Tag Archives: lawsuit

Greg Abbott to HISD: Drop dead

Posted on January 4, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I have four things to say about this. A post sent from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s Twitter account Thursday lambasted Houston ISD’s leadership as “a disaster” that has failed children in the state’s largest school district — a rare public … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Lina Hidalgo officially sworn in

Posted on January 3, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

It’s Judge Hidalgo now, thank you very much. Ushering in a new era of Democratic rule, Lina Hidalgo took the oath of office as Harris County judge early Tuesday, becoming the first Latina and first woman to lead the nation’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018, Local politics | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

Ridiculous anti-Obamacare ruling remains on hold

Posted on January 2, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

It is what it is. The federal judge in Texas who ruled the Affordable Care Act unconstitutional said today that the law can stand while his judgment is under appeal. In his order issuing a stay and final partial judgment … Continue reading →

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Orlando Sanchez’s bizarre press conference

Posted on December 30, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

What a weird thing. It was an absolutely wild afternoon for Harris County Treasurer Orlando Sanchez. He planned to have a news conference across the street from the HISD administration building, but things didn’t go as planned. Protestors showed up … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics, School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Paxton prosecutors take their shot at a do-over

Posted on December 29, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Good luck. In a fiery filing that amounts to a legal Hail Mary, the attorneys appointed to prosecute Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton implored the state’s highest criminal court to take the unusual step of considering their case again because … Continue reading →

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Recapture reinterpretation lawsuit update

Posted on December 23, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

This is a bit in the weeds, so bear with me. Houston ISD likely will keep an additional tens of millions of dollars more in property tax revenues each year following a widely expected Texas appeals court decision Friday. Judges … Continue reading →

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

And now we move forward with Prop B

Posted on December 20, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

No other option. Mayor Sylvester Turner said Wednesday his administration is moving forward to implement the voter-approved charter amendment granting Houston firefighters equal pay to police of corresponding rank and seniority, though the city has not yet determined when firefighters … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | 75 Comments

Restraining order lifted on firefighter pay referendum

Posted on December 19, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Back to the planning stage. A state district judge on Tuesday dissolved a temporary restraining order blocking implementation of the voter-approved charter amendment granting pay parity to Houston firefighters and denied further attempts by the city and police union to … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters, Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

The ACA decision

Posted on December 16, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Utterly ridiculous, and likely to be short-lived. A federal judge in Texas threw a dagger on Friday into the Affordable Care Act, ruling that the entire health-care law is unconstitutional because of a recent change in federal tax law. The … Continue reading →

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

The Blake Farenthold Memorial Sexual Harassment Bill

Posted on December 16, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

That’s what this should be called. Less than a year after Corpus Christi Republican Blake Farenthold left Congress behind with an $84,000 settlement for sexual harassment, the House and Senate have agreed to make lawmakers pay their own misconduct judgments. … Continue reading →

Posted in National news, Scandalized! | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

HISD rejects partnership idea

Posted on December 15, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

The die is cast. Houston ISD trustees narrowly voted Thursday to not seek proposals from outside organizations to run long-struggling schools, a decision that keeps those campuses under local control but sets the stage for a possible state takeover of … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

From the “Needlessly overstated answers to simple questions” department

Posted on December 9, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this: Tony Buzbee, a Houston lawyer who recently announced his plan to run for mayor next year, has offered to “mediate” a long-running pay dispute between the city and firefighters, one week after … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 21 Comments

Spec’s sues TABC

Posted on December 9, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Another lawsuit to watch. The state’s largest liquor chain — Spec’s Wine, Spirits and Finer Foods — is suing the Texas Alcohol Beverage Commission for “abusive regulatory overreach” over an enforcement action that dragged on for almost two years before … Continue reading →

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

How Dems took Hays County

Posted on December 8, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Three cheers for Texas State University. As the dust settles after last week’s election, the political identity of Hays County hangs in the balance: Is it red or blue? The rapidly growing Central Texas suburban county — Texas’ 22nd-largest by … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Lawsuit filed over Driver Responsibility Program

Posted on December 7, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

This ought to be interesting. A national civil rights organization on Wednesday sued Gov. Greg Abbott and four top officials at the Texas Department of Public Safety, arguing that the state’s Driver Responsibility Program traps many of Texas’ most vulnerable … Continue reading →

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

Paxton prosecutors want another shot

Posted on December 6, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Good luck. The attorneys appointed to prosecute Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton indicated in a court filing this week that they aren’t giving up a long-running fight to take the state’s top lawyer to court — at least not yet. … Continue reading →

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

Moving forward on Section 3

Posted on December 5, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

There’s still redistricting litigation action happening. Late Friday afternoon, the coalition of voting rights groups that have fought the state for fairer legislative districts since the last round of redistricting in 2010 filed a pair of new briefs with the … Continue reading →

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

Paxton sues San Antonio over “sanctuary cities” law

Posted on December 3, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

This is gonna be ugly. Texas is suing the city of San Antonio for an alleged violation of the state’s new anti-“sanctuary cities” law, in the state’s first enforcement action against a city under the controversial statue. The lawsuit, filed … Continue reading →

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

HPOU files first Prop B lawsuit

Posted on December 1, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

And away we go. Courthouse officials were scrambling to find a judge Friday afternoon to hear a lawsuit by the Houston Police Officers Union against the city of Houston and the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association, that seeks an immediate … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

The legal option for Prop B

Posted on November 29, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Here we go. Mayor Sylvester Turner will ask Houston city council Wednesday to hire a law firm to advise the city on possible litigation related to the firefighter pay parity measure, setting in motion a potential court challenge to the … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

CCA may have killed the Paxton prosecution

Posted on November 22, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Ugh. Just, ugh. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals on Wednesday potentially imperiled the long-delayed criminal prosecution of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, ruling that payments to special prosecutors were outside legal limits. If they cannot get paid, the prosecutors … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Buc-ee’s and Choke Canyon settle

Posted on November 19, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Our long animal mascot-based intellectual property litigation nightmare is finally over. Popular Texas convenience store chain Buc-ee’s and Choke Canyon, a competing store that was found by a federal jury to infringe Buc-ee’s beaver logo, agreed Thursday to dismiss the … Continue reading →

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The Innocence Project and the prosecutor

Posted on November 18, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Fascinating case. Attorneys with the group that helped exonerate Texan Michael Morton two decades after he was wrongly convicted of killing his wife were back at the Texas Supreme Court on Wednesday. But this time, instead of uncovering prosecutorial misconduct, … Continue reading →

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Can we negotiate our way to a Prop B agreement?

Posted on November 15, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

It’s complicated. Mayor Sylvester Turner’s administration is moving forward with plans for hundreds of layoffs following last week’s voter approval of Prop B despite questions about whether jobs could be saved through renewed negotiations with the city’s firefighters union. […] … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018, Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

There better be a bail lawsuit settlement

Posted on November 15, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

I mean, duh. The Democratic sweep of Harris County leadership posts in the midterm election could prompt a settlement in the protracted legal dispute over how judges handle bail for poor people arrested for petty offenses, according to statements made … Continue reading →

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Initial reactions: Harris County

Posted on November 9, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s start with the obvious. Harris County Democrats rode a surge in voter turnout to a decisive victory on Tuesday, unseating several countywide Republican officials, including longtime County Judge Ed Emmett, and sweeping all 59 judicial races. Emmett, who courted … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 21 Comments

We’ll have to wait a little longer for the inevitable Prop B lawsuit

Posted on November 8, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

It’s still coming, just not, like, today. Mayor Sylvester Turner on Wednesday said he would delay a City Council vote to hire a law firm to represent the city in possible litigation over Proposition B, the ballot item passed by … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Second trimester lawsuit appeal heard at the Fifth Circuit

Posted on November 8, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Elections or no elections, the world keeps spinning. The federal Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments Monday morning about whether Texas should be able to ban doctors from performing the most common second-trimester abortion procedure, called dilation and evacuation. … Continue reading →

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

Lawsuit filed over late start times at several precincts

Posted on November 6, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

This crap should not happen. After several polling locations in Harris County failed to open on time this morning, the Texas Civil Rights Project and the Texas Organizing Project are suing the county in hopes of extending Election Day voting … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

Today is election day

Posted on November 6, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

It’s what we’ve been waiting for, for what seems like forever. From the inbox: Tuesday, November 6, 2018 is Election Day. Voting locations will be open from 7 am to 7 pm. Voters may visit www.HarrisVotes.com, the County Clerk’s election … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A step forward in Waller County

Posted on October 26, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Some progress. Two days after students at Prairie View A&M University sued Waller County over allegations that the county is suppressing the voting rights of black residents, the rural county said it is expanding early voting opportunities for students at … Continue reading →

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Prairie View students sue over lack of on campus EV site

Posted on October 25, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

The fight continues. Five students at Prairie View A&M University are suing Waller County, which is home to the historically black university, over allegations that the county is suppressing the voting rights of its black residents. In a lawsuit filed … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Incumbency is no advantage, part 2

Posted on October 20, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron lays down a marker on the county criminal courts. Each election cycle we determine our judicial endorsements by interviewing the candidates, researching their backgrounds, consulting with experts and coming to a conclusion about who best would be able … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

World’s worst pastors file suit against Austin’s equal rights ordinance

Posted on October 15, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Exactly what you’d expect from these jerks. A Houston-based religious nonprofit behind the so-called bathroom bill is suing the City of Austin over its anti-discrimination hiring ordinance. The U.S. Pastor Council filed suit in a federal district court late last … Continue reading →

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