Tag Archives: The Lege

More on the corporate response to voter suppression

Posted on April 15, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

It’s an encouraging start, but there’s an obvious next step that has so far not been mentioned. With Republicans in Texas and other states continuing to advance restrictive election legislation, corporate chieftains around the country have stepped up their efforts … Continue reading →

Posted in National news, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

First attempt to redefine the governor’s powers in an emergency

Posted on April 15, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I’m still conflicted about this. The Texas Senate backed a potential constitutional amendment Tuesday that would substantially rein in the power of the governor during emergencies like this past year’s coronavirus pandemic. Texas voters would have to approve the amendment … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

ERCOT roundup

Posted on April 15, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Just a few stories of interest that I didn’t feel like putting in their own posts… ERCOT will argue it is immune from lawsuits. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas will argue that it has governmental immunity that protects it … Continue reading →

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

The propagandist’s advantage

Posted on April 14, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Discouraging, but we have to address the world as it is. Democratic state Sen. Royce West of Dallas was making a point. The number of prosecutions for voter fraud cases in the state of Texas is low. In its 15 … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 26 Comments

The economic effects of voter suppression

Posted on April 13, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

From Forbes magazine last week: The Texas economy could take a massive hit if the state enacts new voting restrictions—potentially costing the state’s economy tens of billions of dollars and tens of thousands of jobs—according to a study from the … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on The economic effects of voter suppression

More on the poll watcher problem

Posted on April 12, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

It’s all right here. You just have to pay attention to what they’re saying. As Texas Republican lawmakers seek to expand the powers of partisan poll watchers — and Democrats warn doing so will lead to intimidation of minority voters … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Bill to delay primaries passes Senate

Posted on April 12, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

As expected. The 2022 primary elections in Texas could be pushed back to April or May under a bill moving through the state Legislature. Because of delays in U.S. Census Bureau data needed to redraw the state’s congressional and legislative … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Bill to delay primaries passes Senate

Where are the stimulus funds for the schools?

Posted on April 11, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Ridiculous. For more than a year, the federal government has been pumping billions of dollars into school districts across the country to help them meet the demands of the pandemic. Most states have used that pot of stimulus funds as … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Appellate court redistricting bill withdrawn

Posted on April 10, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I had a post all ready to go yesterday with more on the bill to redistrict the appellate courts, and then this happened on Thursday night: . #SB11 redistricting the Texas appellate courts from 14 to 7 has been withdrawn. … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

House committee passes its voter suppression bill

Posted on April 9, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I remain pessimistic about this, but we have no choice but to fight. A Texas House committee on Thursday advanced an elections bill that would make it a state jail felony for local election officials to distribute an application to … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

More local pushback against SB7 and HB6

Posted on April 7, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Mayor Sylvester Turner invited a diverse group of elected officials, community leaders, and business executives to stand in solidarity against voter suppression bills in the Texas Legislature. More than 50 individuals and organizations have vowed to fight … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Leave me out of the ballgame

Posted on April 6, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

What a snowflake. Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday announced he would not throw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Texas Rangers’ home opening game and would boycott any other Major League Baseball events, citing the league’s decision to pull … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball, The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

The infrastructure bill and the Ike Dike

Posted on April 5, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

This is encouraging. President Joe Biden’s infrastructure plan sure seems to be considering building the Ike Dike. His $2 trillion plan includes improving and strengthening infrastructure in coastal areas most vulnerable during hurricane season. Biden pitched part of the American … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The infrastructure bill and the Ike Dike

Let’s get rid of Democratic appellate court justices

Posted on April 3, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

If that’s the Legislature’s goal, then this would be an effective way of accomplishing it. A Texas Senate committee [heard] public comment Thursday on a controversial proposal to consolidate the state’s 14 intermediate appellate courts into just seven, a move … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

MLB pulls 2021 All Star Game out of Georgia

Posted on April 3, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Well, well, well. Major League Baseball on Friday pulled this year’s All-Star Game out of Atlanta in protest of Georgia’s new restrictive voting law. The “Midsummer Classic” was set for July 13 at Truist Park, home of the Atlanta Braves, in addition to other … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball, National news | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The infrastructure bill and the power grid

Posted on April 3, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Of interest. President Joe Biden’s $2 trillion infrastructure plan could help rebuild Texas highways and ports and push broadband into rural parts of the state, where up to 31 percent of residents do not have access to high-speed internet. It … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The infrastructure bill and the power grid

First major vote suppression bill passes

Posted on April 2, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Nothing’s going to stop them. Senate Republicans on Thursday cleared the way for new, sweeping restrictions to voting in Texas that take particular aim at forbidding local efforts meant to widen access. In an overnight vote after more than seven … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Expanding telemedicine

Posted on April 2, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Seems like a good idea. Last year, rules temporarily changed in Texas allowing for additional types of doctor appointments to happen virtually. As the state returns to more normalcy, there are questions about whether that broader use of telemedicine will … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Expanding telemedicine

CCA to review Crystal Mason’s conviction

Posted on April 1, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Good. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has agreed to review the illegal voting conviction of Crystal Mason, a Tarrant County woman facing a five-year prison sentence for casting a provisional ballot in the 2016 election while she was on … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on CCA to review Crystal Mason’s conviction

A bit of business pushback against voter suppression

Posted on April 1, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a start, but much more is needed. A group of 72 Black business leaders are calling on companies to publicly oppose a series of bills being advanced by Republicans in at least 43 states that could dramatically curb access … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Assault on abortion advances in Senate

Posted on March 31, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I have four things to say about this. The Texas Senate gave initial approval Monday to a half-dozen bills that would restrict access to abortion, including a priority measure that could ban abortions before many women know they are pregnant. … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Freeze-related lawsuit filed against CenterPoint

Posted on March 31, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Of interest. Several more Houston families of victims of the February freeze are among the latest to sue CenterPoint Energy for allowing vulnerable people to languish without power during what were supposed to be brief blackouts. Travis Flowers, 66, and … Continue reading →

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

Winter storm death count now at 111

Posted on March 28, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

A revision of the numbers. Expect this to happen at least once more. At least 111 Texans died as a result of last month’s winter storm, according to updated numbers released Thursday by the state Department of State Health Services. … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege, The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Briscoe Cain follies

Posted on March 27, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes. The Texas House Elections Committee abruptly ended its meeting [Thursday] before about 200 people who traveled to the Capitol could testify on a controversial anti-voter fraud bill. Rep. Briscoe Cain, R-Deer Park, who chairs … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

Republicans will never hold Ken Paxton accountable for anything

Posted on March 27, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Don’t be a chump and expect them to. Texas lawmakers are preparing to arm Attorney General Ken Paxton with $43 million to fight Google in court. A key committee in the State Senate on Wednesday amended its proposed budget for … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Booze to go set to go

Posted on March 26, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Good. The Texas House has passed legislation that would allow restaurants to sell alcohol to go beyond the coronavirus pandemic. The chamber signed off on House Bill 1024 to permanently allow beer, wine and mixed drinks to be included in … Continue reading →

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

It’s Voter Suppression Week in the Senate

Posted on March 23, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Delayed by a day, but that won’t stop anything. Republican lawmakers in Texas are attempting to cement more bricks into the wall they hope will shield their hold on power from the state’s changing electorate. After more than 20 years … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Republicans take aim at bail reform

Posted on March 22, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Lots of bad ideas in here. Members of the Texas Senate Committee on Jurisprudence held their first hearing this week over Senate Bill 21, a controversial bail reform bill backed by Republicans. The purpose of the bill according to its … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 48 Comments

The next frontiers in anti-abortion law

Posted on March 21, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Why not attack the legal system while you’re at it? Texas lawmakers — pushing to drastically restrict abortion access — have included language in a priority bill meant to make it harder to block the law from taking effect and … Continue reading →

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

HISD Board wins again in court

Posted on March 21, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

They’re still a thing, and Mike Morath can’t do anything about it right now. The Houston ISD school board earned another win Friday in its effort to stave off Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath’s plan to replace it with an … Continue reading →

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

We have a poll that says people oppose more voting restrictions

Posted on March 20, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

A good sign, just remember our mantra about polls. As state Republicans push to restrict voting, a new poll shows a majority of Texans want more time to vote early and do not approve of threatening voters or those who … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

SCoTX punts on ERCOT lawsuit question

Posted on March 20, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Wimpy. The Texas Supreme Court punted Friday on a question dogging millions of Texans affected by last month’s catastrophic power failure: Can ERCOT, the state’s grid manager, be sued? The state’s highest court ruled 5-4 that it won’t decide — … Continue reading →

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

Our rinky-dink critical infrastructure

Posted on March 19, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Good Lord. On Valentine’s Day, the major utility that supplies electricity to West Texas readied for a severe winter storm. Hired contractors prepared to fix power lines, managers started up the storm emergency center, and operators reviewed the list of … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Republicans roll out their big voter suppression bill

Posted on March 17, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

They can’t do anything about blackouts or floods or COVID vaccinations, but they sure can do this. Joining a nationwide movement by Republicans to enact new restrictions on voting, Gov. Greg Abbott indicated Monday he will back legislation to outlaw … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments