Tag Archives: lawsuit

More on the motion to dismiss the felony bail lawsuit

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Should get a ruling soon. The bulk of Harris County’s felony judges sought Monday to get the federal case against them dismissed, saying they should not be party to the challenge on how bail is determined for thousands of poor … Continue reading →

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

Third lawsuit filed against Abbott’s order to limit mail ballot dropoff sites

Posted on October 7, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

This one’s in state court. Gov. Greg Abbott’s order limiting Texas counties to one mail ballot drop-off location has been challenged in court a third time. The lawsuit filed in Travis County court on Monday alleges that Abbott’s order exceeds … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

How not to be “ground zero” for voter suppression

Posted on October 5, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

It starts with winning elections. Which would be easier to do if Republicans weren’t hell-bent on making it hard to vote, but then that’s why they do what they do. Fewer and fewer states are standing with Texas as it … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Second lawsuit filed against Abbott’s mail ballot dropoff order

Posted on October 4, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

From Chuck Lindell on Twitter, on Saturday afternoon: We have a 2nd federal lawsuit against Gov. Abbott’s order limiting counties to 1 drop-off location for mail-in ballots, this one from the Texas Alliance for Retired Americans. Petition: https://democracydocket.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/45/2020/10/Straty-v.-Abbott.pdf Background: — … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Abbott moves to stop mail ballot dropoff locations

Posted on October 2, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t know about you, but this reeks of fear to me. Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday declared that counties can designate only one location to collect completed mail ballots from voters, forcing Harris County to abandon 11 sites set … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 37 Comments

And straight ticket voting is off again

Posted on October 1, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

No surprise, but boy are we all getting whiplash over here. Texas voters will not be able to select every candidate of a major political party with one punch, a federal appeals court ruled Wednesday, upholding a 2017 state law … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Paxton opposes Hotze mandamus to curb early voting

Posted on September 30, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

From Reform Austin: In a brief filed with the Texas Supreme Court, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton argues that the GOP group suing Gov. Greg Abbott to prevent him from extending early voting for the November election has no standing … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Of course the Fifth Circuit paused the straight ticket voting ruling

Posted on September 29, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Water is wet, the sky is blue, the Fifth Circuit gives Ken Paxton whatever he asks. A federal appeals court on Monday put a temporary hold on a lower court’s ruling last week that reinstated the practice of straight-ticket voting, … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Hotze’s latest Supreme Court gambit

Posted on September 29, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

He has nothing else to do, clearly. A litigious conservative activist in Houston, the Harris County Republican party, and a number of Republican officials and candidates are asking the Texas Supreme Court to limit in-person and absentee voting options for … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Paxton appeals stright ticket voting ruling

Posted on September 28, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Letting no moss grow. The Texas Attorney General’s office filed an appeal and motion to stay Saturday following a federal judge’s order to reinstate straight ticket voting ahead of the November general election. Lawyers representing the Texas Secretary of State … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Paxton appeals stright ticket voting ruling

Hey, look, it’s online voter registration!

Posted on September 27, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

And they said it couldn’t be done. When Jarrod Stringer updated his driver’s license address in 2014, the Texas Department of Public Safety website asked if he wanted to register to vote. He clicked yes and thought he was registered. … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

October Census deadline restored

Posted on September 27, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Good news, though as with everything we can’t be sure just yet that it’s for real. A federal judge in California late Thursday blocked the Trump administration from stopping the 2020 Census count next week, saying it should continue until … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on October Census deadline restored

Straight ticket voting reinstated (for now)

Posted on September 26, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

That was unexpected. Less than three weeks before early voting begins in Texas, a U.S. district judge has blocked the state from eliminating straight-ticket voting as an option for people who go to the polls this November. In a ruling … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Hotze and crew appeal to SCOTX to stop the extra week of early voting

Posted on September 24, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Here we go again. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott is facing a lawsuit over his extension of early voting for the November election from prominent members of his own party — including state party Chairman Allen West, Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

A matter of timing

Posted on September 20, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

That’s the stated reason why SCOTX overturned the earlier decision that booted three Green Party candidates off the ballot. The Texas Supreme Court in a new opinion Friday explained its decision to reinstate to the November ballot Green Party candidates … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Green Party owes Ken Paxton a thank-you note

Posted on September 18, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

He did them a solid, that’s for sure. In the legal fight to exclude minor party candidates from the November ballot, Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton took a flexible view of time and deadlines. After the Texas GOP filed suit … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Lawsuit filed over gun sign law

Posted on September 17, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

This is interesting. A church in Clear Lake and a coffeeshop in the Heights are challenging a Texas law that dictates how no-gun signs are displayed. Bay Area Unitarian Universalist Church and Antidote Coffee allege the signs private properties need … Continue reading →

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

SCOTX puts Greens back on the ballot

Posted on September 16, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

That sound you hear is my head spinning. The Texas Supreme Court has ordered three Green Party candidates to be restored to the November ballot after Democrats successfully sued to remove them. Last month, a state appeals court sided with the … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 23 Comments

Scrambling to finish the Census

Posted on September 13, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a hell of a job, and it’s so important. With a deadline looming for local governments to complete a population count for the 2020 Census, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner is warning that the city could miss out on billions … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters, The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Scrambling to finish the Census

Fifth Circuit rejects age discrimination claims in vote by mail lawsuit

Posted on September 12, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

This is pretty much the end of the line, at least as far as the courts are concerned. A three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Thursday that Texas can keep its strict eligibility rules for … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Fifth Circuit rejects age discrimination claims in vote by mail lawsuit

State appeals court rules (mostly) against Libertarians in filing fee lawsuit

Posted on September 11, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the story. It gets into the legal weeds, and I’m going to try my best to clear them out. A state appellate court this week upheld a 2019 law that extended a requirement that candidates pay a filing fee … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

A win for those with lousy signatures

Posted on September 10, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Some good news on the voting litigation front. As Texas prepares for an expected deluge of mail-in votes in November, a federal judge has found that one facet of the state’s signature verification rules for those ballots is unconstitutional and … Continue reading →

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

They just don’t want you to vote by mail

Posted on September 9, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

It’s okay if you’re a Republican, of course. As states across the country scramble to make voting safer in a pandemic, Texas is in the small minority of those requiring voters who want to cast their ballots by mail to … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 19 Comments

Census shenanigans halted for now

Posted on September 8, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Good. [On] Saturday, US District Judge Lucy Koh issued a temporary restraining order to stop Census Bureau officials from winding down door-knocking and online, phone, and mail response collection by September 30—a month early—writing that the shortened census timeline could … Continue reading →

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

Libertarians will stay on the ballot

Posted on September 6, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Sorry, Republicans. You were too late after all. The Texas Supreme Court on Saturday rejected an attempt by Republicans to kick 44 Libertarians off the ballot in the November elections. Several Republican Party candidates and organizations had sued to remove … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Yes, bail reform is good

Posted on September 6, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the first pieces of evidence, from Harris County, to support that. A new report examining the impact of recent changes to bail practices in Harris County found that releasing more misdemeanor defendants from jail without requiring cash bail did … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Wait, there’s a Census going on?

Posted on September 5, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I smack my forehead so hard. Through a small notice tucked into the state’s business register, Texas appears to have acknowledged that the 2020 census count is going badly. With just a month of counting to go in the crucial … Continue reading →

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

More on the Republican attempt to defenestrate the Libertarians

Posted on September 3, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

From the Statesman: Republican candidates and organizations are asking the Texas Supreme Court to remove 41 members of the Libertarian Party from the November ballots. All of the Libertarians are ineligible to run, the GOP argues, because they failed to … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Another example of why bail reform is needed

Posted on September 2, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

This is troubling in a lot of ways, but fortunately there is a path forward. Since November, eight defendants fresh out of jail on bond have walked into state District Judge Ramona Franklin’s court and been sent right back to … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Fifth Circuit hears arguments on vote by mail case

Posted on September 1, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

One more try before it’s too late to make a difference for this year. The Texas Democratic Party’s lawyer argued today before a federal appeals court that the state is unlawfully discriminating against the majority of the voting-age population by … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Plaintiffs prevail again in Motor Voter Lawsuit 2.0

Posted on August 30, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Same result as before, this time without the technicality that got the first try thrown out on appeal. A persistent Texas voter, twice thwarted when he tried registering to vote while renewing his driver’s license online, has for the second … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Plaintiffs prevail again in Motor Voter Lawsuit 2.0

SOS objects to Hollins’ mail ballot application plan

Posted on August 29, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I suppose this was inevitable. In a letter dated Aug. 27, Keith Ingram, director of elections for the Texas secretary of state, told Harris County to “immediately halt” its plans to send every registered voter in the county an application … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Republicans go to Supreme Court to remove Libertarian candidates

Posted on August 29, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

If at first you don’t succeed, make up a new statutory deadline that you claim is the real date that matters. About a week after Texas Democrats took several Green Party candidates to court and had them knocked off the … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Once again, please pay some attention to the Railroad Commissioner race

Posted on August 29, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

It does matter. The Republican candidate running to join the Texas oil and gas regulatory agency has run afoul of state environmental rules and is embroiled in a series of lawsuits accusing him of fraud in the oil patch. Jim … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Once again, please pay some attention to the Railroad Commissioner race