Tag Archives: Houston

More on Heights alcohol vote 2.0

Posted on June 25, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

From the Heights Examiner (now a section of the Wednesday Chron), the reasons why restauranteurs want in on the action. But the possible reversal of the century-old prohibition on restaurants would mean more than just no longer having to sign … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Feds join the state in defense of SB4

Posted on June 23, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I suppose this was to be expected. About a month ago, the city of El Cenizo filed a lawsuit against the state, calling the bill unconstitutional. On Monday, the Trump administration got involved. The defendants in the lawsuit are the … Continue reading →

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Houston officially gets in the SB4 litigation business

Posted on June 22, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Well done. Houston City Council voted Wednesday to sue the state over its new “sanctuary cities” law, joining Texas’ three other largest cities in challenging the controversial measure. Council voted 10-6 to join San Antonio, Austin, Dallas, El Paso County … Continue reading →

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Help Metro figure out its Regional Transit Plan

Posted on June 22, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s your chance to get involved and shape the direction of transit in the greater Houston area going forward. What is your vision for transit service in the Greater Houston region? METRO needs your help in creating a bold vision … Continue reading →

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When might the Supreme Court speak on the Houston term limits lawsuit?

Posted on June 21, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

So as you know there is an ongoing lawsuit over the language used in the 2015 referendum that altered the city’s term limits ordinance. It was filed shortly after the election, with the city winning the first round in district … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2017, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Getting ready for the first SB4 hearing

Posted on June 21, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

All eyes are going to be on this next week. On Monday, June 26, U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia will hear the City of San Antonio’s request for a preliminary injunction to block Senate Bill 4, the “sanctuary cities” law, … Continue reading →

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

Public testimony on SB4

Posted on June 21, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

It was heated, as you might expect. Scores of residents urged City Council on Tuesday to challenge the state’s “sanctuary cities” ban, speaking during more than five hours of public testimony on the eve of council’s vote on whether to … Continue reading →

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Council may vote on joining SB4 litigation tomorrow

Posted on June 20, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

It will happen, though perhaps not tomorrow. Houston City Council is poised to vote [this] Wednesday on whether to join litigation challenging the constitutionality of Texas’ new “sanctuary cities” law, days before the case’s preliminary hearing in San Antonio. The … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters, Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

We need better fire inspections

Posted on June 17, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Not good. The Houston Fire Department division responsible for ensuring building safety keeps inadequate records, does not examine buildings on a regular schedule and inflated its inspection numbers, all while exceeding its overtime budget, according to an audit released by … Continue reading →

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We could have another Heights alcohol vote

Posted on June 12, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Sure, why not? Heights voters last fall lifted a 105-year-old ban on the sale of beer and wine at grocery stores, but customers still must join a private club if they want to drink alcohol at area restaurants or bars. … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Houston will get involved in the SB4 fight later this month

Posted on June 10, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Very good to hear. Mayor Sylvester Turner plans to ask City Council to vote this month on joining lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of Texas’ new “sanctuary cities” law, ending months of equivocation on the controversial immigration enforcement measure. If City … Continue reading →

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Do we really have to have a pension bond vote?

Posted on June 9, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

So as we know, the Houston pension reform bill that passed contains a provision that requires a vote on the pension obligation bonds that Mayor Turner intends to float as a down payment. Pension obligation bonds have been floated in … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Dallas gets in the fight against SB4

Posted on June 9, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Good for them. Dallas is joining some other Texas cities, including Austin and San Antonio, in taking on the state’s so-called “sanctuary city” law. Mayor Mike Rawlings made the announcement Wednesday afternoon, calling SB4 “unconstitutional” and a law that “greatly … Continue reading →

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Mayors (still) against climate change

Posted on June 5, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Someone’s gotta do it. On Thursday, President Donald Trump officially announced that the United States would be withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement, citing the deal’s failure “to serve American interests.” Hours later, governors, mayors, and environmental groups all had … Continue reading →

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Super Bowl economic impact was about what we expected

Posted on June 4, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Not too bad. The receipts are in, and February’s Super Bowl LI appears to have been a substantial boon for Houston — albeit with slightly less spending than expected. Gross spending during the nine days of Super Bowl programming, minus … Continue reading →

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Council passes the 2017-18 budget

Posted on June 3, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

With a bit of drama along the way. City Council voted to boost funding for a controversial program that helps district council members tackle neighborhood projects Wednesday, even as it approved an annual budget from which one police cadet class … Continue reading →

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Firefighters sue over pension reform law

Posted on June 2, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I suppose this was inevitable. Houston’s firefighters pension fund has sued Mayor Sylvester Turner and numerous city officials over the pension reform plan Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law Wednesday, putting up another potential hurdle in Houston’s efforts to solve … Continue reading →

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

When might Houston file a lawsuit over SB4?

Posted on June 1, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Unclear at this time. Responding to calls for Houston to take a tougher stance on immigration legislation, Mayor Sylvester Turner said Tuesday he still is reviewing a controversial state law passed this month that allows police to ask people their … Continue reading →

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

Uber and Lyft come rolling back

Posted on May 31, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

To Austin: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday signed into law a measure creating a statewide regulatory framework for ride-hailing companies, overriding local measures that prompted businesses such as Uber and Lyft to leave Austin and other cities. Uber and … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

ACLU joins first “sanctuary cities” lawsuit

Posted on May 29, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: The ACLU of Texas and the ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project have joined the lawsuit challenging Texas Senate Bill 4 (SB4), which demands that local governments and their employees engage in federal immigration enforcement practices. The case, City … Continue reading →

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Busy hurricane season predicted

Posted on May 28, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Welcome to summer, y’all. The nation’s climate agency on Thursday predicted an above-normal 2017 hurricane season with 11 to 17 named storms, five to nine of them hurricanes. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted a 45 percent chance of … 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 changes to HISD magnet programs

Posted on May 26, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Not this year, anyway. Houston ISD Superintendent Richard Carranza this week withdrew a plan to deeply cut funding for the district’s magnet programs over the next three years, shelving a proposal that had angered parents and some school board members … Continue reading →

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Houston pension reform bill passes

Posted on May 25, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

It’s done. The Texas House on Wednesday approved the controversial Senate version of a bill that aims to overhaul Houston’s failing pension funds — over the passionate objections of current and former firefighters. Senate Bill 2190, which passed in a … Continue reading →

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House and Senate concur on pension bill

Posted on May 23, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

One more vote in each chamber, then it’s on to get a signature. The Legislature is expected to take its final votes on Houston’s pension reform legislation within days after a group of House and Senate lawmakers Sunday night hashed … Continue reading →

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Bill King wants you to lower his property taxes

Posted on May 20, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

That’s not what he says in this op-ed, but it is the effect of what he’s arguing for, even if he’s not honest enough to come out and say it. Let’s start with the basic point that despite King’s disingenuous … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

More “sanctuary cities” plaintiffs gearing up

Posted on May 19, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Local governments are not going down without a fight. On Tuesday, which organizers said was the beginning of a “summer of resistance,” Austin City Council member Delia Garza said the city will move this week to take formal action to … Continue reading →

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Senate passes statewide rideshare bill

Posted on May 18, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a done deal. After a debate among lawmakers over the best way to regulate services like Uber and Lyft, the Texas Senate on Wednesday backed a proposal that would override local regulations concerning ride-hailing companies. House Bill 100 would … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Try to wrap your mind around what I-45 will look like post-construction

Posted on May 17, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Swamplot is here to help. HAVING TROUBLE SIFTING through some of the massive freeway jumbles in the latest plans for that major I-45 reroute between Downtown and the Beltway? This new video (making the rounds this month as TxDOT hosts a set of public meetings … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Lawsuit filed against Houston panhandling ordinance

Posted on May 16, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: The ACLU of Texas announced today that it had filed a lawsuit on behalf of three homeless Houstonian plaintiffs adversely affected by the City of Houston’s camping and panhandling ordinances. Taken together, these ordinances illegally deprive homeless … Continue reading →

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Metro begins regional transportation planning

Posted on May 15, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Metro wants your input. We want to hear your ideas for a regional transit plan for the future. METRO, led by its Board of Directors and chair Carrin Patman, is developing a new plan for transit services. It will build … Continue reading →

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Kinder Houston Area Survey 2017

Posted on May 15, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the press release. The majority of area residents don’t just feel okay about living in Houston – they would choose to stay in the Bayou City even if given a choice to move, according to the 2017 Kinder Houston … Continue reading →

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Interview with Anna Eastman

Posted on May 12, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Anna Eastman has served two terms as HISD Trustee in District I, which is where I live. She has been a leading advocate for having strong accountability measures in place for schools, she was a frequent critic of former Superintendent … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2017 | Tagged , , , , , | 18 Comments

Senate rejects House changes to Houston pension reform bill

Posted on May 12, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Conference committee, here we come. The Texas Senate on Wednesday refused to concur with House-passed amendments to a reform bill designed to resolve financial problems for Houston’s pension system. Sen. Joan Huffman, a Houston Republican who is the author of … Continue reading →

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