Tag Archives: Annise Parker

The long range plan for municipal waste

Something you probably missed (I know I did) from recent City Council action. Last week Houston City Council voted to hire a company that will help local officials create and adopt a long-range waste and recycling plan. This wasn’t all … Continue reading

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

Rape kit lawsuit dismissal will be appealed

To be expected. Two women who on Friday lost a lawsuit against the City of Houston and a variety of officials over a rape kit backlog will file an appeal, an attorney for the women announced in a news release … Continue reading

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

Rape kit backlog lawsuit dismissed

Interesting. A federal judge has dismissed a 2017 lawsuit two rape victims filed against Houston’s current mayor and police chief and five sets of predecessors, among others, for allowing a backlog of rape kits to accumulate over decades without being … Continue reading

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

Another homeless feeding lawsuit dismissed

Not the end of the story, though. A state district judge this week dismissed a lawsuit a local activist filed last year against Houston’s ordinance regulating the charitable feeding of the city’s homeless, but the case is proceeding on with … Continue reading

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

Are you nostalgic for some strip club litigation?

Then this is your lucky day. The legal fight over the striptease business in Houston has heated up, again. Two topless bars are suing the city of Houston over a controversial, years-old legal settlement they say unfairly hampers business at … Continue reading

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

Judge sides with city in term limits lawsuit

The city wins for now, but we all know it’s not over yet. Politicians at City Hall can continue serving four-year terms — at least for now — after a state district judge sided with the city of Houston Friday … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Judge sides with city in term limits lawsuit

Anti-same sex employee benefits lawsuit moved back to state court

On and on we go. Nearly three years after the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, the city of Houston continues to battle for the rights of its gay workers. On Tuesday, a judge struck down Houston’s attempts to … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Feds sue city over HFD sex discrimination claims

Yikes. The Justice Department has sued the city of Houston over sex discrimination claims launched by two female firefighters who say their male coworkers tormented them by urinating on the women’s bathroom walls and sinks and scrawling vulgar slurs on … Continue reading

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

Houston’s health care costs

Because dealing with pensions wasn’t enough. Taxpayers also face a $2.1 billion liability for retiree health care costs in the coming decades, and Houston – like many state and local governments – has not set aside a penny to pay … Continue reading

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , | 12 Comments

HFD and disaster preparedness

There’s a lot here to think about, and to do something about. The Houston Fire Department’s limitations quickly became clear as Harvey’s floodwaters rose. Just one high-water rescue vehicle. Decades-old evacuation boats. Sparse training for swift-water rescues. And limited staffing … Continue reading

Posted in Hurricane Katrina | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on HFD and disaster preparedness

Lawsuit filed over untested rape kits

This could be a big deal. A former Houston woman is suing the City of Houston and a long list of current and former mayors and police chiefs for failing to investigate a backlog of more than 6,000 untested rape … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Lawsuit filed over untested rape kits

Pastoral malignancy

Know your enemy. A day before the Texas Legislature ended its special session this week, a session that included a high-profile fight over a “bathroom bill” that appeared almost certainly dead, David Welch had a message for Gov. Greg Abbott: … Continue reading

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 22 Comments

Houston city employees file their own lawsuit (again) on spousal benefits

A shame it’s had to come to this, but this is where we are. On Thursday, three married couples from Houston filed a lawsuit in federal court aimed at forcing the city to preserve health coverage and other benefits for … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Houston city employees file their own lawsuit (again) on spousal benefits

Lina Hidalgo for Harris County Judge

From the inbox, our first announced candidate for Harris County Judge: Today, Lina Hidalgo, a young, Harvard and Stanford-educated immigrant, announces her candidacy for Harris County Judge, the top seat on the Harris County Commissioners Court. Ms. Hidalgo and her … Continue reading

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

EcoHub sues over OneBin failure

All right. Continuing the saga that has unfolded at City Hall — in which City Council members have said a deal with one company “smelled,” and in which another company, EcoHub, claims Mayor Sylvester Turner snubbed him out of the … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters, Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on EcoHub sues over OneBin failure

July 2017 campaign finance reports – City of Houston

Let’s continue our survey of campaign finance reports with reports from the city of Houston. Name Raised Spent Loans On Hand ================================================ Turner 520,430 138,068 0 1,643,519 Stardig 59,470 36,402 0 102,289 Davis 5,500 13,231 0 147,050 Cohen 5,000 8,382 … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2017, Election 2019 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

There will be no city elections this November

Here’s the early version of the story. I’ll add a link to the full story in the morning. The Texas Supreme Court on Monday denied plantiffs’ attempts to expedite their case challenging the [2015 term limits referendum] ballot language that … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2017, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Recycling deal gets a rough reception at Council

Feisty. Houston City Council members blasted a proposed 20-year recycling deal Tuesday, questioning the $48 million price tag, the process by which the winning bidder was chosen and Turner administration officials’ reluctance to share information about the deal. The proposal … Continue reading

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

Firefighters’ lawsuit over pension reform law tossed

There it goes. A state district judge on Friday dismissed Houston firefighters’ lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the city’s pension reform package, removing a potential barrier to the city’s efforts to solve a 16-year fiscal crisis. State District Judge Patricia … Continue reading

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

Mayors (still) against climate change

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

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

January 2017 campaign finance reports: Houston officeholders

Normally, at this time I would be scanning through Houston candidate campaign finance reports, to see where incumbents stand at the start of the season. Of course, barring near-term court action there is no season for Houston municipal officeholders this … Continue reading

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

Texas Dems look to 2018

I have a few things to say about this. A tight-knit group of Texas Democratic leaders traveled to the state capital [in late January] to begin preliminary conversations about the 2018 midterm races. According to over a dozen interviews with … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Emmett says he will run for re-election in 2018

Well, this was unexpected. Harris County Judge Ed Emmett said Thursday that he plans to seek re-election when his current term is up in 2018, ending speculation that he might step aside after more than a decade at the helm … Continue reading

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

Checking in with Kim Ogg

That’s District Attorney-elect Kim Ogg now. Kim Ogg, still hoarse from shouting over the jubilant victory party crowd after winning her race for Harris County District Attorney, said Wednesday that her first order of business would be to evaluate and … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2016 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Jared Woodfill never stops never stopping

Here we go again. Fifteen months after the U.S. Supreme Court made marriage equality the law of the land, anti-LGBT groups in Texas are still fighting the decision. Jonathan Saenz, president of the right-wing lobby group Texas Values, and Houston … Continue reading

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

City loses in appeal against firefighters’ pension statute

Here’s a pension fund-related litigation update for you. Houston can’t overhaul a state-governed firefighter pension system that the mayor claims is pushing the city towards insolvency, a Texas appeals court ruled. Houston sued the Houston Firefighters’ Relief and Retirement Fund … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on City loses in appeal against firefighters’ pension statute

State Supreme Court declines to hear lawsuit over city’s same-sex partner benefits

I had totally forgotten this was still a thing that was happening. The Texas Supreme Court has declined to hear a case challenging Houston’s extension of health and life-insurance benefits to same-sex spouses of married employees, calling an apparent end … Continue reading

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

Looking again for a new justice complex

Got to do something about this sooner or later. Mayor Sylvester Turner has formed a committee to study how to acquire a new police headquarters and courts complex for Houston. Former mayor Annise Parker spent more than two years studying … Continue reading

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

Endorsement watch: Labor for Thompson, the Mayor for Miles

From the inbox: The Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation, AFL-CIO today announced their support of Senfronia Thompson for State Senator District 13. “Our unions screened two candidates for Senate District 13 — Representatives Senfronia Thompson and Borris Miles,” said … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2016 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Strategizing for the next HERO fight

Good move. Stung by setbacks related to their access to public restrooms, transgender Americans are taking steps to play a more prominent and vocal role in a nationwide campaign to curtail discrimination against them. Two such initiatives are being launched … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2015 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

City wins first round of term limits ballot language lawsuit

It’s round one, of course, but it’s still a win. The ballot language Houston voters used to change term limits for elected officials was “inartful” but not “invalid,” a state district judge ruled Wednesday, a move that nonetheless left the … Continue reading

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

The pros and cons of merging the crime labs

The calls to merge the city and county crime labs are back, but not everyone likes the idea. Merging Houston’s and Harris County’s crime labs, an idea that was rejected several years ago by the city’s mayor when forensic work … Continue reading

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

Prepping for the city budget

Mayor Turner gives a brief preview of what is to come. Mayor Sylvester Turner said Friday that he expects to lay off 40 city employees and eliminate 54 vacant positions as he seeks to close a budget shortfall of as … Continue reading

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

RIP, One Bin For All

It had a good run, but at the very least the timing was all wrong. The One Bin For All program would let Houstonians throw all trash in the same bin, to be separated for recycling later. The hope was … Continue reading

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