Tag Archives: Election 2018

SCOTUS takes on Wisconsin partisan gerrymandering case

Posted on June 20, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Monday’s big news. Partisan gerrymandering exists because the Supreme Court allows it to exist. Although such gerrymanders are a form a viewpoint discrimination, which violates the First Amendment, Republican appointees to the Supreme Court have been reluctant to even let … Continue reading →

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Collier makes it official

Posted on June 20, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Mike Collier announces his entry into the race for Lt. Governor. Democrat Mike Collier officially announced his bid for the position in Round Rock Saturday afternoon. A large crowd of supporters came to the Sharon Prete Main Street Plaza to … Continue reading →

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Two (so far) for SD10

Posted on June 19, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s what we learn in this Star-Telegram story about incumbent Sen. Konni Burton’s intent to run for re-election. At least two Democrats already have announced their intention to seek Burton’s seat. Allison Campolo, a research scientist and teaching assistant at … Continue reading →

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An interesting shift in approval ratings for state leaders

Posted on June 18, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

More UT/Trib poll data: The figurative wrestling match between the state’s top three officials jiggled their approval ratings, but not by much, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. Gov. Greg Abbott remains the highest rated of the … Continue reading →

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El Paso County Judge considering a run for Congress

Posted on June 18, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

She’s not running for re-election, so that seems the most likely next step. El Paso County Judge Veronica Escobar won’t seek re-election, she said Monday, adding she is exploring a run for Congress. “I am looking closely at the congressional … Continue reading →

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Precinct analysis: SBOE districts

Posted on June 12, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

There are 15 members on the State Board of Education, five Democrats and ten Republicans. Of those ten Republican-held seats, four of them were in districts that were interesting in 2016: Dist Incumbent Clinton Trump Obama Romney ================================================= SBOE5 Mercer … Continue reading →

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An SB4 threefer

Posted on June 12, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

We have our first SB4 casualty. A 15,000-member association of attorneys and law professors said on Wednesday that it is relocating its 2018 convention out of Texas in response to the state legislature passing Senate bill 4, a sweeping and … Continue reading →

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Voter ID plaintiffs ask court to void the law

Posted on June 8, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

As well they should. Lawyers for minority voters and politicians asked a federal judge Wednesday to void the Texas voter ID law, saying it is the next logical step for a statute found to be discriminatory. The lawyers also said … Continue reading →

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Abbott calls for special session

Posted on June 7, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

To begin July 18, with a laundry list of wingnut wet dreams. Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday called a special session of the Texas Legislature starting July 18 and promised to make it a sweeping one if lawmakers cooperate. Abbott … Continue reading →

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David Bradley not running for re-election to SBOE

Posted on June 7, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Good-bye. Beaumont Republican David Bradley, one of the State Board of Education’s most conservative members, announced Monday that he will not seek reelection Monday. First elected in 1996, Bradley said he has gotten tired of rehashing old debates on the … Continue reading →

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Republicans are a little freaked out over Texas Congressional redistricting possibilities

Posted on June 6, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I referenced this Trib story in last Friday’s post about the state declining to do a special session on redistricting, which at least some members of Congress from Texas would have liked. There was more to this story, which I … Continue reading →

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Matt Rinaldi holds a swing seat

Posted on June 5, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Just something to keep in mind. State Rep. Matt Rinaldi’s scuffle Monday with Hispanic lawmakers is already putting a bright spotlight on his House district — and whether he can hold on to it in 2018. Rinaldi, an Irving Republican, … Continue reading →

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Dayna Steele is in for CD36

Posted on June 3, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Hooray! Hilton at 10:30 a.m. It was during the Women’s March on Washington, one day after President Donald Trump’s inauguration, that Steele said she was inspired to take action. Following a few months of research, including conversations with her family … Continue reading →

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More big employers against a bathroom bill

Posted on June 1, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t know what it will take to get this message to sink in, but it won’t be for lack of trying. The CEOs of 14 top companies, including Facebook, Apple, Microsoft and Amazon, have sent a letter to Gov. … Continue reading →

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Are we headed for a special session?

Posted on May 31, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe. Who knows? We’ll find out soon enough. Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday promised to make an announcement “later this week” on whether he will call a special session. “I can tell you this, and that is when it gets … Continue reading →

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5th Court rules Paxton judge overstepped

Posted on May 31, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Yet another bizarre turn in this increasingly bizarre case. A state appeals court sided Tuesday with Attorney General Ken Paxton in his bid for a new judge in his securities fraud case, ruling the current judge lost jurisdiction when he … Continue reading →

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Session ends in chaos

Posted on May 30, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Seems fitting. The normally ceremonial last day of this year’s regular session of the Texas Legislature briefly descended into chaos on Monday, as proceedings in the House were disrupted by large protests and at least one Republican representative called immigration … Continue reading →

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No Metro vote this year

Posted on May 27, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

One less to worry about. Agency officials expect to begin public meetings to gather input on where expanded bus and rail lines might go in late June. But the critical public response – the money to fund preferred projects via … Continue reading →

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No special session for redistricting

Posted on May 26, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Buried in my Wednesday post about the SCOTUS ruling that declared North Carolina’s Congressional map to be an illegal gerrymander was a note that the court in the Texas redistricting case asked the state to consider a special session to … Continue reading →

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House passes Voter ID 2.0

Posted on May 25, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Some minor changes, but the same basic idea. The Texas House on Tuesday tentatively approved legislation to overhaul the state’s embattled voter identification law, moving it one step closer to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk. Senate Bill 5 would in several … Continue reading →

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The SCOTUS ruling on North Carolina’s gerrymandering could affect Texas

Posted on May 24, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

This is potentially a very big deal. In striking down North Carolina’s congressional district map, the Supreme Court sent Texas a firm warning Monday about how the state’s case may fare if it reaches that stage. The 5-3 North Carolina … Continue reading →

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Amendment focused on school bathrooms passes the House

Posted on May 23, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I had some hope that we could make it through this session without something like this happening, but clearly we could not. Amid threats of a special legislative session over the “bathroom bill,” the Texas House on Sunday took a … Continue reading →

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Judge Jordan deserves to have his position in the bail lawsuit represented

Posted on May 22, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I have problems with this. The only Harris County judge to fight the county’s defense of its controversial bail system has been notified he will not get his own lawyer to appeal the high-profile federal lawsuit that has divided county … Continue reading →

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It’s HB2 all over again

Posted on May 20, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Here we go again. GOP House lawmakers took a sweeping approach to anti-abortion legislation on Friday, preliminarily passing a measure that would ban the most common form of a second-trimester procedure and change how health care providers dispose of fetal … Continue reading →

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Culberson’s stock purchase

Posted on May 20, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting. In a heated confirmation hearing for then-Georgia U.S. Rep. Tom Price for Secretary of Health and Human Services, Democrats raised pointed questions about the congressman’s trading in stocks of companies regulated by the House committees he serves on. One … Continue reading →

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Senate passes ban on straight-ticket voting

Posted on May 19, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

It’s happening. The Texas Senate gave initial approval Wednesday to legislation that would eliminate straight-ticket voting in all elections. By a vote of 20-10, senators passed House Bill 25 over objections from Democrats who warned of unintended consequences — including … Continue reading →

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Patrick takes some hostages

Posted on May 18, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

This is what passes for leadership in our state. With deadlines looming, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on Wednesday threatened to push for a special session of the Legislature to pass a bill to regulate bathroom use for transgender Texans and … Continue reading →

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So who might run for Cornyn’s Senate seat?

Posted on May 15, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The short answer is “pretty much anyone”, but there are several names that are on top of everyone’s list of imagined candidates. At least three members of the U.S. House are mulling a run for a possible U.S. Senate vacancy, … Continue reading →

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Two more campaigns launched in CD07

Posted on May 14, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Two from the inbox. First, from Tuesday: Laura Moser, writer and founder of the resistance tool Daily Action, formally launched her congressional campaign for District 7 at a happy hour on Monday in Houston, Texas. “It’s time to send someone to … Continue reading →

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SB4 is what you get when you vote for Greg Abbott

Posted on May 14, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

This is me, shaking my head. Duque, who is Latina and Catholic, represents two constituencies Abbott courted during his campaign. The same constituencies strongly opposed the sanctuary cities ban, which Abbott made an emergency item in January and championed throughout … Continue reading →

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Dowd declines to run for Senate

Posted on May 14, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Not a surprise. Matthew Dowd, a political commentator and former strategist for George W. Bush, announced Wednesday that he will not challenge U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, in 2018. Dowd had been considering an independent run against Cruz, who is … Continue reading →

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Cornyn on shortlist to replace Comey

Posted on May 13, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting. U.S. Sen. John Cornyn is on the short list to succeed James Comey as FBI director, according to a White House official. Cornyn is one of about 11 contenders for the post, according to Fox News. He has strong … Continue reading →

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Bill to allow discrimination in adoptions and foster care passes the House

Posted on May 11, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Shameful. Under House Bill 3859, which advanced on a 94-51 vote, providers would be protected from legal retaliation if they assert their “sincerely held religious beliefs” while caring for abused and neglected children. The measure would allow them to place … Continue reading →

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Harris County will continue to fight bail lawsuit

Posted on May 10, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Harris County has appealed a federal civil rights lawsuit that challenged the county’s bail system, despite rising legal costs that have neared $3 million. After a heated discussion and a closed-door meeting Tuesday, Harris County Commissioners … Continue reading →

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