Tag Archives: Joe Biden

Justice Department sues over “heartbeat” law

Good. The Justice Department sued Texas on Thursday over its new abortion restrictions law, Attorney General Merrick Garland told reporters, a week after the U.S. Supreme Court refused to block the law. Garland announced the lawsuit, filed in a federal district … Continue reading

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Now that’s a vaccine mandate

Good. President Joe Biden on Thursday imposed stringent new vaccine rules on federal workers, large employers and health care staff in a sweeping attempt to contain the latest surge of Covid-19. The new requirements could apply to as many as … Continue reading

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

More on the AG response to the “heartbeat” bill

Yes, like this. Democrats on the U.S. House Judiciary Committee are calling on U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland and the Department of Justice to prosecute people who are now empowered to file lawsuits against abortion seekers under Texas’ new abortion … Continue reading

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The federal response to the “heartbeat” bill

I hope it amounts to something, and I hope they’re quick about it. U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said Monday the Department of Justice is “urgently” exploring ways to challenge Texas’ strict new abortion law, but did not specify what … Continue reading

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Precinct analysis: SBOE

Introduction Congressional districts State Rep districts Commissioners Court/JP precincts Comparing 2012 and 2016 Statewide judicial Other jurisdictions Appellate courts, Part 1 Appellate courts, Part 2 Judicial averages Other cities District Attorney County Attorney Sheriff Tax Assessor County Clerk HCDE Fort … Continue reading

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Feds take first steps in the mask mandate fight

Coming attractions. The U.S. Department of Education is opening civil rights investigations to determine whether five states that have banned schools from requiring masks are discriminating against students with disabilities, the agency said on Monday. The department is targeting Iowa, … Continue reading

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A look ahead to Commissioners Court redistricting

As we know, the Census redistricting data is out, and that means a whole lot of map-drawing is in our future. The main focus on this will be in Austin where the Congressional and legislative maps are re-drawn, but those … Continue reading

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The nursing home vaccination mandate

This just seems obvious to me. President Joe Biden announced on Wednesday that he is directing all nursing homes to require their staff be vaccinated against Covid-19 in order to continue receiving Medicare and Medicaid funding. Biden said he is directing the Department … Continue reading

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Texas gets its Medicaid 1115 waiver back

Hrmph. A federal district judge on Friday temporarily reinstated a 10-year extension of a federal health care program that Texas uses to help pay for health care for uninsured Texans and is worth billions of dollars annually. The agreement was … Continue reading

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I don’t know what to make of these Spectrum/Ipsos polls about COVID and mask mandates

I’m going to present to you three Spectrum News stories about a poll they commissioned regarding COVID issues, and then I’m going to tell you what I think about them. (Spoiler alert: The post title more or less sums it … Continue reading

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

The feds prepare to enter the mask mandate fight

Good. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott may soon be fighting a war on two fronts — with local officials and the federal government — to stave off mandatory COVID-19 prevention efforts after the Biden administration announced Wednesday it was going after … Continue reading

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Fort Bend joins the lawsuit parade

Come on in, the water’s fine. As the Delta variant drives a pandemic surge, Fort Bend County officials on Wednesday filed a lawsuit against Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order banning local government from implementing public health mandates. “I’ll do all … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters, School days, The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Sheriff Gonzalez approved by Senate committee

We are one step closer to needing a new Sheriff. The Senate Homeland Security Committee on Wednesday advanced the nominations of two Texans tapped by President Joe Biden to lead Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Census Bureau. While San … Continue reading

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Mayor Turner tells city employees to mask up

We’ll see how it goes. Mayor Sylvester Turner told city employees Monday that they again must wear masks when they are at work and unable to socially distance, a requirement that could run afoul of Gov. Greg Abbott’s latest executive … Continue reading

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Day 17 quorum busting post: Testify

Ladies and gentlemen, Ms T. State Rep. Senfronia Thompson described to a U.S. House committee on Thursday occasions in 2010 and 2012 when white Republican poll watchers showed up at a Houston polling place where she and many other Black … Continue reading

Posted in National news, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Another State Bar complaint against Paxton

He certainly deserves all the trouble this has brought him. Whether any of it leads to actual consequences, we’ll have to see. Four former presidents of the State Bar of Texas joined a group of high-profile lawyers on Wednesday to … Continue reading

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How HISD intends to spend its COVID relief money

Seems reasonable. Houston ISD expects to spend $1.2 billion of federal relief shoring up academic losses from the pandemic under a wide-ranging plan that would target accelerated instruction to kids that have fallen behind, bolster tutoring and after-school services, seek … Continue reading

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The DACA ruling

Ugh. A federal judge in Texas ruled Friday that Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, a program that allows certain immigrants to temporarily avoid deportation and receive renewable work permits, is illegal and ordered the Biden administration to stop granting new … Continue reading

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

P Bush files a Paxton-style lawsuit

What a wannabe. Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush has filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration, claiming the president is illegally preventing the construction of a wall on the Texas-Mexico border. Bush announced the lawsuit Wednesday, saying his office … Continue reading

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Day 2 quorum busting omnibus post

Gonna round up a few stories here. Don’t know how often I’ll be this energetic, or how often there will be this many stories that I see that are worth commenting on, but it is Day Two. We’re just getting … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Sheriff Gonzalez gets a confirmation hearing date

Mark your calendars. The Senate Homeland Security Committee will hold a hearing on Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez’s nomination to lead U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on July 15, the committee announced Wednesday. President Joe Biden nominated Gonzalez to lead … Continue reading

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The next level of vaccine resistance

I’m speechless. Some Texas Republicans are pushing back against President Joe Biden’s push for greater outreach to get more Americans to receive COVID-19 shots, as vaccination drives in states like Texas have stagnated. “Not on my watch!” Attorney General Ken … Continue reading

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

Other questions from McConaughey Poll II

Part Two of my look at the June DMN/UT-Tyler poll, which has its share of interesting results. Still, not everything is coming up roses for Abbott. His job approval rating is respectable, with 50% approving of his performance and 36% … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Precinct analysis: State House district changes by county

Introduction Congressional districts State Rep districts Commissioners Court/JP precincts Comparing 2012 and 2016 Statewide judicial Other jurisdictions Appellate courts, Part 1 Appellate courts, Part 2 Judicial averages Other cities District Attorney County Attorney Sheriff Tax Assessor County Clerk HCDE Fort … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Chron story on Odus Evbagharu

Some good stuff here. When Odus Evbagharu, a 28-year-old legislative staffer and campaign organizer, took the reins of the Harris County Democratic Party Sunday evening, he inherited a party that stands on some of its firmest footing in years, despite … Continue reading

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UT/Trib poll: Abbott has the best of a bunch of weak approval numbers

Same story, new chapter, Texas voters are split over whether they approve of Gov. Greg Abbott’s job performance, though he remains popular with Republicans and more popular among Texans than President Joe Biden, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2022, Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Precinct analysis: State House district changes by demography

Introduction Congressional districts State Rep districts Commissioners Court/JP precincts Comparing 2012 and 2016 Statewide judicial Other jurisdictions Appellate courts, Part 1 Appellate courts, Part 2 Judicial averages Other cities District Attorney County Attorney Sheriff Tax Assessor County Clerk HCDE Fort … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Quinnipiac: Abbott has weak re-elect numbers

Interesting. As Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, seeks reelection next year, voters in the Lone Star State are divided on whether or not he deserves to be reelected as 46 percent say he does and 48 percent say he … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Suing the “Trump Train”

Good. A group of people traveling on a President Joe Biden campaign bus on a Texas highway last fall when it was surrounded and followed by former President Donald Trump’s supporters have filed a lawsuit against at least seven people … Continue reading

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

Juneteenth

Very cool. And a little bit surprising. But very cool. As soon as U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee heard that the U.S. Senate had passed legislation on Tuesday making Juneteenth a federal holiday, the Houston Democrat said she began pushing … Continue reading

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Harris County’s COVID situation continues to improve

Keep it up. Harris County’s 14-day average test positivity rate for COVID-19 has fallen below 5 percent for the first time since the start of the pandemic, County Judge Lina Hidalgo announced this week. Despite the positivity rate and vaccination … Continue reading

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Precinct analysis: The median districts

Introduction Congressional districts State Rep districts Commissioners Court/JP precincts Comparing 2012 and 2016 Statewide judicial Other jurisdictions Appellate courts, Part 1 Appellate courts, Part 2 Judicial averages Other cities District Attorney County Attorney Sheriff Tax Assessor County Clerk HCDE Fort … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Betsy Price to run for Tarrant County Judge

I don’t usually pay much attention to county races outside the Houston area, but there are some points of interest to discuss about this. Outgoing Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price is running for Tarrant County judge in 2022, attempting a … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Abbott’s border wall

I have many questions about this, but for this post I will limit myself to three. Gov. Greg Abbott announced Thursday that Texas will build a border wall along the state’s boundary with Mexico — but provided no details on … Continue reading

Posted in La Migra | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments