Tag Archives: lawsuit

HISD will keep its mask mandate

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

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on HISD will keep its mask mandate

Some I-45 work to resume

Just some design work, for now. Federal officials have lifted their pause on a small piece of the planned Interstate 45 mega-project that will remake downtown Houston’s freeway system and has divided state transportation planners, community groups and local politicians. … Continue reading

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Some I-45 work to resume

It’s not looking good for Roe v Wade

Yesterday, it seemed like there was the possibility of a chance that SCOTUS could so something other than eviscerate abortion rights nationally. Today, not so much. I don’t have the energy to write a real post about it, so I’m … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters, National news | Tagged , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Vaccine mandate for health care workers blocked

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

Posted in Legal matters, National news | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Social media censorship law blocked

For now. As long as the outlaw Fifth Circuit exists, we can’t say more than that. A federal judge on Wednesday blocked a Texas law that seeks to restrict how social media companies moderate their content and was championed by … Continue reading

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

SCOTUS hears Mississippi abortion case today

Could be the beginning of the end for Roe v Wade, or it could be the beginning of a massive upheaval in the anti-abortion industry. The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments on Wednesday in a Mississippi abortion case that … Continue reading

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

Social media censorship lawsuit has its day in court

It’s a very dumb law that will hopefully be stopped before it takes effect tomorrow. Lawyers for two large tech industry groups appeared Monday in federal court in Austin to argue that Texas’ new social media law — inspired by … Continue reading

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

Travis Scott’s legal team

Some heavy hitters here. Prominent Los Angeles trial lawyer Daniel Petrocelli sent an electronic letter late last Wednesday to lawyers for the plaintiffs in the Astroworld Festival tragedy announcing that he now represents rapper Travis Scott and offering to pay … Continue reading

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

Cracking Asian-American communities

The Trib explores what the new Congressional maps did to Asian-American communities, mostly but not exclusively in the Houston area. When Texas lawmakers redrew congressional maps following the 2020 census, they split up Asian American populations in both Harris and … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Redistricting litigation update

Reform Austin shows that the state’s legal defense strategy against the various redistricting lawsuits is “You can’t sue us!” Because of the clear racial gerrymandering, multiple groups are launching legal challenges under the Voting Rights Act. The state has now … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Appeals court upholds Dallas mask mandate

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

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

Fifth Circuit puts school mask order on hold

This effing court. A federal appeals court has reinstated Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order banning mask mandates as it weighs a federal judge’s ruling that the ban violates the rights of disabled students. U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel previously ruled … Continue reading

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

Another AstroWorld lawsuit

It must have sucked to have been a security guard at that event. Jackson Bush found the Astroworld Festival security gig through social media. He and his uncle, Samuel Bush, applied and the New York-based company, AJ Melino & Associates, … Continue reading

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

Biden tries again on the employer vaccine mandate

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

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

Galveston adopts all-white Commissioners Court map

In case you missed it. Dozens of residents crowded into a small county annex building Friday afternoon to urge, beg, lecture and warn commissioners against approving new precinct maps that dissenters called unfair, undemocratic and potentially illegal. The protest, mostly … Continue reading

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Still waiting on SCOTUS

They’re in no rush. More than two weeks have passed since the Supreme Court’s extraordinarily rushed arguments over Texas’ unique abortion law without any word from the justices. They raised expectations of quick action by putting the case on a … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

ACLU and others sue over new redistricting maps

The count is now seven. Civil rights groups filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday challenging new Texas state legislative and congressional district plans as unconstitutional racial gerrymanders violating both the Voting Rights Act and the U.S. Constitution. The suit details an … Continue reading

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

Time for some bigger AstroWorld lawsuits

Here is a large number. As the lawsuits continue to pile up following the aftermath of the Astroworld Festival tragedy, attorney Tony Buzbee has filed one of the largest yet. The prominent Houston lawyer filed a suit Monday on behalf … Continue reading

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

Texas sues over the health care workers vaccine mandate

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

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

Republicans sue over new Commissioners Court map

Hilarious. Republican Commissioners Jack Cagle and Tom Ramsey have filed a voting rights lawsuit in state court in hopes of halting a Harris County redistricting plan they claim strips more than 1.1 million people of their right to vote in … Continue reading

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

Harris County to pause the I-45 lawsuit

Gonna give talking a try. You never know. Harris County will pause its lawsuit against the Texas Department of Transportation over the proposed Interstate 45 widening in hopes that it leads to a consensus that has eluded them for more … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Some more AstroWorld stuff

Firefighter logs from the event tell the story of early chaos and continued problems. Houston firefighters arrived at a small command post parked on the far-flung Orange Lot, about a mile from the festival grounds. They spent the day listening … Continue reading

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Fifth Circuit extends hold on Biden employer vaccine mandate

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

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Bexar mask mandate back on

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

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Bexar mask mandate back on

State lawsuits against SB8 finally get a hearing

A long strange trip it has been. A state district judge on Wednesday morning heard arguments from abortion rights groups challenging Texas’ restrictive abortion law in what seems to be the first court hearing to specifically tackle the statute’s constitutionality. … Continue reading

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

The safety protocols

We won’t know for some time what exactly went wrong at AstroWorld, but we do know what should have been in place to keep the concertgoers safe. When tens of thousands of people are packed into a confined area like … Continue reading

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Federal judge blocks Abbott’s ban on school mask mandates

Excellent news. A federal judge ruled Wednesday that Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order prohibiting mask mandates in schools violates the Americans with Disabilities Act — freeing local officials to again create their own rules. The order comes after a monthslong … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

We wait on the Fifth Circuit

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

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Here come the AstroWorld lawsuits

As well they should. At least 34 Astroworld Festival attendees have sued or plan to sue the event promoter in what is expected to be a bevy of litigation related to the mayhem at NRG Park. At least eight people died and dozens more were injured Friday … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

The employer vaccine mandate is here (and on hold)

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

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Justice Department sues Texas over the voter suppression law

Specifically, they are challenging a couple of specific provisions of the law. The U.S. Justice Department on Thursday sued Texas over its new voting law, expanding its effort to challenge Republican-backed measures passed in state legislatures. The lawsuit, brought by … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Justice Department sues Texas over the voter suppression law

Sen. Powell sues over SD10

Number six and counting. Tarrant County state Sen. Beverly Powell filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday against the state Senate redistricting plan, marking the latest court challenge to Texas’ Republican-drawn political maps that secure the GOP’s grip on power for the … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Sen. Powell sues over SD10

The fight for free speech continues at Collin College

What awful leadership that place has. A year ago, Texas history professor Lora Burnett fired off an angry tweet from her private social media account about then-vice president Mike Pence. It landed during the vice presidential debate, prompting news coverage … Continue reading

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

A redistricting lawsuit twofer from MALC

One federal, one state. The Mexican American Legislative Caucus in the Texas House has opened a second front in the legal war over the state’s new political maps. The caucus on Wednesday turned to the state courts to challenge the … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments