Tag Archives: lawsuit

More proof that vaccine mandates work

Posted on October 8, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

In the end, most people just get the damn shots. The rest is sound and fury. Protests, lawsuits and national media coverage surrounded Houston Methodist Hospital in June when it became the country’s first major health system to require a … Continue reading →

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If in Texas you can’t get justice…

Posted on October 7, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

…Try somewhere else. An abortion provider in Texas took the unusual step Tuesday of asking a federal judge in another state to declare unconstitutional the six-week-ban on the procedure that took effect last month in Texas. Lawyers for Dr. Alan Braid, … Continue reading →

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

El Paso mask mandate blocked

Posted on October 7, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

This is a city mask mandate. It does not affect the El Paso ISD mask mandate. El Paso’s mandate requiring masks in indoor spaces, including schools, was ended on Thursday by the 8th Court of Appeals. The ruling does not … Continue reading →

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SCOTx denies Planned Parenthood emergency request

Posted on October 5, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Not a surprise, I suppose. The Texas Supreme Court denied a request Monday from Planned Parenthood to resume its lawsuit, filed in a state district court, that challenges the state’s near-total abortion ban. Planned Parenthood asked the all-Republican court last … Continue reading →

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Justice Department gets involved in federal lawsuit over mask mandate ban

Posted on October 5, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Missed this over the weekend. The Justice Department signaled its support on Wednesday for the families of children with disabilities in Texas who are suing to overturn Gov. Greg Abbott’s ban on mask mandates in the state’s schools. The department filed a … Continue reading →

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Medicaid and the “heartbeat” law

Posted on October 4, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Of interest. Texas’ new abortion ban makes no exceptions for pregnancies that result from rape or incest. Nearly a month after it was enacted, state health officials still won’t say whether that includes Texans on Medicaid, a small but critical … Continue reading →

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Planned Parenthood files emergency request to SCOTx

Posted on October 3, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: On Wednesday, Planned Parenthood affiliates in Texas filed an emergency request asking the Texas Supreme Court to intervene in an ongoing case against Texas Right to Life (TRTL), challenging Senate Bill 8, the state’s six-week abortion ban. … Continue reading →

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

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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The “abortion bans are good for interstate commerce, actually” defense

Posted on October 2, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I can never tell when Ken Paxton is trolling or sincere. In briefs filed Wednesday in the Justice Department’s challenge to Texas’ abortion ban, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton touted the trips Texas women are making out of state to … Continue reading →

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More redistricting stuff

Posted on October 2, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Just a roundup of some redistricting stories. We’ll start with the DMN. The new map, part of a process of redrawing legislative boundaries every 10 years, makes significant changes in North Texas, where Democrats likely will gain a seat held … Continue reading →

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COVID continues to run amuck at the schools

Posted on October 2, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

This is our reality. Students in Texas public schools are facing another year upturned by COVID-19 as the highly contagious delta variant spreads, mask mandates are inconsistent and children under 12 cannot yet be vaccinated against the virus. Less than … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

How the “heartbeat” lawsuits may proceed

Posted on September 30, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

The recent “Amicus” podcast from Slate had a bonus segment on the many lawsuits that have been filed in relation to and challenge to SB8, the so-called “heartbeat” bill. For all the normal people out there who don’t follow this … 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 →

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

Lawsuit filed over our very dumb new social media “censorship” law

Posted on September 25, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

So very dumb. Texas is being sued over its new law barring social media platforms from banning users over their political views by two trade associations that represent some of the industry’s biggest online companies. NetChoice and the Computer and … 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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Appeals court appears skeptical about Paxton’s whistleblower defense

Posted on September 23, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

As well they should be. A panel of Texas 3rd Court of Appeals justices expressed skepticism of an argument from Attorney General Ken Paxton’s lawyers on Wednesday that he is exempt from the state’s whistleblower act because he’s not a … Continue reading →

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Texas takes its potty obsession to court

Posted on September 22, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Oh, brother. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing the Biden administration over recent federal guidance issued to protect LGBTQ people in the workplace, including a directive that says employees should be allowed to use the bathrooms, locker rooms and … Continue reading →

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Feds officially investigating Texas mask mandate ban

Posted on September 22, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Good. The U.S. Department of Education on Tuesday launched a civil rights investigation into Gov. Greg Abbott’s ban on mask mandates in schools, making Texas the sixth state to face a federal inquiry over mask rules. The investigation will focus … Continue reading →

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First “heartbeat” lawsuit filed

Posted on September 21, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Didn’t take long. A San Antonio physician is facing a lawsuit after he admitted performing an abortion considered illegal under Texas’ new law. Why it matters: The civil suit, filed by a convicted felon in Arkansas, against Alan Braid is the first such … Continue reading →

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“Heartbeat” lawsuit bait

Posted on September 20, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Something like this was going to happen sooner or later. A Texas doctor stepped forward Saturday to say he had performed an abortion that is illegal under the state’s restrictive new law to force a test of its legality. “I … Continue reading →

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The electoral dress code lawsuit

Posted on September 20, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Still interesting. A U.S. magistrate judge this week recommended striking down parts of Texas law that prohibit wearing political apparel within 100 feet of a polling place as unconstitutionally vague — but upholding a narrower provision that specifies that clothing … Continue reading →

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Here’s your first proposed Senate map

Posted on September 19, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Behold. This dropped on Saturday afternoon while normal people were running errands or watching college football, so commentary and coverage is limited at this time. Here’s one view: . Some pretty drastic reconfigurations of state senate districts in Dallas and … Continue reading →

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A kinder, gentler voter purge

Posted on September 19, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

How nice. Two years after Texas officials fumbled an effort to double-check the voting rolls on a hunt for non-citizens — and instead threatened the voting rights of nearly 60,000 eligible Texans — similar efforts to purge non-citizen voters are … Continue reading →

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Get ready for redistricting

Posted on September 18, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

The next special session starts Monday, and we should expect to see proposed redistricting maps. It’s going to be a rough few weeks, in part because the guardrails are gone, which will allow Republicans to run amuck. The 2020 census … Continue reading →

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Galveston ISD mask mandate remains, Round Rock gets halted

Posted on September 18, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Good. A Galveston County judge Thursday denied an attempt by Attorney General Ken Paxton to stop Galveston ISD from requiring masks, according to a court document. Judge Kerry Neves ruled against Texas’ request for a temporary restraining order on mask … Continue reading →

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Federal judge will fast-track mask mandate ban lawsuit

Posted on September 17, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I’m ready. Federal District Judge Lee Yeakel said Wednesday morning he intends to fast-track a lawsuit filed on behalf of 14 Texas schoolchildren with disabilities who allege that Gov. Greg Abbott’s ban on mask mandates breaks federal law by discriminating … Continue reading →

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Planned Parenthood gets injunction against Texas Right to Life

Posted on September 17, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a start. A district court in Travis County granted a temporary injunction on Monday, which will stop an anti-abortion group from being able to sue Planned Parenthood centers under SB 8, the so-called “heartbeat bill.” Planned Parenthood affiliates in … Continue reading →

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Justice Department files its motion for an injunction against SB8

Posted on September 16, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s hope they get a quick win. The Justice Department has asked a federal judge to grant a temporary restraining order or injunction that would prevent Texas from enacting a law that bans nearly all abortions in the state, heating … Continue reading →

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Paxton sues more school districts

Posted on September 16, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Another rampage by the morally bankrupt felon in the AG’s office. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has unleashed another wave of lawsuits against school districts over their masking policies — but one of them says it doesn’t even require face … Continue reading →

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Paxton sues again over SAISD’s vaccine mandate

Posted on September 15, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Yes, vaccine mandate. For teachers and staff. For the second time in a month, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued San Antonio Independent School District and Superintendent Pedro Martinez for requiring all staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Martinez issued … Continue reading →

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Once again with the religious objection to a Texas anti-abortion law

Posted on September 12, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Stepping up again. The Satanic Temple has joined the legal wrangling to block or overturn Texas’ severe new abortion law. That law, which the U.S. Supreme Court refused to block this week, bans the medical procedure after six weeks, including … Continue reading →

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Paxton sues several school districts over mask mandates

Posted on September 11, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Whatever, dude. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Friday that he filed a lawsuit against Richardson ISD, following through on his pledge to sue school districts who mandate masks. The district defied Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order prohibiting local entities … Continue reading →

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Justice Department sues over “heartbeat” law

Posted on September 10, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Good. The Justice Department sued Texas on Thursday over its new abortion restrictions law, Attorney General Merrick Garland told reporters, a week after the U.S. Supreme Court refused to block the law. Garland announced the lawsuit, filed in a federal district … Continue reading →

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Mayor Turner orders unvaxxed city employees to get tested twice a week

Posted on September 10, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

So maybe get vaccinated, and avoid all the hassle. Unvaccinated city workers must get tested for COVID-19 twice a month and report their results to the human resources department, Mayor Sylvester Turner announced Wednesday. Turner signed an executive order implementing … Continue reading →

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