Tag Archives: Louisiana

Of course some anti-abortion bill will pass this session

Posted on February 1, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Passing bills restricting abortion is one of the reasons the modern Republican Party exists, so of course some bill (or bills) which do that in some fashion will be passed in this legislative session. It’s as safe a bet as … Continue reading →

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You know, there is a cheaper way to do this

Posted on September 15, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Why are we still outsourcing inmates? County commissioners next week will consider a proposal to outsource inmates to the Fort Bend County Jail, which would allow Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez to slow — but not stop — the flow … Continue reading →

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Paxton goes after DACA

Posted on July 1, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I have no words. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and officials from nine other states on Thursday urged the Trump administration to end an Obama-era program that’s allowed hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants to live and work in the … Continue reading →

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State to help defend county bail policies

Posted on June 29, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Of course it will. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and the top lawyers in five other states are backing Harris County in its protracted battle over money bail for poor low-level defendants, as the tally of those released on no-cash … Continue reading →

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Bu-ee’s to expand to Louisiana

Posted on March 13, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The road to world domination leads east. The first Buc-ee’s outside Texas promises lagniappe, a little bonus, worthy of its Louisiana locale. “It’s going to look like what we build, and it’s going to feel like what we build,” co-owner … Continue reading →

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SCOTUS also blocks Louisiana anti-abortion law for now

Posted on March 8, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Forgot to note this over the weekend. The Supreme Court handed down a brief order Friday allowing four Louisiana abortion clinics to reopen after they were closed due to a recent decision by a conservative federal appeals court. Last week, … Continue reading →

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Hey, how about another lawsuit against Obamacare?

Posted on February 27, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Sure, why not? Six states filed a new lawsuit Wednesday against the Obama administration over the Affordable Care Act. The complaint that Texas, Wisconsin, Kansas, Louisiana, Indiana and Nebraska filed in the Northern District of Texas takes issue with the … Continue reading →

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Here comes I-14

Posted on December 11, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Don’t hold your breath waiting for it, however. This will take awhile. Texas is getting a new interstate, as part of a long-term federal transportation bill. Interstate 14 will be cobbled together mostly from U.S. 190 and other existing roads … Continue reading →

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Yet another Obamacare lawsuit

Posted on October 24, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Some things never get old. n Texas’ latest salvo against Obamacare, Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed suit over a fee states must help cover to pay for the sweeping federal health reform law. Texas joins Louisiana and Kansas in … Continue reading →

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Paxton asks judge to block EPA water rules in Texas

Posted on September 12, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The basic story: Texas has asked a federal judge to block enforcement of a new rule that expands authority over which water bodies the U.S. government can regulate. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton made the request Tuesday in an 88-page … Continue reading →

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Two anti-gay bills advance

Posted on April 24, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Look out. Gay rights advocates began sounding the alarm Wednesday after two anti-LGBT bills cleared House committees and another received a favorable hearing. Kathy Miller, president of the Texas Freedom Network, said if LGBT groups and their corporate allies don’t … Continue reading →

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What do we expect from the Fifth Circuit and SCOTUS on same sex marriage?

Posted on January 9, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Some people are very optimistic. Same-sex marriage will arrive in Texas before Easter, according to an attorney for two couples who are challenging the state’s marriage bans in federal court. Daniel McNeel Lane Jr., of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & … Continue reading →

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Sixth Circuit stands up for inequality

Posted on November 7, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

It was bound to happen eventually. Remember the big no-decision decision the Supreme Court issued on same-sex marriage just a month ago? The justices were asked — in five separate cases no less — to weigh in on whether same-sex … Continue reading →

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Abbott’s appellate response brief is the same old junk

Posted on October 14, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Pathetic. Attorney General Greg Abbott says Texas’ same-sex marriage ban should remain in place because legalizing it would do little or nothing to encourage heterosexual couples to get married and have children. Writing in a brief filed to the 5th … Continue reading →

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Of course the film industry thinks we need more film incentives

Posted on September 10, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

It’s all money to them. Why wouldn’t they think the state should provide more funding for them? A Warner Bros. executive told a panel of Texas lawmakers they would have to pony up more cash for film industry incentives if … Continue reading →

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Louisiana breaks the streak

Posted on September 6, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

One in every crowd, I guess. A federal judge [in New Orleans] upheld the state’s ban on same-sex marriage on Wednesday, going against what had been a unanimous trend of federal court decisions striking down such bans since the Supreme … Continue reading →

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Just a reminder that “more gambling” does not necessarily mean “more revenue”

Posted on August 24, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

If Atlantic City can go bust… The winning streak has run cold for Atlantic City, N.J. Earlier this week, the upscale Revel Casino Hotel announced it will close, bringing the total number of casinos in the city expected to close … Continue reading →

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If Louisiana can do it…

Posted on June 25, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

By “it” I mean expand Medicaid. What’s Texas’ excuse if that happens? Republican U.S. Sen. David Vitter on Monday left open the possibility of expanding Louisiana’s Medicaid program to cover more of the working poor. Vitter, a candidate for governor … Continue reading →

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How about those gators?

Posted on November 25, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

They’re doing well, with a little help. The largest reptile in America was nearly extinct by the 1970s. But, efforts to protect the American alligator resulted in a conservation success story that led to its removal from the endangered species … Continue reading →

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The states that are making life harder for their National Guard members

Posted on November 15, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

It’s not just Texas. While a majority of states ban same-sex marriages, most are not fighting the new policy. But Pentagon officials say that in addition to Texas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and West Virginia have balked. Each has cited … Continue reading →

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Zack Kopplin

Posted on January 29, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Remember the name Zack Kopplin. Rice University sophomore Zack Kopplin says he has been called the Antichrist, a godless liberal and, bizarrely, the cause of Hurricane Katrina. Kopplin, 19, has gained notoriety for championing the fight against his home state … Continue reading →

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Are vouchers unconstitutional?

Posted on December 13, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Attorney Kelly Frels makes the case that private school vouchers will not pass constitutional muster in Texas. State Sen. Dan Patrick has proposed that the state of Texas provide vouchers to help parents pay for private school tuition. Vouchers are … Continue reading →

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The opening argument against vouchers

Posted on October 28, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

We’ve been hearing about vouchers since Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst named Sen. Dan Patrick to be Chair of the Senate Education Committee, but we haven’t heard – or at least, I haven’t seen – a lot of information about what … Continue reading →

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A matter of priorities

Posted on August 9, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Compare and contrast. State Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, the outspoken voice of the far right in the Senate, said he will be pushing vouchers that parents of school-age children could use for charter schools, online offerings or additional alternatives to … Continue reading →

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When monkeys are outlawed, only outlaws will have monkeys

Posted on February 10, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Or something like that. Even in their Texas hideout, Jim and Donita Clark are terrified that wildlife agents from their home state of Louisiana will descend on their motorhome and seize the four Capuchin monkeys they’ve reared for 10 years. … Continue reading →

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The black bears return to Texas

Posted on August 16, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Very cool. SOMEWHERE IN BLUE ELBOW SWAMP — Hope, sometimes, is based on the strangest things. Here, deep in the near-impenetrable thickets of the Sabine River basin, it rides on sardines and tampons soaked in pastry filling. That exotic bait, … Continue reading →

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Outsourcing inmates

Posted on August 12, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

We know Sheriff Adrian Garcia has a plan to fix problems with the Harris County jails. He’s been up front about what he wants to do, and he’s helped create the position of “jail czar”, who is tasked with finding … Continue reading →

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Our friend the stimulus package

Posted on July 24, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Jason Embry tells us just how much Texas relied on the stimulus package this year. A new report from the National Conference of State Legislatures shows that federal stimulus dollars played a large role in allowing Texas lawmakers to balance … Continue reading →

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How much money would expanded gambling generate?

Posted on March 24, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Throughout this session, every time the subject of expanded gambling in Texas comes up, along with it comes some kind of projection of how much revenue it might generate. Those estimates always come from the proponent of that form of … Continue reading →

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Two stories about gambling

Posted on March 9, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron’s David Barron talks to some experts about putting slot machines at horse tracks, which is one of several major proposals to expand gambling in Texas this legislative session. William Eadington, an economics professor at the University of Nevada … Continue reading →

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