Tag Archives: The Lege

Trump judge tosses longstanding law allowing in-state tuition for undocumented students

Posted on April 14, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Crappy ruling from an activist judge. A federal judge has ruled that the University of North Texas can’t charge out-of-state American students higher tuition than undocumented Texans who qualify for lower in-state tuition under a 2001 Texas law. UNT lawyers … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Trump judge tosses longstanding law allowing in-state tuition for undocumented students

We have a final count of rejected mail ballots

Posted on April 7, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

About one in eight got canned. That’s a lot. The votes of more than 24,000 Texans who tried to cast ballots by mail were thrown out in the March primary — a dramatic increase in rejected ballots in the first … Continue reading →

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

Sen. Powell ends her re-election bid

Posted on April 7, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Disappointing but understandable. State Sen. Beverly Powell, D-Burleson, ended her reelection campaign Wednesday morning, citing an “unwinnable race” in a district that Republican lawmakers had redrawn to make a Democratic win impossible. “Under the new map that will remain intact … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Sen. Powell ends her re-election bid

CD34 special election set for June 14

Posted on April 6, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Wasting no time. Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday called a June 14 special election to replace former U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela, D-Brownsville, in a South Texas seat that Republicans are working to flip. The filing deadline for the special election … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Rules that can’t be enforced are just suggestions

Posted on April 6, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

This is ridiculous. Sugar Land Mayor Joe Zimmerman’s dual roles as a member of the Houston region’s transportation planning board and consultant at an engineering company will not receive further scrutiny by the local board after staff concluded the panel … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Rules that can’t be enforced are just suggestions

Texas drone law ruled unconstitutional

Posted on April 4, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I love coming across a story like this and then realizing it’s an update to something I had blogged about a couple of years ago. A Texas law that limits the use of remotely piloted drones to capture images is … Continue reading →

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

SCOTx declines to save Chick-fil-A

Posted on April 3, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

But they didn’t kill off the possibility of it being saved, either. Conservative activists suing the City of San Antonio alleging it violated the Texas “Save Chick-fil-a” law have not presented evidence of a violation, the Texas State Supreme Court … Continue reading →

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

What’s on the ballot for the May statewide special election

Posted on March 31, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Yes, you will have a reason to vote this May. It’s a statewide special constitutional amendment election, thanks to the most recent special session. Here’s what’s on tap. Voters will head to the polls starting April 25 to decide whether … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Abortion funds accuse Briscoe Cain of defamation

Posted on March 30, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

This ought to be fun. Earlier this month, Republican Texas House lawmaker Briscoe Cain sent Texas abortion funds cease-and-desist letters, threatening the funds, their donors and volunteers with criminal prosecution unless they stopped helping fund abortions in Texas. Now, the … Continue reading →

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

Paxton appeals to SCOTx to re-allow investigations of trans kids’ families

Posted on March 25, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Of course he did. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has asked the state Supreme Court to intervene to allow child abuse investigations into parents of transgender children. His request comes just days after a Texas appeals court reinstated a temporary injunction blocking the … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Paxton appeals to SCOTx to re-allow investigations of trans kids’ families

More on the abortion funds’ lawsuits

Posted on March 25, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Good overview in the WaPo. The Texas law has so far withstood multiple court challenges by employing a highly controversial legal strategy: empowering private citizens to sue anyone who helps facilitate an abortion after the legal limit. Abortion rights advocates … Continue reading →

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

Fifth Circuit asks SCOTx for help on some SB1 issues

Posted on March 25, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

The Twitter summary: . Here are the questions the 5th Circuit asked the Texas Supremes to answer: https://ca5.uscourts.gov/opinions/unpub/22/22-50110.0.pdf — Chuck Lindell (@chucklindell) 2:45 PM – 23 March 2022 To recap the history here, back in September a group of plaintiffs … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Fifth Circuit asks SCOTx for help on some SB1 issues

SCOTx hearing on state redistricting lawsuits

Posted on March 24, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

The state lawsuits over the “county line rule” in Cameron County and the Eckhardt/Gutierrez “decennial redistricting only in a regular session” contention had a hearing before the State Supreme Court over whether these suits can be heard in state district … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on SCOTx hearing on state redistricting lawsuits

Yes, the statewide injunction against investigations into the families of trans kids is in effect

Posted on March 23, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Good. A Texas appeals court on Monday reinstated a temporary injunction blocking Texas from investigating parents for child abuse if they allow their transgender children to receive gender-affirming care. The Texas 3rd Court of Appeals issued the order as part of a lawsuit brought … Continue reading →

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

On gender affirming care and fertility

Posted on March 22, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

The more you know… The fertility of transgender youths in Texas was thrust into the spotlight recently after state leaders issued a directive designating gender-affirming care as child abuse that infringed on a person’s “fundamental right to procreation.” Medical interventions … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on On gender affirming care and fertility

Abortion funds file their own lawsuits

Posted on March 20, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

It’s good to fight back. I hope it can be successful. This week, the Lilith Fund and Texas Equal Access Fund, two of Texas’ oldest abortion funds, announced legal action (available to view here, here, here, and here) against two private individuals in Texas and two organizations based … Continue reading →

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

How anti-trans are Republicans anyway?

Posted on March 20, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

There’s polling evidence to suggest the issue is more nuanced than you might think, but actions always speak louder than poll numbers. Republicans surveyed by the left-leaning polling firm Data for Progress are nearly evenly split on whether the government … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on How anti-trans are Republicans anyway?

Still more on the mail ballot rejections

Posted on March 19, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

The Associated Press moves the ball forward now that the votes have been canvassed. Texas threw out mail votes at an abnormally high rate during the nation’s first primary of 2022, rejecting nearly 23,000 ballots outright under tougher voting rules … Continue reading →

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

Appeals court upholds school district mask mandates

Posted on March 19, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe not the most timely ruling ever, but still nice. An appellate court on Thursday sided with Texas school districts in their dispute with state officials over mask mandates, which numerous school systems have already lifted as pandemic conditions have eased. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Appeals court upholds school district mask mandates

Why the business response to the state’s right wing assault has been so muted

Posted on March 17, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

A really good in depth article on the subject from the tech press, which is a source I hadn’t thought about for this before. When Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in February directed state agencies to investigate anyone who provides gender-affirming treatment to transgender … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Why the business response to the state’s right wing assault has been so muted

Is that statewide injunction against investigations into the families of trans kids in effect?

Posted on March 16, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Ken Paxton wants you to think it isn’t, but it’s not really up to him. When a judge ruled Friday that Texas could not investigate parents for child abuse simply for providing gender-affirming care, it was immediately clear that the … Continue reading →

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

Can Beto legalize pot?

Posted on March 16, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

He’s gonna try. It’s not entirely up to him, though. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke is making Texans a promise: If they elect him as governor, he’ll legalize marijuana. Shortly after his resounding victory in Tuesday night’s primary, O’Rourke asked … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Can Beto legalize pot?

More data about mail ballot rejections

Posted on March 13, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Keep it coming. Thousands of Texans who attempted to vote by mail in the March primary were disenfranchised in the state’s first election conducted under a new Republican voting law. The state’s largest counties saw a significant spike in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Statewide injunction issued against Abbott/Paxton witch hunt

Posted on March 12, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Some good news to end the week. State District Judge Amy Clark Meachum ruled Friday that providing gender-affirming care is not a reason for the state to investigate a family for child abuse, and halted all such investigations. The statewide … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Statewide injunction issued against Abbott/Paxton witch hunt

SCOTx puts the last nail in the federal lawsuit against SB8

Posted on March 12, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

The fix was in from the beginning. The Texas Supreme Court dealt a final blow to abortion providers’ federal challenge to the state’s latest abortion restrictions Friday. The court ruled that state medical licensing officials do not have authority to … Continue reading →

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

The rejected mail ballots of Bexar County

Posted on March 12, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I have four things to say about this. Bexar County rejected mail-in ballots at roughly ten times the rate it did before the passage of the state’s new voting law last year. Before Senate Bill 1 took effect, with its … Continue reading →

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

Ken Paxton repays the Briggle family for their hospitality

Posted on March 11, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

What a scumbag he is. When the case worker asked to inspect the house, Amber and Adam Briggle first led her to the kitchen. They opened the cabinets to show they were full of food. They moved on to the … Continue reading →

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

Appeals court denies Paxton appeal of gender affirming care order

Posted on March 10, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Good. A Texas appeals court sided with the parents of a transgender teenager in a ruling Wednesday, rejecting Attorney General Ken Paxton’s efforts to allow a child abuse investigation to proceed. The ruling will allow a lower court to hold … Continue reading →

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

And more people are travelling for abortions

Posted on March 10, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

The number of abortions performed in Texas has declined greatly since the passage of SB8. But the number of Texans seeking abortions has remained the same, which is what abortion advocates have always said would be the case. The number … Continue reading →

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

Longoria to resign as Election Administrator

Posted on March 9, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Ultimately for the best. Harris County Elections Administrator Isabel Longoria submitted her resignation Tuesday, about an hour and half after Judge Lina Hidalgo announced she intended to replace her following last week’s bungled primary contests. Longoria said her resignation would … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2022, Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Longoria to resign as Election Administrator

Students against banning books

Posted on March 9, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. For high school senior Gabrielle Izu, Texas’ public school book bans feel personal. The books Texas is targeting — mainly novels that focus on discussions of race, sexual orientation and gender identity … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Four file for the HCC special election

Posted on March 9, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Monday was the filing deadline. On Saturday, May 7, 2022, Houston Community College System (“HCC”) will hold a special election to fill a vacancy for the HCC Board of Trustees position in geographic district II for the unexpired term through … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Four file for the HCC special election

Paxton appeals gender affirming care order

Posted on March 5, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Of course he did. Attorney General Ken Paxton filed for an appeal Thursday after a state judge blocked Texas’ child protection agency from investigating the parents of a transgender teenager who received gender-affirming medical care. District Judge Amy Clark Meachum … Continue reading →

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

More people are choosing the medical abortion option

Posted on March 5, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

It’s not like there are good alternatives right now in Texas. The demand for abortion-inducing medication spiked in the month after Texas significantly limited abortion access and has remained high since, according to new data from a researcher at the … Continue reading →

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