Tag Archives: Greg Abbott

Austin seeks waiver for its rainbow crosswalk

All the cool kids are doing it. The city of Austin is exploring a waiver that would allow its current street art to stay in place. In a message board post on Monday, Mayor Kirk Watson said the city plans … Continue reading

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We could have asked!

I am smacking my forehead so hard, you guys. The City of San Antonio will seek an exemption from the State of Texas in order to keep the city’s rainbow crosswalk. The decision comes after the state issued a mandate … Continue reading

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Metro paints over the rainbow crosswalk

Ugh. The Montrose rainbow crosswalk was gone Monday morning after protesters faced off with police as a construction crew started restriping the intersection overnight and some were were arrested, according to the Houston Police Department. As of 8:15 a.m., fresh … Continue reading

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Rep. Gina Hinojosa officially enters the Governor’s race

Good. Texas Rep. Gina Hinojosa on Wednesday announced she is running for governor in 2026, setting up a potential clash between Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and one of the Legislature’s most strident critics of his school voucher program. “Our fight … Continue reading

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There may be a lawsuit over the rainbow crosswalk

Good. A legion of Houston’s elected officials gathered at the Taft and Westheimer rainbow crosswalk Tuesday as a show of force against Gov. Greg Abbott’s call to remove it or risk the loss of state transportation funding, and some even … Continue reading

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A brief recap of the whole rainbow crosswalk situation

Let me see if I’ve got this right: Greg Abbott gets his knickers in a twist over the recently-repainted rainbow crosswalk on Westheimer at Taft, after having been spun up about it by some online wingnuts. These crosswalks are no … Continue reading

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Who asked for this task force?

Other than Greg Abbott, anyway. State and Harris County law enforcement will join forces on a task force aimed at cracking down on repeat violent offenders, whom police leaders say are fueling much of the region’s crime problem, Gov. Greg … Continue reading

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A brief news roundup from the current redistricting trial

What the label says, three news stories I could find that had coverage of the redistricting trial. From the Trib. When Texas first proposed redrawing its congressional map earlier this summer, critics decried it as a political power-grab to appease … Continue reading

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Paxton says he’s gonna enforce that Ten Commandment law so hard, you guys

I have three things to say about this. Attorney General Ken Paxton promised to “vigorously enforce” the state’s Ten Commandments display law in a legal advisory sent to Texas public school districts, his office announced Wednesday. Paxton said his office … Continue reading

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Rep. Gina Hinojosa said to be running for Governor

All righty. Texas state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, an Austin Democrat, has told at least two donors that she’s running for governor next year, Axios has learned. Why it matters: A Hinojosa win in the Democratic nomination would set up a battle … Continue reading

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Redistricting trial 2.0 begins

And they’re off. This week, a trio of federal judges will consider whether Texas can use its new congressional map in the 2026 election, marking the first legal test for the districts produced by a summer of intense partisan clashing. … Continue reading

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State files its response to the redistricting lawsuit

They’re playing the oldies, not the new tune that the Trump Justice Department tried to woo them with. Texas officials acknowledged in a new court filing that the Justice Department’s rationale this summer for pushing them to redraw the state’s … Continue reading

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Andrew White makes it official

As expected, Andrew White made his encore effort for Governor official on Wednesday. I got two different impressions of it, based on which news story I read about it. From the Chron: Andrew White, a Houston businessman and son of … Continue reading

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The THC age limit is in effect

Time to show your ID, I guess. The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission on Tuesday approved an emergency rule to ban liquor license holders from selling THC products to anyone under the age of 21, the agency’s first step toward fulfilling … Continue reading

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The “who’s running for Governor” question again

It’ll be there until there’s a final answer. Even as some Texas Democrats are optimistic about their chances in next year’s midterm elections, the party’s most recognizable names are so far avoiding the chance to take on Gov. Greg Abbott, … Continue reading

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Third lawsuit filed against Ten Commandments law

This one is a followup to the first one. Texas’ Ten Commandments law is facing another legal battle after a coalition of 15 families filed a lawsuit against their school districts to block the mandate to display the religious text … Continue reading

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The revenue cap squeeze on first responders

Great story, and an even better illustration of a couple of points I’ve been making for quite some time. Just weeks after flash flooding killed more than 100 people in Kerr County, many of the first responders who served on … Continue reading

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How the hemp industry wooed Greg Abbott

Some interesting stuff here, and a reminder that some things are eternal. Colton Luther, a 29-year-old from Houston who hosts the cannabis podcast “Puff and Prosper,” isn’t your typical Austin lobbyist. But in July, Luther sat across from Gov. Greg … Continue reading

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Andrew White to run for Governor again

A second go-round. Houston’s Andrew White, son of the late Gov. Mark White, on Tuesday filed initial papers to run for governor again, hoping to stop Gov. Greg Abbott from winning a fourth term in office. “It’s time for a … Continue reading

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Nirenberg’s choice

I know what I’m rooting for. Former Mayor Ron Nirenberg is mulling his political future, even as he’s adjusting to his new day job — lecturing Trinity University students on communications. The two main paths he is considering are Bexar … Continue reading

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Some reactions to the THC executive order

The Chron is not impressed. By issuing an executive order banning THC products for minors, Gov. Greg Abbott ensured nobody would be fully satisfied. When crafting legislation, that’s often a good thing. Compromise, by definition, means both sides don’t get everything they … Continue reading

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A brief note about a poll

This poll. Only one-third of Texas voters approve of the GOP-led effort to redraw the state’s congressional map, according to a recent statewide poll, which found that independent and Democratic voters overwhelmingly opposed the mid-decade redistricting and would rather give … Continue reading

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THC vape pens are now illegal

For those who need to know. Vapes containing THC and other hemp-derived cannabinoids like Delta-8 [are now] illegal to sell in Texas […] under a law passed earlier this year. Senate Bill 2024, while narrower than efforts to outlaw all … Continue reading

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Abbott bans THC for those under 21

Why didn’t we just do this first? THC products will remain largely legal in Texas, but will be banned for minors and current regulations further enforced under a new executive order by Gov. Greg Abbott. Abbott on Wednesday directed the … Continue reading

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Lege fails to pass disaster emergency response bill

What a bunch of jokers. Efforts to overhaul local emergency response to disasters failed after the Texas Senate concluded its business early Thursday without taking up the House’s version of a bill that would have mandated new training and licensing … Continue reading

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Nobody knows what to do about the dumb Ten Commandments law

It’s a mess. Texas school districts must decide whether to display Ten Commandments posters in every classroom before a new law requiring them to goes into effect Monday, even as its fate remains tied up in court. A federal judge enjoined 11 school districts from displaying … Continue reading

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DaSean Jones to resign from his bench in October

This comes as a bit of a surprise. Judge DaSean Jones, the elected Democrat in the 180th District Court and the defendant in Harris County’s last pending 2022 election contest suit, plans to resign in October, his lawyer said Friday. … Continue reading

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Ivermectin for everyone!

Sure, why not? The Texas House on Wednesday passed a bill that would make ivermectin — a drug used mostly in this country to treat livestock for parasites — available to Texans without a prescription. The latest legislative action moves … Continue reading

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Camps oppose floodplain restriction

I gotta say, I’m not sure who they think will be sympathetic to this. Leaders of three Kerr County youth camps wrote to Texas House lawmakers Friday opposing legislation that would prohibit the state from licensing camps with cabins in … Continue reading

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What the Lege has done since redistricting

Just a couple of headlines to ponder, now that the redistricting bill has been signed. Texas House greenlights ‘bounty hunter’ abortion pill ban Texas House OKs transgender bathroom ban after years of GOP attempts Yep, definitely doing the hard work … Continue reading

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Hearing set on new Congressional map

Here we go A federal judicial panel will hear arguments beginning Oct. 1 for an injunction against the implementation of new congressional boundaries approved by the Texas Legislature. According to three lawyers who were in the El Paso courtroom Wednesday … Continue reading

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Paxton orders other school districts to follow Ten Commandments law

Not a surprise. Attorney General Ken Paxton instructed schools across Texas to follow the requirements of the state’s Ten Commandments display law, despite a federal court ruling that temporarily blocked the law for nearly a dozen schools last week. Paxton’s … Continue reading

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Motion to block implementation of new map filed

Once again, from the inbox: Today, plaintiffs supported by the National Redistricting Foundation (NRF) filed a preliminary injunction to block the implementation of HB 4, which further gerrymanders the Texas congressional map.  After filing a supplemental complaint in the U.S. … Continue reading

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New legal challenge filed against redistricting map

Fron the inbox: Today, plaintiffs supported by the National Redistricting Foundation (NRF) initiated a legal challenge against the newly enacted congressional gerrymander in Texas in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, asking the court to strike … Continue reading

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