Tag Archives: Greg Abbott

“Fetal remains” rule blocked

Posted on January 29, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Good. U.S. District Court Judge Sam Sparks ruled Texas cannot require health providers to bury or cremate fetuses, delivering another blow to state leaders in the reproductive rights debate. On Friday afternoon, Sparks wrote in his ruling that Texas Department … Continue reading →

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Sheriff Hernandez not backing down

Posted on January 27, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Good for her. Travis County Sheriff Sally Hernandez indicated Thursday she is not backing away from her recently introduced “sanctuary” policy. Her comments came a day after Gov. Greg Abbott proposed the removal of Hernandez, who announced Friday she would … Continue reading →

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Abbott goes authoritarian

Posted on January 26, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I suppose this shouldn’t surprise me, but it is still shocking, even in the world we now inhabit. Gov. Greg Abbott said Wednesday that he and state lawmakers will pursue legislation that would “remove from office any officeholder who promotes … Continue reading →

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Abbott versus Travis County

Posted on January 25, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

This could get ugly. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is formally demanding that Travis County Sheriff Sally Hernandez reverse her new policy on cooperation with federal immigration authorities or lose state dollars, further escalating a showdown over “sanctuary cities” that have … Continue reading →

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A warning from North Carolina

Posted on January 22, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Are we listening? A North Carolina mayor issued a warning Thursday to Texas lawmakers concerning Senate Bill 6, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick’s anti-transgender bathroom bill. Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan said a similar law in the Tarheel State — House Bill … Continue reading →

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State Supreme Court will take up same sex marriage appeal

Posted on January 21, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Somehow, this wasn’t the worst thing that happened yesterday. After pressure from Texas GOP leadership, the all-Republican Texas Supreme Court on Friday reversed course and agreed to take up a same-sex marriage case. Despite the U.S. Supreme Court’s legalization of … Continue reading →

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

Paxton courts the business lobby

Posted on January 19, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Not sure what to make of this. Making his case for the “bathroom bill” to Texas business leaders, Attorney General Ken Paxton said Tuesday that Senate Bill 6 would have a narrow focus, and he urged them to listen to … Continue reading →

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Patrick will run for re-election in 2018

Posted on January 12, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

In case you were worried that he was planning to “spend more time with his family”, or whatever. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick formally announced Monday he’s running for re-election, looking to finally quell speculation he’s interested in higher office. “Put … Continue reading →

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This fight feels different

Posted on January 9, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The more I read about the forthcoming fight between Dan Patrick and his minions and everyone else over the bathroom bill, the more I am struck by the thought that we have never seen anything quite like this before in … Continue reading →

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Patrick plunges ahead with his potty bill

Posted on January 6, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Brace yourselves. After months of sparring over whether transgender Texans should be allowed to use bathrooms that align with their gender identity, Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on Thursday officially set the legislative stage for the debate. Following North Carolina’s … Continue reading →

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“Fetal remains” rule still on hold

Posted on January 5, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Take all the time you need. As he considers a final ruling on the state’s fetal remains burial rule, U.S. District Court Judge Sam Sparks is delaying the start date of the rule for at least another three weeks. On … Continue reading →

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Another take on the potty drama

Posted on December 29, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Ross Ramsey plunges in, and no I don’t regret that at all. Gov. Greg Abbott wants lawmakers to take a bathroom break, and you can’t blame him for trying to find relief. The next legislative session hasn’t even started and … Continue reading →

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Lawsuit over secular nativity display will proceed

Posted on December 27, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Merry secular Christmas, y’all. A lawsuit is moving forward against Gov. Greg Abbott over his order to remove a satirical nativity scene from the Texas Capitol last year. A federal judge ruled Tuesday that the Freedom From Religion Foundation, the … Continue reading →

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Texas follows through on threat to pull Medicaid funds from Planned Parenthood

Posted on December 21, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

More than a year after the initial threat was made. Clearly, you can’t rush these things. After more than a year of delays, Texas is officially kicking Planned Parenthood out of the state’s Medicaid program. In a move that could … Continue reading →

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Galveston wants a bag ban

Posted on December 18, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Good luck. Reacting to a groundswell of concern about the effect of plastic bags on the environment, Galveston is on the forefront of a statewide controversy over cities’ ability to ban plastic bags that are killing turtles, birds and fouling … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Abbott says something about bathrooms

Posted on December 14, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Typically wishy-washy of him. Gov. Greg Abbott is adopting a wait-and-see approach about anticipated legislation that would prohibit transgender people in Texas from using the bathroom that corresponds with their gender identity. “I have not seen any proposed legislation yet,” … Continue reading →

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The costs of the “fetal remains” rule

Posted on December 4, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

This is going to cost a lot of people a lot of money. State health officials have contended that the “minimum costs in complying with the rules” would total $450 a year per health care facility, arguing that those costs … Continue reading →

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“Fetal remains” rule goes into effect

Posted on November 29, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Cue up that next lawsuit. Texas’ proposed rules requiring the cremation or burial of fetal remains will take effect Dec. 19, according to state health officials. Despite intense outcry from the medical community and reproductive rights advocates, the state will … Continue reading →

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Texting while driving ban bills filed again

Posted on November 27, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll see if this gets a different result. Drivers know the risks, and in more than 95 Texas counties they live under local cell phone ordinances that ban texting while driving. But the Lone Star State remains one of four … Continue reading →

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Pot bills get their own post

Posted on November 20, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

They got their own story in the Trib, so why not their own post. Texas lawmakers across the state say they want leniency in how the state prosecutes marijuana crimes. In an interview with Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith Monday, … Continue reading →

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As long as we’re talking about improving our voting machines

Posted on November 16, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Then this is what we should be talking about. [Travis] County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir called Rice University computer science professor Dan Wallach, who has been poking holes in voting-machine security for years. He’s testified before Congress on the subject. Now … Continue reading →

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“Denied”, continued

Posted on November 6, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s Part 2 of the Chron’s reporting on special education limits. A few days before school began here in 2007, district administrators called an emergency staff meeting. The Texas Education Agency had determined that they had too many students in … Continue reading →

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

Wait, who supports paper ballots now?

Posted on November 3, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. Following repeated allegations by Republican Donald Trump that the election may be rigged to ensure a win for Democrat Hillary Clinton, Texas lawmakers are actively considering ways to boost confidence in the … Continue reading →

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Republicans take their desperate shot at limiting same sex marriage

Posted on October 29, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Pathetic. After coming out on the losing end of a United States Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage, Texas Republican leaders are now looking to the Texas Supreme Court to narrow the scope of that landmark ruling. Gov. Greg Abbott, … Continue reading →

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State moves to withdraw Syrian refugee lawsuit

Posted on October 12, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Good, though at this point it probably doesn’t matter. A week after the state officially withdrewfrom the nation’s refugee resettlement program, Texas has moved to end its legal battle over Syrian refugees. In a short, three-page motion, Texas on Friday … Continue reading →

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“Grab her by the p—-“

Posted on October 8, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Donald Trump, ladies and gentlemen: Donald Trump bragged in vulgar terms about kissing, groping and trying to have sex with women during a 2005 conversation caught on a hot microphone, saying that “when you’re a star, they let you do … Continue reading →

Posted in The making of the President | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 34 Comments

Superintendents begin speaking out against special education limits

Posted on October 4, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Good for them. The leaders of two of the state’s biggest school districts are calling on the Texas Education Agency to stop penalizing districts for giving specialized education to more kids than the agency has deemed prudent. Superintendents Michael Hinojosa … Continue reading →

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Greg Abbott does not speak for all Texans on refugees

Posted on October 2, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Lots of people are moved to offer assistance to those who most need it. Nonprofits that resettle refugees say volunteer turnout has increased — in some cases dramatically — since Texas Republicans first suggested they threatened security. “It’s one of … Continue reading →

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More on Republican turnout concerns

Posted on September 30, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a thing that is happening, though it’s hard to say to what extent. On Monday, one of the most prominent Republicans in Texas has a warning for supporters that Texas could go blue this election. Governor Greg Abbott is … Continue reading →

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Clean Power Plan’s day in the DC court

Posted on September 30, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll see how it goes. Dozens of lawyers from the government, industry and public interest groups packed the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit, to hear the divisive case that comes just weeks before a heated presidential election … Continue reading →

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Back to court for the Clean Power Plan

Posted on September 27, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Here we go. One of the late Justice Antonin Scalia’s final acts on Earth may have been to doom it. Last February, on the final Tuesday of Scalia’s life, the Supreme Court handed down a 5–4 decision suspending the Obama … Continue reading →

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The next abortion lawsuit should be on its way

Posted on September 26, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

We were warned it would need to happen. Despite intense outcry from the medical community, reproductive rights advocates and funeral directors, Texas isn’t budging on a proposed rule to require the cremation or burial of fetal remains. Following an initial … Continue reading →

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School district to join lawsuit over STAAR test

Posted on September 25, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting. Ben Becker, the Houston father who helped organize a legal fight over last year’s STAAR exams, has repeatedly challenged superintendents over the last few months to join him in court to fight for their students. Becker describes his group … Continue reading →

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We continue to cower in fear of Syrian refugees

Posted on September 22, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Sheesh. As part of its ongoing fight to keep Syrian refugees out of the state, Texas is threatening to withdraw from the nation’s refugee resettlement program if federal officials refuse to “unconditionally approve” a state plan requiring additional vetting of … Continue reading →

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