Texas lawmakers are moving swiftly to reinstate funding for the Texas Legislature, vetoed last month by Gov. Greg Abbott, that affects the salaries of more than 2,100 employees across several state agencies The … Continue reading →

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Our Delta future

Posted on July 9, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Don’t expect anything to change, except for the number of people getting sick and dying. The new and highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus may have sparked the recent outbreak of 125-plus cases of COVID-19 linked to a Houston-area … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Here are your new SB7s

Posted on July 9, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

We start with the House. The Texas House is starting off on a new foot on the contentious elections proposal that blew up the regular legislative session. As a special session reviving the Republican-priority bill got underway Thursday, there were … Continue reading →

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Other questions from McConaughey Poll II

Posted on July 8, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Part Two of my look at the June DMN/UT-Tyler poll, which has its share of interesting results. Still, not everything is coming up roses for Abbott. His job approval rating is respectable, with 50% approving of his performance and 36% … Continue reading →

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Here’s your special session agenda

Posted on July 8, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

They call this “red meat”, but it’s really just bullshit. Gov. Greg Abbott has announced the agenda for the special legislative session that begins Thursday, asking lawmakers to prioritize 11 issues that largely appeal to conservatives who wanted more out … Continue reading →

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Abbott tells the PUC to, like, “do something” about electricity and stuff

Posted on July 8, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

He’s a Very Serious man making Very Serious proposals. Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday gave state electricity regulators marching orders to “improve electric reliability.” In a letter to the Public Utility Commission, Abbott directed the three-person board of directors, who … Continue reading →

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

The return to normal

Posted on July 8, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Lots of us are going back to pre-pandemic life. Some of us have more justification for it than others. As an increasing number of Texans get vaccinated against COVID-19, most voters here are returning to their pre-pandemic lives — or … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

McConaughey Poll II: It’s all still ridiculous

Posted on July 7, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Sorry, none of the canonical sequel subtitles fit here. Gov. Greg Abbott, after trailing potential challenger Matthew McConaughey in the spring, has rebounded and now has a slight — but not statistically significant — lead over the movie star in … Continue reading →

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The response to the lawsuit over the line item veto

Posted on July 6, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I know, scintillating headline, but there’s plenty of action here. The state is defending Gov. Greg Abbott’s recent veto of legislative funding as a bipartisan group of former state leaders — as well as more Democrats — weigh in against … Continue reading →

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

Who told Allen West it was a good idea for him to run for Governor?

Posted on July 5, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Lord help us. Texas GOP Chairman Allen West announced Sunday he is running for governor, challenging fellow Republican Greg Abbott. The announcement was made during at appearance by West at Sojourn Church in Carrollton, where the former Florida congressman played … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

How will the Dems handle the special session?

Posted on July 3, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

They have some options, but honestly, there’s not that much they can do. Outnumbered and virtually powerless to block conservative priorities they oppose, Democrats in the Texas Legislature say they are keeping their options open as they prepare for a … Continue reading →

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UT/Trib poll: Abbott has the best of a bunch of weak approval numbers

Posted on June 30, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Same story, new chapter, Texas voters are split over whether they approve of Gov. Greg Abbott’s job performance, though he remains popular with Republicans and more popular among Texans than President Joe Biden, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2022, Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

We’ll be paying for the freeze for a long time

Posted on June 30, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

What’s more, we have done nothing to prevent the same thing from happening again. Publicly funded state agencies needing to keep the lights and heat on during the freeze racked up huge bills. In February 2020, the Texas Department of … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 26 Comments

You can’t use that money for your stupid wall

Posted on June 29, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

So say Democratic members of Congress from Texas, and they’re asking the Treasury Department to back them up. Texas Democrats in Congress are irate that Gov. Greg Abbott can divert federal funds intended for COVID-19 relief to build a border … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, National news | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

ACLU warns counties to stay away from the Abbott wall

Posted on June 28, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas sent letters today to 34 counties informing top officials that implementing Gov. Greg Abbott’s unlawful plan to engage in immigration enforcement would violate the U.S. Constitution. The letters, sent to … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Lawsuit filed against suspension of federal unemployment benefits

Posted on June 27, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Not sure how likely this is to succeed, but it’s worth a try. Thousands of Texans have banded together and hired an attorney to file suit to block Gov. Greg Abbott from ending emergency federal unemployment benefits before the programs … Continue reading →

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

Quinnipiac: Permitless carry and total abortion bans are not popular in Texas

Posted on June 26, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

More Q-poll data. One week after Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed a bill into law allowing Texans to carry unlicensed handguns, voters say 74 – 24 percent that they oppose allowing anyone 21 years of age or older to carry … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Lawsuit filed over veto of legislative budget

Posted on June 26, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Good. And necessary. A group of Texas House Democrats and legislative staffers is asking the Texas Supreme Court to override Gov. Greg Abbott’s recent veto of a portion of the state budget that funds the Legislature, staffers there and legislative … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Quinnipiac: Abbott has weak re-elect numbers

Posted on June 25, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting. As Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, seeks reelection next year, voters in the Lone Star State are divided on whether or not he deserves to be reelected as 46 percent say he does and 48 percent say he … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

We do agree that “Greg Abbott” and “disaster” go together well

Posted on June 25, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I just have one question about this. Over the past year, Gov. Greg Abbott has issued disaster declarations across the state for a number of tragedies: the coronavirus pandemic that killed more than 50,000 Texans, a winter storm that left … Continue reading →

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

Everyone’s waiting on Beto

Posted on June 24, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Pardon me while I brew myself a cup of tea and stare meaningfully out the window. Texas’ Republican statewide primaries are heating up as challengers emerged in recent weeks for both Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton. But … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

That doggone veto

Posted on June 24, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. . Perfect representation of @GregAbbott_TX’s priorities. He’d rather prepare for a vanity run for President in 2024 with his fake border wall than try to resolve any of the real #Texas problems. … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

They’re coming back

Posted on June 23, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Brace yourselves. Gov. Greg Abbott has set a special session of the Texas Legislature starting July 8, his office announced Tuesday. Abbott’s office did not specify what legislative priorities will be included on the special session agenda and said in … Continue reading →

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Sid Miller running for re-election

Posted on June 22, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

The Governor’s race will have one fewer malicious jokers in it. Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller announced Monday he would seek reelection, putting to rest speculation that he could challenge Gov. Greg Abbott for the top elected position in the state. … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

An alternate route to Medicaid expansion

Posted on June 21, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I’m okay with this. Texas Democrats have tried for years to convince Republican state leaders to increase access to Medicaid. Now they think they have found a way to do it with or without their help. U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett … Continue reading →

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Abbott follows through on veto of legislative funding

Posted on June 20, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

So here we go. Gov. Greg Abbott followed through Friday on a threat to veto a section of the state budget that funds the Texas Legislature, its staffers and legislative agencies. The governor’s move targeting lawmaker pay comes after House … Continue reading →

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

Why the push for casinos failed

Posted on June 20, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s a long story with a detailed answer to what is honestly a straightforward and easy to understand question. In its effort to bring casinos to Texas, Las Vegas Sands — the gaming empire started by the late Republican megadonor … Continue reading →

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