Tag Archives: The Lege

More pressure on Biden to really compete in Texas

Posted on July 21, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Fine by me. With President Donald Trump’s poll numbers sliding in traditional battlegrounds as well as conservative-leaning states, and money pouring into Democratic campaigns, Joe Biden is facing rising pressure to expand his ambitions, compete aggressively in more states and … Continue reading →

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The state deficit is quantified

Posted on July 21, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Honestly, it’s not as bad as it could be. Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar delivered bleak but unsurprising news Monday: Because of the economic fallout triggered by the coronavirus pandemic, the amount of general revenue available for the state’s current two-year … Continue reading →

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We still need that equality bill in the Lege

Posted on July 20, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

That SCOTUS ruling was huge, but there’s still a lot of work to be done. LGBTQ Texans marked a major victory Monday when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that federal civil rights law prevents employment discrimination on the basis of … Continue reading →

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Dems could possibly win a lot of Congressional races in Texas

Posted on July 19, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

It started with this: what does a biden win in texas look like? here’s how a D+1 nailbiter might turn out, if we use 2016 and 2018 as a guide → (hint: biden would win 9 currently R-held districts and … Continue reading →

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Another lawsuit filed over mobile voting locations

Posted on July 19, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Don’t know that there’s enough time for this to be heard, but it’s a good idea. Mi Familia Vota, the Texas NAACP and two Texas voters this week filed a suit against the state over its election policies, alleging they … Continue reading →

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Here, have a COVID update

Posted on July 18, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Things are going great. Texas set yet another record for coronavirus deaths Thursday with 154 — the third day in a row above 100. The previous record was July 8 when 112 deaths were logged, according to a data analysis … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

We’re still not doing great with the Census

Posted on July 18, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

There’s still time, but we have a lot of work to do. Despite an extended deadline, local government cash infusions and grassroots campaigns to improve Houston’s 2020 census response rate, almost half of Houston households are still missing from the … Continue reading →

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Censuring Abbott

Posted on July 17, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

An amusing sideline, if nothing else. Republicans in eight different Texas counties have now voted to censure Gov. Greg Abbott for his order requiring Texans to wear face coverings and take other protective measures as COVID-19 spreads throughout the state. … Continue reading →

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Give reformers a seat at the police collective bargaining table

Posted on July 17, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

This is a clear path forward. Chas Moore watched in shock one night in 2017 as Austin City Council voted on the city’s proposed police contract. He and other criminal justice reformers had spent months observing contract negotiations and lobbying … Continue reading →

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2020 primary runoff results: SBOE, Senate, House

Posted on July 15, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Again, bullet points. Get used to it. SBOE6 Dem: Michelle Palmer had a 65-35 lead after early voting, and that was pretty much all there was to it. SBOE5 GOP: It’s much more boring and sedate, but the Republican candidate … Continue reading →

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UT-Tyler/DMN: Biden 48, Trump 43

Posted on July 13, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Holy mackeral. Former Vice President Joe Biden has built a 5-point lead over President Donald Trump in Texas, as unease over Trump’s handling of coronavirus mounts, a new Dallas Morning News-University of Texas Tyler poll has found. If the general … Continue reading →

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Who wants to enforce Greg Abbott’s mask order?

Posted on July 12, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Gov. Greg Abbott called on police across Texas to step up enforcement of his mask order amid the mounting pandemic, explaining Thursday that they can either “be part of the problem or part of the solution.” Facing … Continue reading →

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Greg Abbott has no one to blame but himself

Posted on July 11, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s be very clear about this. Gov. Greg Abbott is under increasing political fire from fellow Republicans as well as Democrats as he responds to a sharp rise in coronavirus deaths — a record 112 on Wednesday and 106 on … Continue reading →

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A bullish take on the State House

Posted on July 8, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

From Mike Hailey of Capitol Inside: The wildly unpredictable coronavirus appears to be fueling a massive blue wave that sweeps the Democrats back into power in the Texas House of Representatives with President Donald Trump as their all-time greatest ally. … Continue reading →

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So how’s Greg Abbott doing post-mask order?

Posted on July 7, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Greg Abbott consistently polls as the politician with the highest approval rating in the state. He was basking in adulation a few weeks ago when things were reopening and the coronavirus numbers still looked good. How are things going for … Continue reading →

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Interview with Rep. Chris Turner

Posted on July 6, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve done two interviews about redistricting so far, with both of them focused on the litigation aspect of it, which in turn had a focus on Congress. Today I want to pay more attention to the Legislature, which is not … Continue reading →

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More and better police data, please

Posted on July 2, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Like this. The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement will ask nearly 2,000 Texas law enforcement agencies to resubmit information legislators intended be used to analyze whether police were treating minority motorists differently — but which turned out to be worthless … Continue reading →

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What should Joe Biden do in Texas?

Posted on June 30, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

“Win” would be my preferred answer, but it’s more complicated than that. No matter how frequently it happens, it’s always a bit startling. Ever since February 2019, polls have been coming out indicating that former Vice President Joe Biden is … Continue reading →

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Interview with Rep. Marc Veasey

Posted on June 29, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

When I came up with the idea to do a series of interviews about redistricting, Rep. Marc Veasey was among the first people I wanted to talk to. He was a State Rep in 2011 when the original maps were … Continue reading →

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The pause effect on bars and restaurants

Posted on June 28, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I feel terrible for them, but what could we do at this point? Ed Noyes was trying to get some shut-eye when he woke up to seven different texts Friday morning. Three of the five bartenders at his Fort Worth … Continue reading →

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Early voting for primary runoffs starts tomorrow

Posted on June 28, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Remember the runoffs? It’s time we settle who our nominees are. Who can vote in the runoffs? Texas has open primaries, meaning you don’t have to be a registered member of either party to cast a ballot in a primary … Continue reading →

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Interview with Michael Li

Posted on June 22, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

As we know, among the many monumental tasks that the Legislature has before it in 2021 is redistricting. That will almost certainly be done in a summer or even autumn special session, since Census data will be delayed by the … Continue reading →

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Runoff reminder: State House

Posted on June 21, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Previously: Statewide, Congress, SBOE and State Senate. There are seven Democratic primary runoffs for State House districts. Let’s have a look at what we’ve got. HD26 Located in Fort Bend County, HD26 is an open seat now held by Rep. … Continue reading →

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From the “Live by the leaked audio, die by the leaked audio” department

Posted on June 20, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Oh, the irony. Two staffers for the hardline conservative group Empower Texans have been caught on an audio recording disparaging Gov. Greg Abbott with profanity and joking about his wheelchair use. Upon the comments surfacing Friday morning, Abbott’s office and … Continue reading →

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SCOTUS delivers a win for equality

Posted on June 16, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Quite a pleasant surprise. In a major victory for gay and transgender workers in Texas and nationwide, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday that federal civil rights law prohibits employers from discriminating against workers on the basis of their sexual … Continue reading →

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Let’s fix the Sandra Bland Act

Posted on June 14, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s make it what it was supposed to have been in the first place. After Sandra Bland’s death in a rural Texas jail drew outrage across the nation, two Texas lawmakers filed a comprehensive bill to address racial profiling during … Continue reading →

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Anti-vaxxers gonna anti-vaxx

Posted on June 8, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Every step of the way, they are an obstacle to public health. The Texas group that lobbies against vaccine mandates is now launching a campaign against COVID-19 contact tracing, the public health measure used for decades around the world to … Continue reading →

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Austin’s sick leave ordinance is officially dead

Posted on June 7, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Killed by the State Supreme Court, which should come as a surprise to no one. Austin still cannot enforce a mandatory paid sick leave ordinance its city council passed in February 2018 after the Texas Supreme Court on Friday declined to … Continue reading →

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Let’s talk “meaningful reform”

Posted on June 5, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Chief Acevedo brought it up, so let’s go there. Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo’s voice cracked several times and his eyes welled as he railed against the death of George Floyd beneath a policeman’s knee and implored protesters to demonstrate … Continue reading →

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State ordered to pay plaintiffs’ fees in voter ID case

Posted on June 3, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Pending appeal, of course. Texas ultimately won the long-winding fight to keep its voter ID law on the books, but a federal judge has ruled the state is on the hook for nearly $6.8 million in legal fees and costs. In a Wednesday … Continue reading →

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A bipartisan equality bill

Posted on June 2, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I appreciate the effort, but we can’t expect too much to come of this. Five Democratic and two Republican state legislators announced plans Wednesday to file a bill next legislative session that would bar discrimination against LGBTQ Texans in housing, … Continue reading →

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Hotze and pals still crying to the Supreme Court

Posted on May 31, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

It’s hard to keep track of it all. Houston GOP activist Steve Hotze and a coalition of business owners and conservatives have launched a legal challenge claiming Gov. Greg Abbott’s emergency orders related to the coronavirus violate the Texas Constitution. … Continue reading →

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A note about voter ID and vote by mail

Posted on May 29, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

See if you can detect the same theme I’m detecting. From Houston Public Media: Rice University recently surveyed Harris County voters. And nearly 70 percent of respondents preferred voting by mail if that’s an option. “We found that a large … Continue reading →

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Biden campaign says it will compete in Texas

Posted on May 18, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

That is what we want to hear. Former vice president Joe Biden is planning to compete against President Trump in traditionally Republican states such as Arizona, Texas and Georgia as his campaign bulks up in size and turns to a … Continue reading →

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