Tag Archives: lawsuit

Tarrant county does mid-decade redistricting and gets sued over it

Posted on June 5, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

First there was this. The Tarrant County Commissioners Court could get a bigger conservative majority next year under a new map passed Tuesday. Republican Commissioners Manny Ramirez, Matt Krause and County Judge Tim O’Hare voted to adopt the map. Democratic … Continue reading →

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SCOTx gives Paxton another crack at Annunciation House

Posted on June 2, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Ugh. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton can move forward with his efforts to gather records from El Paso’s Annunciation House to investigate his claims that the migrant shelter network was harboring undocumented immigrants, the Texas Supreme Court ruled Friday. “We … Continue reading →

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Two former Paxton lieutenants sued for sexual harassment

Posted on June 1, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Damn. Two of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s top deputies were forced to resign in 2023 over allegations of harassment, according to court filings included in a lawsuit Tuesday. Judd Stone, the former solicitor general, and Chris Hilton, an assistant … Continue reading →

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Judge approves the Whitmire drainage settlement deal

Posted on May 31, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Okay then. A Harris County District Court judge on Friday approved Mayor John Whitmire’s settlement agreement with plaintiffs to phase in payments to the city’s drainage fund, his office said. The final confirmation comes after more than a month of tension among … Continue reading →

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Storm recovery group challenges Whitmire’s drainage deal

Posted on May 30, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Plot twist coming, maybe. I’m skipping the first part of this story in which we rehash the 2010 ReNew Houston vote, the ways that Houston made use of the drainage fee revenue that were later challenged in court, the court … Continue reading →

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Fair for Houston makes good on its warning

Posted on May 28, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

They did warn us. Lawyers for advocacy group Fair for Houston have filed an injunction against Mayor John Whitmire and the Houston City Council after urging the city to comply with a local law to give the city more representation … Continue reading →

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Trojan “abortion exceptions” bill passes

Posted on May 24, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

For better or worse. A bill clarifying when doctors can perform abortions under Texas’ near-total ban will now go to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk after the House approved the bill with wide bipartisan support. Despite some concerns raised by conservative … Continue reading →

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Winning Humble ISD candidate declared ineligible

Posted on May 23, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

This is rough. A candidate who won her bid for the Humble ISD school board on May 3 has now been declared ineligible after her opponent challenged her candidacy, a district spokesperson confirmed Tuesday. Brittnai Brown, a former educator, was sued by opponent Tracy … Continue reading →

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Hollins wants a final ruling on the drainage deal before he’ll certify the budget

Posted on May 22, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Okay. Controller Chris Hollins said he won’t certify Mayor John Whitmire’s 2026 budget until the court makes a decision on the city’s payment agreement with the plaintiffs in a years-long streets and drainage lawsuit, Hollins told the Houston Chronicle following a budget trends report Tuesday. Whitmire earlier … Continue reading →

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RIP, George Coulam

Posted on May 22, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Wow. Texas Renaissance Festival founder George Coulam was found dead Wednesday morning in his home in Todd Mission, according to law enforcement officials. He was 87. The Todd Mission Police Department was dispatched to Coulam’s home just outside the Renaissance … Continue reading →

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Long-awaited Texas redistricting trial begins

Posted on May 21, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Been waiting a long time for this one. Questions over whether Latinos had their voting power diminished in the Dallas area will be a focus of a federal trial in El Paso that begins Wednesday. U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas, … Continue reading →

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Harris County DA drops criminal charges against Hotze

Posted on May 21, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Bummer. The Harris County District Attorney’s Office dropped four felony charges filed against Republican activist Steven Hotze, bringing an abrupt end to the case accusing him of plotting a election conspiracy-fueled assault on an AC repairman in 2020. The DA’s … Continue reading →

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Lege set to do more social media bans

Posted on May 20, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. The Texas Legislature is poised to impose sweeping restrictions on how minors use social media, from banning them from signing up for accounts and requiring parental consent to download applications, to placing … Continue reading →

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Five DAs sue Paxton over new reporting requirements

Posted on May 19, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I wish them good luck. Five Texas district attorneys are suing Attorney General Ken Paxton in two separate lawsuits filed Friday over new rules that would give the state’s top law enforcer meticulous access to their office’s records. The two … Continue reading →

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It should still be the same old RenFest

Posted on May 18, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Good to hear. The Texas Renaissance Festival will soon be under new ownership, but will remain much the same as it has been for the last half century, attorney Anthony Laporte of Houston law firm Hanszen Laporte tells CultureMap. “All … Continue reading →

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Sexual harassment case against former candidate Agwan settled

Posted on May 16, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Closing the book on an ugly chapter. A lawsuit accusing a former Congressional candidate and a member of his campaign staff of sexual misconduct in 2023 was dropped earlier this month following a settlement out of court, according to Harris … Continue reading →

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Spring Branch ID to appeal redistricting verdict

Posted on May 15, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

As expected. Spring Branch ISD officials plan to appeal last month’s federal ruling that the district violated the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by holding at-large elections, the board president said Monday night after an executive session discussion. While awaiting … Continue reading →

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Mexico sues Google over Gulf of Mexico renaming

Posted on May 13, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I suppose this was inevitable. Mexico has followed through on its threat to sue Google after the tech giant switched to the name “Gulf of America” on its digital maps, President Claudia Sheinbaum announced at a Friday news conference. Google Maps users in … Continue reading →

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Harris County claims early victory in lawsuit over mass federal layoffs

Posted on May 12, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

First round to the good guys, but there’s a lot more to happen. Harris County was among local governments and others claiming victory Saturday after a judge halted the Trump administration’s efforts to lay off federal employees. The county, local … Continue reading →

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Be wary of the Trump mifepristone strategy

Posted on May 11, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Hmmmm. On Monday, Trump’s Justice Department slotted into a long-running, right-wing effort to get the abortion drug mifepristone restricted or yanked from the market altogether. Instead of joining forces with the red states challenging the drug, though, it largely picked … Continue reading →

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Renaissance Festival to be sold

Posted on May 10, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

There’s always drama with this thing. A Grimes County District Judge has ruled the the Texas Renaissance Festival must be sold, ending a two-year legal battle over the popular festival. Judge Gary W. Chaney of the 506th state District Court … Continue reading →

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Buc-ee’s settles with Duckees

Posted on May 9, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Peace has broken out. Buc-ee’s, Texas’ favorite beaver-branded convenience store has reached a settlement with a Duckees, a Missouri company peddling duck-branded snacks and gas that it alleged was a copycat, according to court records. The lawsuit, filed in November, … Continue reading →

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The kids are fighting at Second Baptist

Posted on May 8, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Such a shame. In May 2024, Pastor H. Edwin “Ed” Young told his congregation that he was resigning from his leadership post at Second Baptist in Houston, ending his 46-year tenure as one of America’s most influential and charismatic pastors. … Continue reading →

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Energy Transfer blames the driver for that fire

Posted on May 6, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

It’s what you’d expect them to say. In the five years before a sports utility vehicle struck Energy Transfer’s pipeline in Deer Park and caused a massive explosion and fire, pipelines operated by the company and its affiliates had been … Continue reading →

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Lottery Commission bans that thing it said it couldn’t ban

Posted on May 5, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Things are going great over there. The Texas Lottery Commission unanimously voted Tuesday to ban lottery courier companies from selling tickets online amid lawmakers’ ongoing criticism of the practice. The vote was an about-face for the agency, whose officials previously … Continue reading →

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Harris County gets in on another lawsuit over federal funding cuts

Posted on May 3, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Keep fighting. Harris County has filed a third lawsuit against President Donald Trump’s administration, challenging its overhaul of the federal government and a slew of federal workforce cuts. The county is suing along with a coalition of other local government … Continue reading →

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Spring Branch ISD ruled to have violated the Voting Rights Act

Posted on May 1, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

And they are ordered to adopt single-member districts. A federal judge found Spring Branch ISD violated the Voting Rights Act and ordered the west Harris County district to overhaul its system so that the voices of Hispanic voters can be heard, but … Continue reading →

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Barc-ee’s folds

Posted on May 1, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

This is all so weird. Back in June 2024, a canine-focused Missouri business announced itself as Barc-ee’s. Owner John Lopez told the Springfield News-Leader in Springfield, Missouri that he was hoping his 7,500-square-foot coffee shop, game yard and outdoor dog … Continue reading →

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San Marcos and Austin marijuana ordinances struck down

Posted on April 28, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Strike one. A state appeals court has shot down a voter-approved ordinance that decriminalized marijuana in San Marcos. The Fifteenth Court of Appeals last week overturned a ruling that denied a temporary injunction to block the law’s enforcement in the … Continue reading →

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Harris County sues over public health funding cuts

Posted on April 27, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Keep fighting. Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee and officials from three other states sued the Trump administration Thursday over its decision to rescind $11 billion in public health funding for state and local health departments. The decision to pull … Continue reading →

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Recapping the whiny sore loser election contest lawsuits

Posted on April 26, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

A useful guide from the Chron. I admit, I had lost track of a couple of these. The 2022 midterm elections proved contentious for Harris County. Ballot paper shortages, long lines at polling locations and malfunctioning voting equipment fueled allegations from conservative … Continue reading →

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Fair for Houston sends a warning

Posted on April 25, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

They’ve been more than patient. A Houston advocacy group warned Mayor John Whitmire and council members Thursday that the city is risking a lawsuit if it continues to ignore the will of voters by participating on a regional planning board … Continue reading →

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It’s the Hotze Show again

Posted on April 25, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Oh, my God. For over a decade, Americans with private health insurance have enjoyed free access to dozens of types of preventive health care: cholesterol medication, prenatal care, and many types of cancer screenings, as well as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), the “miracle … Continue reading →

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Just another reminder that abortion bans kill women

Posted on April 24, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

In case you needed it. Pregnant people living in states with abortion bans are almost twice as likely to die during pregnancy or soon after giving birth, a report released Wednesday found. The risk is greatest for Black women in … Continue reading →

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