Tag Archives: Texas

Fifth Circuit upholds ruling overturning federal home distilling ban

Posted on April 15, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Good for the home distillers. A U.S. appeals court on Friday declared unconstitutional a nearly 158-year-old federal ban on home distilling, calling it an unnecessary and improper means for ​Congress to exercise its power to tax. The 5th U.S. Circuit … Continue reading →

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AI and prediction markets need to be kept out of elections

Posted on April 15, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Ain’t gonna happen this year, though. Artificial intelligence and prediction markets have opened new frontiers in Texas politics, but one expert said the growth of platforms like ChatGPT and Polymarket is far outpacing legislative efforts to limit their impact on elections. It’s … Continue reading →

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Reps. Gonzales and Swalwell to resign from Congress

Posted on April 14, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

That escalated quickly. U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales announced on Monday he would resign from Congress, avoiding an expected vote on his expulsion after he admitted to having an affair with a staffer. Gonzales, a Republican from San Antonio, has faced intensifying scrutiny … Continue reading →

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Court blocks changes to Historically Underutilized Business Program

Posted on April 14, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Good. A Travis County district court judge granted a request for a temporary injunction to block the latest rule changes to the state’s Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) program. The injunction reverts HUB program back to its original regulations, but the … Continue reading →

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Interview with Rep. Vikki Goodwin

Posted on April 13, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

I’m going to shift my interview focus to the Democratic primary runoff, which will be the next election for most of us. There are a few races of interest, I’m going to try to do what I can with them. … Continue reading →

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House Dems fined for most recent quorum break

Posted on April 13, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Not the end of the story. A committee of the Texas House of Representatives voted late Friday afternoon to impose financial penalties totaling nearly $422,000 on Democratic House members who broke quorum last August to try to prevent the Republican-led Legislature from … Continue reading →

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Sorry, but data centers don’t need those tax breaks

Posted on April 13, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Let them pay their taxes. Texas will lose out on at least $3.1 billion in sales tax revenue over the next two years thanks to an exemption for the state’s booming data center industry, according to the comptroller’s office. That … Continue reading →

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Smokable hemp ban paused

Posted on April 12, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

For now. A Travis County district judge has temporarily lifted a statewide ban on the sale of natural smokeable hemp products, such as flower buds and rolled joints, until at least April 23. Judge Maya Guerra Gamble granted the Texas … Continue reading →

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Feds aim to screw Colony Ridge residents in their settlement

Posted on April 12, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Totally on brand. In December 2023, the U.S. Justice Department sued a Texas land developer it accused of duping tens of thousands of Hispanic residents into predatory mortgages, a landmark case for the Biden administration. Colony Ridge, which sold plots … Continue reading →

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DPS and Rangers investigating Camp Mystic

Posted on April 12, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Okay. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said Tuesday that the Texas Rangers have launched a criminal investigation into Camp Mystic, where 25 campers and two counselors were killed during a catastrophic flash flood on July 4. And the Texas Department of … Continue reading →

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KP George removed from office

Posted on April 11, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

A rough year gets worse. Fort Bend County Judge KP George was suspended from office Friday following his felony money laundering conviction, a rare move that removes the county’s top elected official from power and puts county government under temporary leadership. During a … Continue reading →

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The El Paso connection to Minneapolis

Posted on April 11, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Good stuff. As hundreds of federal immigration agents flooded into Minnesota for Operation Metro Surge, this winter, flights filled with detainees ramped up at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Thousands of miles away, in El Paso, Marisa Limón Garza’s phone started ringing — … Continue reading →

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Dan Patrick has the blues

Posted on April 10, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Not the sort of thing our boy Danno usually says. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on Wednesday said Texas Republicans are “going to have a tough time” holding onto their majority in the state House this fall, the latest and perhaps … Continue reading →

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Drill, baby, drill (for water)

Posted on April 10, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Checking in on Corpus Christi and it surrounding areas. Dwindling levels in this region’s main reservoirs have triggered a rush on local aquifers as cities, towns, chemical plants and ranchers drill for water. The nearby city of Corpus Christi faces … Continue reading →

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Here come the WalMart drones

Posted on April 10, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Look, up in the sky… A fleet of drones is taking flight across the greater Houston region today, as Walmart launches its first drone delivery service in the city. The retail behemoth is partnering with Wing, a drone delivery company … Continue reading →

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Lawsuit filed over ban on smokable hemp

Posted on April 9, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

To be expected. Texas hemp industry leaders and advocacy groups have sued the state to block new regulations that eliminate natural smokeable hemp products and increase licensing fees. The Texas Hemp Business Council, Hemp Industry & Farmers of America, and … Continue reading →

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We have our first real voucher loophole

Posted on April 9, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Surely not the last. A Florida-based virtual school could receive Texas taxpayer funds through the state’s new $1 billion private school voucher program, despite provisions in the law meant to block out-of-state schools from joining the program. State records show … Continue reading →

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The takeover biz has been good for Mike Miles

Posted on April 8, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Just raking it in. As more Texas school districts face the threat of a state takeover, they are turning to a charter network founded by Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Miles to try to avoid it. At least seven school districts — Edgewood, Everman, Hempstead, Killeen, San … Continue reading →

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Tony Gonzales really is a creep

Posted on April 8, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Ewwww. Late on a June night in 2020, amid a nail-biter of a GOP primary runoff, then-congressional candidate Tony Gonzales quickly turned a conversation with his campaign’s political director from casual to intimate. Gonzales texted that she was a “smart … Continue reading →

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Gregg Phillips continues to be a weirdo

Posted on April 8, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Your federal government at work. Gregg Phillips, President Donald Trump’s top disaster response appointee, has drawn national headlines over claims he has teleported–not once, but twice–including an experience that apparently brought him to a Waffle House in Georgia. But this … Continue reading →

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The Bennett School

Posted on April 7, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Lots to think about in here. When junior Karson Reeder stepped off the mound in the fifth inning of the UIL Class 6A Division II state championship game last June, he had thrown his last pitch for Tomball High School. Instead … Continue reading →

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Interview with Ron Angeletti

Posted on April 6, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

About two weeks ago, I mentioned that there’s a special election on May 2 in SD04, to fill out the unexpired term of now-former Sen. Brandon Creighton. I’d forgotten that he’d resigned to take the Texas Tech Chancellor gig, and … Continue reading →

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Just a reminder that Trump’s tariffs suck

Posted on April 6, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. As the business manager and part owner of Houghton Horns, a specialty brass instrument store in north Texas, Kacie Wright deals with President Donald Trump’s tariffs every day. “I wake up every … Continue reading →

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Using AI to ban books

Posted on April 6, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

And also to review books that have been challenged. The AI vendors want a piece of the action either way. Conservative parents’ advocacy groups have been experimenting with using commercially available artificial intelligence tools to help them flag more books … Continue reading →

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Harris County files amicus brief in lawsuit over the Historically Underutilized Business Program

Posted on April 5, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Harris County filed an amicus brief supporting plaintiffs in Ipsum General Contractors, LLC, et al. v. Kelly Hancock, et al., urging the court to restore the State of Texas’s Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) Program and halt recent … Continue reading →

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Vouchers are for white private school kids

Posted on April 4, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Shocking, I know. Most of Texas’ school voucher applications come from white families and children who previously attended a private school or home-school. The Texas comptroller’s office, which manages the program, released preliminary data before applications for families interested in … Continue reading →

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Maureen Galindo

Posted on April 4, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

She’s an interesting candidate. I’m not sure I want her to be the nominee, but I’m also not sure about the other guy, so. When a new owner started making improvements to Maureen Galindo‘s downtown apartment complex in 2017, she saw an … Continue reading →

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Lizelle Gonzalez’s lawsuit over her wrongful arrest on abortion charges dismissed

Posted on April 3, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Ugh. A Trump-appointed federal judge in South Texas this week dismissed a lawsuit filed by a woman in the Rio Grande Valley who alleged that her rights were violated after prosecutors charged her with murder in a controversial case that … Continue reading →

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No more smokable hemp

Posted on April 2, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

You can still smoke what you already have, though. Smokable hemp products are effectively illegal in Texas starting today as new rules on cannabis compounds take effect. The rules, adopted by the Department of State Health Services, mark the most sweeping change … Continue reading →

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Schools in flood zones

Posted on April 2, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

This isn’t good. Nearly 400 Harris County schools could move to higher-risk flood zones, according to new maps released by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The new maps dramatically expand Harris County’s 100-year and 500-year floodplains, moving hundreds of schools and other … Continue reading →

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A bit more on the Comets deal

Posted on April 2, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Just following up on a couple of items, which I didn’t catch in the original post. From ESPN: The WNBA board of governors still needs to approve the sale and the move. The Sun are being sold for a record … Continue reading →

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The new Fort Worth ISD Superintendent speaks

Posted on March 31, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

I’m trying to hear how he differs from Mike Miles. I’m still thinking about it. “It’s going to take a while to correct the system,” [appointed Superintendent Peter] Licata said Friday as he walked around Morningside, a campus slated for … Continue reading →

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The Loving County takeover saga gets more ridiculous

Posted on March 31, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

I am begging for there to be a multi-part prestige podcast about this when it is all over. A legal cat-and-mouse contest is playing out in far West Texas, where local and state authorities are attempting to stymie a charismatic … Continue reading →

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First attempt to regulate prediction markets

Posted on March 31, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

This isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, but it has had some effect and is worth keeping an eye on. After two United States senators introduced a bipartisan bill on Monday aimed at banning sports futures on prediction markets, Kalshi and … Continue reading →

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