08.10.15
Posted in Around The State, Commentary at 10:50 am by wcnews
The Texas Progressive Alliance thinks that big GOP candidate debate needed more balloon animals and seltzer bottles as it brings you this week’s roundup.
Off the Kuff gives his campaign strategy for defending Houston’s Equal Rights Ordinance.
Harold Cook presents the GOP Presidential Debate Drinking Game, which will come in handy for the next debate, if you ever recover from the first one.
Socratic Gadfly looks at the hoo-hah over Dan Price, CEO of Gravity Payments and his eventual $70,000 salary for employees, and has a mix of cautious applause and skeptical concerns.
A blogger started a petition to have the NFL relocate the 2017 Super Bowl away from Houston if the HERO is defeated by the voters in November. And then a Houston television station picked up the story. PDiddie at Brains and Eggs is in wonderment at how things can snowball — or go viral, as the kids say these days — so quickly.
CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme wants everyone to know that Texas Republicans are denying birth certificates for Hispanic babies born in Texas.
From WCNews at Eye on Williamson. More GOP mug shots this week, That Ken Paxton Is Attorney General Proves Our Political System Has Failed and Wilco DA Jana Duty.
Neil at All People Have Value spent the past week in Chicago and the Chicago area. Neil’s blog has interesting pictures of that great American city.
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And here are some posts of interest from other Texas blogs.
Texas Clean Air Matters urges state leaders to meet the Clean Power Plan with innovation and not resistance.
The TSTA Blog reminds us that long before he was indicted on felony charges, Ken Paxton was bad news for public education.
Media Matters captures video of Houston LGBT activist Noel Freeman shooting down lies about the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance.
Lone Star Ma celebrates World Breastfeeding Week 2015.
Kevin Walker says Dallas needs a 21st century blueprint for building a better city.
Rafael McDonnell reports on a training program he attended for LGBTQ people running for political office.
The Houston Justice Coalition lays out its goals for addressing police brutality at the root.
Honorary Texan The Slactivist advises Texas politicians on the best way to pose for their future mug shot.
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08.07.15
Posted in Around The State, Elections at 10:48 am by wcnews
Via the DMN, Texas voter ID law discriminates against minorities, 5th Circuit panel rules.
A federal appeals court ruled Wednesday that Texas’ voter ID law has a “discriminatory” effect on minorities.
The ruling was a victory, albeit not a sweeping one, for President Barack Obama and minority rights groups. A three-judge panel of the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans ruled that the Texas law, passed in 2011, violates part of the federal Voting Rights Act.
The appellate panel, however, did not accept last year’s ruling by a federal judge in Texas that the voter ID law is tantamount to an illegal poll tax. Nor did the appellate judges agree with the trial court that the law was passed with the intent to discriminate against minority voters. The panel sent the matter back to the lower court for consideration of ways to fix its discriminatory effects.
Texas could still appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court or ask the full 5th Circuit to review the case.
Essentially they ruled the result of the law was discriminatory, but the intent of the law wasn’t. I don’t agree that the intent wasn’t to discriminate.
Kuff has more on the effect of the ruling.
Practically speaking, getting back to where your voter registration card suffices as your voter ID card, which is most of what we had before, seems like a pretty good outcome to me. I don’t know what the timeline is at this point, and I presume the earlier rulings that allowed the voter ID law to be enforced for the 2014 election is still in place. It’s still a good result. I’ve received numerous statements and press releases on this, which I’ve included beneath the fold. In the meantime, go read the ruling yourself. There are parts the non-lawyers can and will skim over, but for the most part it’s pretty comprehensible. Read it, or just read Prof. Hasen’s analysis, and see what you think. Daily Kos, ThinkProgress, the Brennan Center, the Press, Texas Leftist, Paradise in Hell, the Texas Election Law Blog, and Newsdesk have more.
In other words, it’s not over.
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08.06.15
Posted in Bad Government Republicans, Uncategorized, Williamson County at 9:02 pm by wcnews
Williamson County District Attorney Jana Duty has been found in contempt of court.
A judge has found Williamson County District Attorney Jana Duty in contempt of court for violating a judge’s gag order during a hearing Thursday.
Williamson County Judge Rick Kennon filed the contempt motion against Duty in May after she refused to come to a hearing. Duty was sentenced to 10 days in jail and a $500 fine for the charges against her.
The judge wanted to discuss the claims that she violated a gag order on a murder case. Duty fought to have the gag order removed — essentially voiding the case against her — three times, and each attempt failed.
Duty was fingerprinted and released on bond, pending the completion of the appeals process.
Oh well, I guess a mug shot is what it takes to be a member of the GOP these days.
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08.05.15
Posted in Around The State, Commentary at 4:25 pm by wcnews
The Texas Progressive Alliance prefers Attorneys General who aren’t themselves lawbreakers as it brings you this week’s roundup.
Off the Kuff is dismayed but not surprised by the business community’s apathy about the coming effects of climate change in Texas.
Ken Paxton’s indictments broke news on Saturday afternoon, about 24 hours later than PDiddie at Brains and Eggs predicted. The one remaining question is: how long does our lazy-eyed attorney general twist in the wind before Gov. Greg Abbott cuts down his stinking carcass?
Nonsequiteuse is concerned we may never get back through the looking glass. She realizes that facts are a quaint vestige of simpler times, but cannot resist offering not one but five of them, plus a conclusion, an opinion, and even a bonus prediction about Ken Paxton’s pending felony indictment, words that give her great delight to type over and over and over again.
Socratic Gadfly talks about the initial rollout of Congress’ “new” energy plan and how so little of it is new.
CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme say you can thank Ronald Reagan and his greedy friends for all of the mentally ill people out on the streets. An Edinburg woman is a widow thanks to Ronnie and the new, militarized police.
Neil at All People Have Value made note of former President Carter referring to the U.S. as an oligarchy. APHV is part of NeilAquino.com.
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And here are some posts of interest from other Texas blogs.
Scott Braddock analyzes the Donald Trump-inspired proxy war between Rick Perry and Ted Cruz.
Lone Star Ma prays for peace and justice.
David Ortez explains what the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance is and why it matters.
Street Smart shows how sacrificing the local street grid for highways can be devastating to the surrounding area.
The Texas Election Law Blog has some hope for restoring regulatory balance to the voting rights process.
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08.03.15
Posted in Around The State, Bad Government Republicans at 9:05 pm by wcnews
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has been indicted on three felony charges.
His crime was known - he had admitted to it - before he won the general election in 2014. The people of Texas knew it, or should have, and still voted for him.
His crimes were also known before he won the GOP Primary before in March of 2014. The GOP Primary voters knew it and didn’t care.
The media didn’t seem to see it as a disqualifying factor.
The Democrats were unable to do anything about it.
And we now have an indicted felon, three times over, as our Attorney General in Texas.
Kuff has the details.
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07.27.15
Posted in Around The State, Commentary at 9:46 am by wcnews
The Texas Progressive Alliance is always on the side of equality as it brings you this week’s roundup.
Off the Kuff decries the Supreme Court ruling that will force a vote on whether or not to repeal Houston’s Equal Rights Ordinance.
Harold Cook explains why the Republicans won’t nominate Donald Trump, but won’t be able to escape him, either.
Libby Shaw at Texas Kaos and contributing to Daily Kos never ceases to be amazed by Rick Perry’s serial hypocrisy. Have YOU No Decency, Rick Perry?
Socratic Gadfly talks about the Dunning-Kruger effect and why many people think their local race relations are much better than national race relations.
CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme notes that many people in South Texas do not have clean drinking water. This should be a scandal, but, as Donald Trump has amply explained, Texas Latinos are nothing but piñatas to republicans.
Ben Hall and Steven Hotze, Ben Hall and Dave Wilson… a lot of prayers got answered for the Houston bigots and homophobes when the Texas Supreme Court ordered the City of Houston to either repeal its equal rights ordinance or put it on the November ballot. PDiddie at Brains and Eggs knows that we don’t need another HERO referendum, but we’re going to get one anyway.
With football season fast approaching in Texas, Neil at All People Have Value posted about the NFL’s refusal to allow Junior Seau’s family to speak at his Hall of Fame induction as Seau’s family sues the NFL over his terrible head injuries. Football is unsafe to play at any level. APHV is part of NeilAquino.com.
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And here are some posts of interest from other Texas blogs.
The Texas Election Law Blog tries to clear up some confusion about resignations and vacancies.
Ex-pat Texan Elise Hu-Stiles documents what it’s like to live and have children in Seoul, South Korea.
The TSTA Blog wishes our state leadership cared as much about schools as teachers, parents, and charities do.
Scott Vogel, editor of Houstonia, has some choice words for a couple of readers who objected to an ad showing a multi-racial family.
Tamara Tabo examines the problems of jail surveillance cameras.
Paradise in Hell knows that Texas is great in spite of Rick Perry, not because of him.
Eric Berger geeks out over the pictures from Pluto.
Grits for Breakfast tries to distill some lessons from the Sandra Bland tragedy.
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07.20.15
Posted in Around The State, Commentary at 8:14 am by wcnews
The Texas Progressive Alliance asks #WhatHappenedToSandraBland as it brings you this week’s roundup.
Off the Kuff looks at the lawsuit filed against the state for refusing to issue birth certificates to children of undocumented immigrant mothers.
Lightseeker at Texas Kaos makes a compelling argument as to why the Democratic Party needs to sharpen its message in a way in which it resonates with and motivates the majority of D voters. Why we need a better Democratic story and how Sanders’ candidacy underscores this point.
Socratic Gadfly says that if Obama is going to visit a federal prison and talk about commuting sentences, he ought to throw the long bomb by going to Florida and freeing Leonard Peltier.
CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme wants you to know Greg Abbott screwed up child support payment upgrade. Republicans don’t really care about kids. You can tell by action after action.
From WCNews at Eye on Williamson. The rotting fruit of one-party rule in Williamson County, County GOP Elected Officials Using Courts For Petty Political Battles.
The disruption at Netroots Nation’s presidential town hall forum by activists associated with Black Lives Matter was a clash between the politics of the old-school Social Democrats and that of the New Democrats’ identity politics. PDiddie at Brains and Eggs thinks there will a coming-together of the two movements or a cleaving of the Democratic Party as the dynamic unfolds.
Neil at All People Have Value discussed Obama’s role in taking away our freedoms through the New Horizons mission to Pluto. APHV is part of NeilAquino.com.
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And here are some posts of interest from other Texas blogs.
The Texas Election Law Blog celebrates its second anniversary, and reviews the case that led to its beginning.
Ken Janda asks how can Texas continue to ask for billions of dollars in uncompensated care payments to hospitals for uninsured patients coming to emergency rooms, when more than one million of those people could be put into Medicaid Managed Care?
The TSTA Blog warns of “dangerous anti-educator” Scott Walker.
Texas Vox cheers the forthcoming end of coal.
Grits for Breakfast is pleased to see that funding has been allotted for research into the underlying scientific bases for the forensic tools and methods currently used in the criminal justice system.
David Ortez gives a graphical representation of the Houston Mayoral fundraising race.
Rachel Pearson explains why that video hit job on Planned Parenthood is “pure applesauce”.
Texas Clean Air Matters documents the trend towards clean, affordable power.
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07.17.15
Posted in Bad Government Republicans, Criminal Justice, Williamson County at 8:32 am by wcnews
It would appear from this AAS article that Williamson County GOP political squabbles are now being handled in the courts, Hearing scheduled as DA fires back at Williamson County judge.
An administrative judge ordered Monday that a hearing be held over whether District Judge Rick Kennon should be recused from presiding over a contempt of court hearing against Williamson County District Attorney Jana Duty.
The order came after Duty filed a motion Friday asking that Kennon — who four years ago announced he would run against her — be removed from presiding over the contempt of court hearing against her because he is not impartial.
Kennon declined Monday to comment about Duty’s motion because the case is pending in his court.
Billy Ray Stubblefield, the presiding judge of the Third Administrative Judicial Region, said Monday that Kennon had declined to “voluntarily recuse himself,” according to a court document. Stubblefield appointed another district judge to hear the motion over whether Kennon should be recused, the document said.
Kennon filed a motion in May to hold Duty in contempt of court for violating a gag order in the Crispin Harmel capital murder case. Her contempt of court hearing has been set for July 23.
The motion that Duty filed Friday said Kennon was not impartial because he announced previously that he was running for election against her and he had also run in another race against a candidate that she actively campaigned for, the motion said. Most recently he has treated her with hostility during court proceedings in the Harmel case, the motion said. [Emphasis added]
It’s long past time for Williamson County to elect some people who are not members of the GOP. The GOP using our courts to fight their petty political battles has to stop.
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07.13.15
Posted in Around The State, Commentary at 7:35 am by wcnews
The Texas Progressive Alliance does not put peas in guacamole as it brings you this week’s roundup.
Off the Kuff notes the first appearance of lawyers bound and determined to help a few recalcitrant County Clerks deny marriage licenses to same sex couples in Texas.
Horwitz at Texpatriate says farewell as he enters the next chapter of his life.
Lightseeker at Texas Kaos exposes Rick Perry and Greg Abbott’s myth that tort reform ensures more public access to affordable healthcare. In GOP Texas tort reform means insurance companies and corporations are the winners while real people pay the price. Abbott and Perry: Tort Reform as a Trojan Horse.
SocraticGadfly discusses the decline and fall of Walmart, especially in small towns and rural areas.
Should Sen. Bernie Sanders ultimately be eliminated from contention for the Democratic nomination, what’s the best choice for progressives moving forward, PDiddie at Brains and Eggs asks.
CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme wants everyone to know that Jeb Bush’s son is following the GOP anti-environment playbook in ploy to kill songbirds. The apple didn’t fall too far from the tree.
Neil at All People Have Value posted a number of interesting pictures from his trip this past week to beautiful Cincinnati, Ohio. APHV is part of NeilAquino.com.
2012 saw the Republican Party lose the Presidency once again, mostly because of their complete refusal to learn from their mistakes, and evolve. As we inch ever closer to 2016, Texas Leftist is left to wonder if the GOP learned anything from the last cycle. Given the dominance of Media Harlot Donald Trump, the answer is a likely “no”.
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And here are some posts of interest from other Texas blogs.
Mike Tolson hears the echoes of Loving v. Virginia in the arguments made by same-sex marriage opponents.
Paradise in Hell counts down the last days of freedom in Bastrop until the inevitable Obama/UN takeover of Texas.
Charlotte Coyle confesses her reluctant patriotism.
Texas Clean Air Matters envisions Houston as a leader in zero-emission cargo transport technologies.
Better Texas Blog celebrates beautiful, messy democracy.
Grits for Breakfast analyzes Rick Perry’s speech on race relations and criminal justice reform in the context of his time as Governor.
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07.06.15
Posted in Around The State, Commentary at 9:25 am by wcnews
The Texas Progressive Alliance congratulates the USWNT on its awesome FIFA Women’s World Cup win as it brings you this week’s roundup.
Off the Kuff reports that thousands more Texas state employees are now eligible for spousal benefits thanks to the SCOTUS ruling on same sex marriage.
Libby Shaw at Texas Kaos and contributing to Daily Kos observes that it should be obvious the state’s government has become a gathering place for crooks, crony capitalists, religious fanatics, homophobes, racists and misogynists. Texas Governor Cruel.
SocraticGadfly takes a look at American exceptionalism, and the subject of counterfactual history, to produce some musings about the Fourth of July and American independence.
There are two things that will probably keep Sen. Bernie Sanders from acquiring the Democratic nomination for the US presidency, writes PDiddie at Brains and Eggs in the first of two posts on the topic. Clue: one of them isn’t money, and the other isn’t the questionable intelligence of the average American voter.
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And here are some posts of interest from other Texas blogs.
The Lunch Tray updates us on her “pink slime” legal case and her use of Texas’ shield law.
Eric Berger explains why some rocket launches fail.
Elizabeth Rose has no trouble reconciling her Christian faith with same sex marriage.
Cody Pogue finds no good reason to oppose same sex marriage.
Two Houston Tomorrow interns share their bus-riding experiences.
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